Working line GSDs as pets Working Dogs

Found this brilliant article while browsing the web ...

http://gracekeh.hubpages.com/hub/Working-German-Shepherds-as-Pets-and-Companions

So very often, I come across a message or an e-mail asking if I think one of my puppies can "make it" as "just a pet". "But your dogs are all titled in Schutzhund!" they will say, as if Schutzhund titles means my dogs are not for the regular homes - - my home is as regular as it gets! The Schutzhund titles merely mean that my dogs can use their noses to track successfully, can learn and obey my commands to do an Obedience routine as required by the rules of Schutzhund, and can do protection work and will bite when told, release when told, and again, do as they have been trained to do. It simply means that my dogs, in addition to being my companions, can also "work" when required, in various facets. The willingness to learn, obey, and perform are all characeristics that are valuable in a family companion too.In addition to those e-mails, I also come across many posts on the internet inisinuating that because they are only looking for a "pet" - - they don't think they should get a working line German Shepherd but rather, a showline German Shepherd or an American Shepherd, or what have you.Even worse is when people, and oftentimes breeders, no less, ask potential German Shepherd homes, "Well, what would you like to do with your puppy? If you want to do Schutzhund, get a working line puppy, and if you want a pet, get a ________ line puppy."

That, in my opinion, is simply horrible advice. The only accurate advice is: "If you want to win conformation shows, get a showline dog" - and this applies solely because the showring rewards a certain type of look with almost complete disregard for the temperament and character of the dog, or what is actually functional structure for the dog.

To me, that advice is no different than suggesting to a car buyer, "If you don't plan to race, then you definitely don't need a transmission!" Have you tried driving a car that doesn't have a working transmission? It's like telling someone who is considering a BMW, "Why buy a BMW when a Daewoo will also get you to work?" The truth is that anyone who has driven a BMW, and driven a Daewoo too, can explain to you in very clear terms and guttural sounds EXACTLY why the two cannot be compared, can describe to you the importance of torque in a car, in spite of both being actual automobiles.

A dog is a dog is a dog, sure. But a good German Shepherd is one of a kind. A good German Shepherd has various required components, and with those components securely in place - - you can do it all with your dog, and that includes having an outstanding "pet". The German Shepherd is a working dog, this much is true - - - but you'll note that all of the work that a Shepherd is supposed to do is at the direction of a human being. The bond they develop with their master is what makes this breed so special, and makes them such powerful workers, because they take direction and orders from their masters like a truly good worker should. In turn, this is also what makes them amazing family companions too, as they bond as heavily to their families - and form strong and meaningful canine-human relationships with their families. Work, to the dog, can be as silly as chasing the same ball at the same park for the 10th year in a row, to chasing down criminals to make their 100th arrest as a police K9. "WE" see a difference in the two types of "work" - but the dog doesn't. All he knows is that he gets to spend the time with you, doing what you asked, and being praised and played with on account of his good behavior. We think of search dogs as doing something noble and heroic - - - the search dog himself only knows that if he finds this human being who is "hidden" out there somewhere, he will get his ball, or a treat, or a really great play session with his handler.

Frankly, the dog could care less about whose life he saved, so long as the reward is brought out quickly and he gets to spend time with YOU on account of whatever he found.

As this breed divides into various lines, and the differences become progressively more drastic - it seems to have become a popular misconception that showlines are better pets, and working lines should go to police departments and such. I disagree vehemently.

While most working line breeders do not breed FOR the pet market - - they breed the true German Shepherd the way this breed was meant to be (assuming you have found a breeder who is indeed a good breeder with excellent dogs), based on the original standard and purpose of this breed. In my mind, one of the most important facets of a truly good German Shepherd temperament is the ability to make an outstanding pet. If he cannot bond heavily to his owner and family to be first and foremost a great companion - - then his working ability becomes near meaningless to me as half of what he is supposed to have been is missing. A dog who falls apart if not worked 24 hours a day, paces endlessly in his kennel enough to wear out the pads on his feet until he is taken out to work, goes in circles all day chasing his tail, and is missing an "off" switch may happen to be an outstanding worker in certain fields, but is not a good German Shepherd in my mind - and consequently, that is not a dog which I would breed as a German Shepherd Dog.

There is no component of what makes a good German Shepherd that the pet home does not need compared to the working home. Nerves? I will settle for nothing less than exemplary, topnotch nerves to trust any dog in a household with children, people coming and going, and a bustling family lifestyle. I would not leave anything less with my own children - - why should anyone else?

