Working line German shepherds Working Dogs

Arrow and Kofi are both gorgeous!

I groom my longhaired GSDs every couple of days (or their coats get knotted, especially Flame), and Zak gets a groom once a week. He does shed more hair than the longcoats, but is much easier to keep clean and tangle free ... well, he just doesn't have enough hair to tangle.

Mine only get bathed about once a year, or when they are really filthy and/or smelly. So, not very often.

You can show workline sheps (if they conform to the standard ;-)) but not sure how much success you would have.

This is why I am a little reserved about saying that working lines (in general) can and do fit well into active pet homes - as obviously it depends on the dog involved, and I don't really consider my home to be "typical" pet home - as I am at home all day, and Zak gets to go wherever I go around the farm, as well as out and about, and my dogs get on average 4 hours + exercise a day.

I suppose it depends how much time and energy is devoted to the dog.

I can't say whether Zak would cope with being in the sort of pet home where the owner is out at work most of the day, because he hasn't been brought up in that environment.

Zak's breeder currently has a litter bred along similar lines to Zak and if I was after another WL GSD in the near future I would have my name down for a pup now

STOP POSTING THAT PIC!!!!

And just look at this handsome lad!

Atom





MNJ (Zak's breeder) has a daughter of his and she is considering mating her in the next year or so - that could be one to look out for

I am sorely tempted Kirsty, Atom I love and have watched these pups with great interest

meant to add love the one on the left!!

Cant answer for working line as sadie is not, but she is pp trained.... I have no issue with walking her offlead around other dogs/groups of people, children etc etc, anyone can approach me without worry of being bitten.

I groom sadie every few days, she moults like crazy though!

Hahaha how evil am I?!

I really like the pup on the left too - although I would be happy to have either

I meant to reply to this. Yes you can get longcoated working lines, but from research I did when looking into my own WL they are nowhere near as common as their standard coated brethren ...

Here are selection of lovely examples ...







However, if you want low maintenance, then the standard coat would be more suitable.

Regarding colouring, as far as I know you can get WLs in all colours, but it is unusual (if not impossible?) to get WLs that are the black/deep red of the WG showlines. Dark sable is my personal favourite, but you can get all types of sable from grey, red to dark and black sable (and probably others), as well as black, bicolour etc.

This puppies are adorable I want one!!

I prefer short coated anyway, just wondered if you could get long hair. I like dark sables too

Not had chance to do research because I got calle into work! They don't take research of dogs as a valid reason.

And for those who remember k9xxb's Monty ... Look how he turned out - what a stunner!

Can you get that look in a companion bred dog (i hate when they use the term pet quality)..

This look is exclusive to GSDs bred from working lines. Not sure what is meant by companion bred??

Happy to be a companion rather than a working ,sport dog..

What a beauty

Some working line/sport bred dogs can live happily in an active pet home (with emphasis on the active ) - hence the reason for this thread.

Dogs bred purely for companion homes are not usually bred from working lines as far as I know.

If a show dog was these colour and look would you be happier with it Clo?

Hmmm... Not too sure, if a show dog looked like the working lines then maybe. I don't like the look of some of the show lines, but I also like the drive that the working dogs seem to have, that people say are missing from show lines.

What would you use the drive for?