The different lines of German Shepherds
Through breeding experiments, us breeders have been able to create variations of the German Shepherd. Such experiments gave way to new kinds of German Shepherd dogs, one of which is the white German Shepherd. But in spite of these great results, there are some people who wish to stick to its roots by breeding old-fashion German Shepherds which are larger than your usual German Shepherd. These purists argue that though these experiments can produce German shepherds with special attributes, the qualities which gave the breed its reputation such as intelligence may disappear.
For those who do not know anything about German Shepherds, you may think that all of these dogs are one and the same. They are not. In fact, there are many lines of this breed and the old-fashion is just one of them. Each line was created for a specific purpose and these are:
European working line. This line of German Shepherds is bred mainly to gain the working traits rather than the looks. Because of this, the appearance of these dogs may differ.
European show line. This line was designed for breeders who are after the appearance of the dog rather than its working traits.
North American show lines. This line was designed also more for the looks of the dog but with certain variations. These include sloped backs and sharper angulation. There are now debates on whether this line should be considered as a different breed of dog altogether. But breeders of this line argue that though there are great changes in the appearance of the dog, the working attributes have not been changed.
To see the different types of German Shepherds click on this link:
Appearance:
Aside from the lines stated above, there is also another line which is called the old-fashion German Shepherd. The goal of the breeders of this line is simply to bring back the German Shepherd dogs to the way it was before. They aim to produce a line of dogs that looks and acts the same as its first ancestors. The old-fashion German Shepherd differs from the regular German Shepherd simply by its sheer size. A normal German Shepherd is around 24 to 26 inches tall. The old-style German Shepherds dwarf them by four more inches. So an old-fashion German Shepherd is about 30 inches in height and would weigh around 124 lbs. Though the features on the face are the same with regular German Shepherds, the old-fashion dogs have larger heads. The other physical attributes of this kind of breed include a straighter back, big bones, and no extreme angulation on the legs, giving it a noble and more poised look.
German Shepherds are used as working dogs in many areas such as search and rescue, police, the military, assistance dogs to the blind and handicapped and as guard dogs.
A Shepherd’s color is varied, but is primarily cream and brown or Blk & Rd. There is a white version but most organizations don’t recognize it as a valid color. Long haired German shepherds are also not recognized, as the long hair gene is recessive. German shepherds can be differentiated by individual behavior and abilities. Working dogs have their emphasis in service, while the show dogs emphasis appearance. There is a misconception that German shepherds are violent in nature; this is only due to poor training.
Although a German shepherd has powerful jaws and strong teeth, it develops a strong sense of loyalty and can be trained to attack and release on command.
Dogs used to working have high energy, and can seem unhappy if not exercised daily or trained to do a job. The international variety of German Shepherds has less energy and working ability and makes excellent pets.
For those who do not know anything about German Shepherds, you may think that all of these dogs are one and the same. They are not. In fact, there are many lines of this breed and the old-fashion is just one of them. Each line was created for a specific purpose and these are:
European working line. This line of German Shepherds is bred mainly to gain the working traits rather than the looks. Because of this, the appearance of these dogs may differ.
European show line. This line was designed for breeders who are after the appearance of the dog rather than its working traits.
North American show lines. This line was designed also more for the looks of the dog but with certain variations. These include sloped backs and sharper angulation. There are now debates on whether this line should be considered as a different breed of dog altogether. But breeders of this line argue that though there are great changes in the appearance of the dog, the working attributes have not been changed.
To see the different types of German Shepherds click on this link:
Appearance:
Aside from the lines stated above, there is also another line which is called the old-fashion German Shepherd. The goal of the breeders of this line is simply to bring back the German Shepherd dogs to the way it was before. They aim to produce a line of dogs that looks and acts the same as its first ancestors. The old-fashion German Shepherd differs from the regular German Shepherd simply by its sheer size. A normal German Shepherd is around 24 to 26 inches tall. The old-style German Shepherds dwarf them by four more inches. So an old-fashion German Shepherd is about 30 inches in height and would weigh around 124 lbs. Though the features on the face are the same with regular German Shepherds, the old-fashion dogs have larger heads. The other physical attributes of this kind of breed include a straighter back, big bones, and no extreme angulation on the legs, giving it a noble and more poised look.
German Shepherds are used as working dogs in many areas such as search and rescue, police, the military, assistance dogs to the blind and handicapped and as guard dogs.
A Shepherd’s color is varied, but is primarily cream and brown or Blk & Rd. There is a white version but most organizations don’t recognize it as a valid color. Long haired German shepherds are also not recognized, as the long hair gene is recessive. German shepherds can be differentiated by individual behavior and abilities. Working dogs have their emphasis in service, while the show dogs emphasis appearance. There is a misconception that German shepherds are violent in nature; this is only due to poor training.
Although a German shepherd has powerful jaws and strong teeth, it develops a strong sense of loyalty and can be trained to attack and release on command.
Dogs used to working have high energy, and can seem unhappy if not exercised daily or trained to do a job. The international variety of German Shepherds has less energy and working ability and makes excellent pets.
German Shepherds are naturally prone to health problems like elbow and hip dysphasia, Von Willebrand’s disease and skin allergies. The average lifespan of a German shepherd is twelve years, and with the right pet/owner combination, those years will be priceless.
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