When picking a puppy for a family who is wanting a pet, I look for the best nerved puppies in the litter first - and then try to assess their drive levels to see which puppy suits the lifestyle of the family the most. Drives? Sure, the working home might demand higher drives in their puppies, but the most popular misconception seems to be that "high drive" is synonymous to "hyper". That is simply not the case! To me, a high drive dog is not necessarily the most energetic one, but rather a dog who can go from 0-100 the quickest. When you want the dog in drive, whether it be to play or work or just leave the house, he/she is immediately in drive and ready to go, go, go, and right NOW, at that. When not in use - there should be no way to tell how high drive your dog is, but when needed, it shows instantly and is unmistakable. Hyper dogs are a different story altogether, and a type I cannot tolerate in my own home.

There are lines that will have better showring conformation than the working line German Shepherds, and there are lines that will win more awards in the AKC showring, and so forth. There are lines who will have more reddish coats than the working line Shepherds, and there are dogs who will have more slant to their topline than most slides in children's playgrounds do. But when it comes to tempermant, strong nerves, and courage - - when you take into consideration a dog's clear head, sound mind, and stable character - - it is my belief (and in my mind - downright FACT), that very few breeds out there can compare to the working line German Shepherd.

Once a person has experienced a truly good German Shepherd from strong working lineage and good breeding, it is my opinion that you cannot go back to anything less.

I don't choose friends who are weak and show cowardice, crumble under a little pressure or stress, or are completely unstable to keep me company. Most definitely, I do not want my dog to show those attributes either. When you play, you play hard. When you fight, you fight to conquer. WHen you eat, you eat like it's your last meal. When you run, you run like you can fly. A powerful and loyal friend to the end who you know beyond all doubt is standing by your side is my idea of the ideal companion, or in other words, a true "pet dog". I don't feel a dog becomes a working dog if it cannot be a pet, but on the contrary - a dog must have potential to be an outstanding companion FIRST in order to even begin to qualify as a great working dog.

Good article
Something I have been thinking alot with all working breeds

People reccomend, without pausing for breath, to get the show version of a working breed if they only want a 'pet'

But I wonder if people are just repeating advice without really spending time with a well bred working dog

I have known it for a while with border collies - the only dogs I wouldnt like having in my home are the non working bred ones
but I am getting to meet more and more working dogs of different breeds and the difference between them and their showline counterparts is night and day - yes they have more focus and drive - but it is more focused - less randomly annoyingly hyper
I never thought I liked spanials that much till I met J&C's two, and now I am meeting more and more and I love there attitude, they LOVE to be doing things with their people

That was a good read. This may not be the best thread for my reply but here you go. As a newcomer to my breed (gsd) and having a rescue at that with unknown heritage, it gets quite disillusioning when folks are all too happy to point out her perceived "faults".

Apparantly her heid is too small, referred to as "collie head"
Shes too long in the body, her top line is too level. The very patronising "just enjoy the pet you have" as if she's inferior in some way, blah blah. You start to listen to all this but the GSD threads of late have given me food for thought.
Im not interested in the show world so I'm going to concentrate in future on her strengths:-

She has quite simply a great temprement, wonderful with all dogs, very tolerant of puppies. Great with my nephew (2.5) although never unsupervised for obvious reasons.
Great companion for running and hill walking two of my passions. It seems that she just wants to be with you, regardless of where you are.
She's not overly territorial, guests in our home are never unwelcome, after all they might just have a biscuit in their pocket. She's perfectly calm at home, given her size, she's never in the way going all hyper on you.
She does have a keen prey drive, to my horror when she did actually catch a rabbit she surprised me by not killing it.

The one thing I would change is her hatred of cats, we are working on it.

We have had to make a few trips to the vet, nothing we could put down to her poor breeding, as far as I know. (Of course we dont know what the future will hold)Contact allergy and a bout of gastroentritis, that took a while to get under control.

We met a chap a few weeks ago with a gsd, the dogs met, lots of sniffs the usual. He was telling us all about his dog, which was lovely, then he said he`s not like one of those things you get from the dog rescues. So of course we let him continue.................and when I did say "she is rescue", he was all " well they aren't all bad". Too late, that's in the book of no rubbing out

Anyway apologies if this has gone away from the op, I started so I might as well finish

Nice find Kirsty! Agree with much of what it says. And omg this puppy

A really excellent article with a lot of great points, I have a feeling that I will be linking people to this later on - this is something I commonly hear among people starting out in the breed (and working type breeds in general), and even people who do have breed experience. I have seen one of Grace Keh's quotes around on several breeder websites, her philosophy on the preservation of the breed and the breed itself is a good one.

I was guilty of this once myself, when it was recommended that I look into working line German Shepherds. The fear that I may not be able to provide for a working/sport bred puppy from SchH titled parents was one I frequently voiced. I often confused drive, energy, and nerve... not realizing that an edgy, nervy dog was undesirable and not considered a stable, working animal.

My own dog recently turned 3 years old and is a companion only dog. When we are home he does nothing but sleep, never paces, never whines, never asks to go out. He does not bother me and settles down easily. He has gone days, and even up to a week without extensive exercise when he suffered an injury, and never "complained". Extraordinarily easy to live with for the family, despite being a dog that the average person cannot handle. He is high drive and high energy compared to most dogs, but truly the ideal companion for me, and I'm a first time dog owner. It takes an understanding and an appreciation of the qualities the breed offers, but anyone who does not want those qualities should ultimately seek out a different breed.

As Grace Keh said, "The Schutzhund titles merely mean that my dogs can use their noses to track successfully, can learn and obey my commands to do an Obedience routine as required by the rules of Schutzhund, and can do protection work and will bite when told, release when told, and again, do as they have been trained to do." There are many different types and breeds of dogs holding SchH titles, but reveal themselves to be vastly different in the elements of temperament in drive, both on and off the field.

That being said, I also don't believe that everyone is suited for a working line German Shepherd (and I know that is not what the author implies, in fact, she's expressed the same sentiment before). The bond and relationship a German Shepherd offers is often earned, they are not dogs to coddle but rather partners in work and life. Much of the relationship between my own dog and I is based off of mutual respect and understanding. This is a thinking, working breed and should be treated as such.

Working line German Shepherds make the most incredible pets... but only if one is seeking out a working type dog. There is no need to give the dog a day to day job or to train the dog in sport or protection work, but it should be clear that a well bred German Shepherd Dog has the mind and heart of a worker, and anything else is unfair to the animal.

Dolce - people really say that about her?? Wow people are such snobs
I would put a good temprament as one of the most important things in a GSD, very few around here are not horribly nervy

The few good ones I meet are just such a joy, real gentle giants and remind me why I love the breed so much

pffff, a collie heid - and thats considered an insult?

A "collie head" is a frequent criticism among people in the German Shepherd breed, especially from those who show in the conformation ring. The implication is that the head is narrow, sharp, or snippy, I believe (forgive the amateur terminology, I've never been good at that)?

Typically, I don't mind an educated, well meaning criticism of my dog's conformation (after all, I did not breed/produce him), but those demeaning and patronizing comments are uncalled for. I never really understand why people make hurtful, completely unsolicited comments, but they seem to be made rather frequently. After all, while I refer to my dog as "just" a pet, I definitely do not appreciate anyone trying to lower my dog's worth with such deprecating comments. Only I get to say rude things about him

Shouldn't all dogs be pets?

I have one show dog, 2 agility dogs, one might one day be an agility dog and one will never be anything dog.

They all are pets and all loved equally

I do think that an active breed does need to be kept active, but cannot see why a working breed should not also be a pet.

I think it is an excellent article.

However, it misses a point which is missing in a lot of similar articles and forum threads. It is also dependant on the handler - the article implies this, but it is not explicit.

The best puppy in the world in the wrong hands will not make a good dog.

Similarly, the less than perfect puppy in excellent hands will make a good dog.

Folks who buy bred dogs choose the best pups so that, in their good hands, they increase the likelihood of success, but I want to emphasise the point 'likelihood'...

A brilliant article. So true and real! If everyone, could all just see that brilliant "way" about a German Shepherd Dog; maybe this breed could just survive by being what he is..
A TRULY FANTASTIC ANIMAL! Thanks Moobli!

Very well written article K - I enjoyed reading it. She also echoed what I found when I met Zak, saying what a great temperament he had.

I doubt that I will find figures to prove it, but I'm pretty sure that if you did a survey of all the bcs that had ended up in rescue, the majority would come from farms - i.e. working stock and the reason they are in rescue is that they haven't made good pets for the 'average' family. Most of the shepherds I know would hate to see a bc from a good working line go as a pet dog (partly because of the waste of the skill and partly because they don't believe the dog can be happy).

Its also noticable that many of the springers that end up in rescue are working lines rather than show lines.

I think that those of us who do prefer the working lines in most breeds probably do so because we have active lives and like to do things with our dogs, rather than them being there purely for company/as a playmate for the children.

For a family pet who is going to spend most of the time playing in the garden/house with the kids, without very much in the way of mental stimulation I would definitely not want to see a working bc or springer as their pet (but in fact I would probably wouldn't want to see any bc or springer as that kind of pet). But there are plenty of breeds who would love a life like that.

The other thing of course with some working breeds (specifically bcs) is that temperament is well down on the list of traits being bred for in the working lines - a shepherd will happily put up with a nervous or aggressive dog providing that this doesn't affect its work. Temperament is more important in showlines where the dogs are expected to be able to cope with strangers handling them etc.

I disagree with the first part - I don't necessarily think that all dogs should be pets. But I do agree with the rest -particularly about an active breed needing an active life whether or not from working lines.

It depends on what you mean by 'best puppy'. if you are talking temperament, I would disagree with you since IMO it is pretty hard to turn a perfect termperament into a bad one from poor handling. But certainly they could be 'bad' in the way of destructive/unruly if they are not properly handled.

Personally , I "only want a pet" that looks like the breed in question,

I "only want a pet" that is healthy , comes from health tested parents, looks like the breed I am looking for, along with a good temperament.

My "pet" is going to live as long as any dog (hopefully) he is going to encounter all that pets do in real life, my "only pet" is going to cost the same to insure /feed as its working companion.

In breeds such as those that have a define split, my criteria would always be health /looks/temperament, and I may be wrong but in breeds such as the springer/collie/lab, those who provide the above are generally "show breeder".

So common sense tells me , when looking for my "only a pet" would I go to a breeder that there only criteria is "how well the dogs work" , I am not going to work my "pet" so I want my "pet " to be as healthy as possible for the life I have intended for.

I have a friend who`s now GSD ( show bred) dog is probably the dog that would entice me to the breed (it wont happen) he is fabulous, he has a temperament to die for , stable, healthy, stunning to look at, and fits into their family life like a dream, he is the last of many of this breed, and to be honest the best they have ever owned.

He has the added bonus of coming from health tested parents too.

Just out of interest how many "working line " GSD breeder routinely health test their stock......,

A very interesting article, but my question to the author is ...do you include health testing in your ethos??

Not having a go, just generally interested.

Since the vast majority of dogs never do the work they were bred for and most will certainly be bought as companion dogs....
it`s about time someone noticed.
I can`t help feeling there is a bit of snobbery creeping in (no-one on here of course! ) from people who look down on anyone who doesn`t compete with or work their dogs.

I think you are right about the snobbery to a point, though I'm not sure I'd use the word 'snobbery' rather, perhaps 'saddness'. To see a dog doing the work it was bred for and how much pleasure they get out of it is truly amazing and I can really understand how those that work their dogs don't like seeing their chosen breed not being given the opportunity.

But in many cases I think it is a case of ignorance....they don't have the experience of seeing a 'working' type dog being happy and settled as a pet, so just can't imagine that it will work (and of course sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't).

If a dog is happy as 'just a pet', I don't see any harm in it at all (after all, many of us wouldn't work if we didn't have to!).

You could say that for most working line dogs.

What the article fails to point out is there are good and bad working line dogs. A well bred working line can easily make an excellent pet for an active family who understands them. A poorly bred working line dog can be nightmare.

As Jackbox pointed out, it can actually be much harder to find a working type breeder who ticks all the boxes than a show type breeder.

Many thanks for the compliment Ben

I think though, at least with my very limited experience of working bred spaniel ownership, that they are probably not suited to just being a typical "family pet," rather than an "active pet home" if you know what I mean? I would class pretty much everyone on here as active pet home, at the very least, if we wern't into dogs we wouldn't be here! But in terms of dog ownership as a whole, a lot of people do nowhere near the required amount of mental stimulation required for working bred dogs.

Mine are very focused because they are taught to focus, if that makes sense? Without putting that effort into them, you might end up with all that drive and no proper outlet for it, then you get a destructive randomly hyper dog, that ends up in rescue as the owners can't cope?

I'm not saying they can't be "just a pet" (mine are certainly pets first and working dogs second) but that the pet home needs to be more than just the dog is part of the furniture, or it gets lead walked along the street twice a day, which is sadly often the case :-(

But also, that shouldn't be the case for any dog :-(

I can imagine Copper especially being a very difficult dog if he wasn't given a job to do, although he is currently making a total liar out of me by snoozing away upside down in his bed right now

There is nothing more rewarding than watching a dog do what is programmed in its genes to do - you see that innate need for them to work, it's fascinating to watch

The breeder I got mine from doesn't sell to pet homes.

Totally agree. I don't think "diluting down" the drive of dogs so that they can be sold to pet homes is necassarily a bad thing - at least on terms of the dogs welfare? :?

My friend bought a working lab pup and i thought it was going to be a nightmare for them ..
3 years on and I could not be more wrong ...
They have travelled all over Europe with him ...

Oh I meant to add - this is what scares me a bit:

We often meet people who comment on how well behaved and well trained the dogs are (which they aren't at all), perhaps because of that level of focus that Ben McF commented on earlier - but then they seem to be under the impression that this is automatic for that breed of dog, that they are born trained, so then they get one, do nothing training wise, and wonder why it's mental? :?

Soooo true and a particular problem with bcs (though Stumpy on a bad day is having the opposite effect!).

All you can do is make sure that when you are talking with any non-dog-savvy people that you do manage to get in how much excercise/training etc. they require.