We routinely get calls from clients asking about differences between a true Czech German Shepherd Dog in contrast to both west German Show lines and the American show line German Shepherds. To be fair, both Czech German Shepherds and East German (DDR line dogs) have much in common. But the contrast between show line German Shepherds and the Czech Shepherds we raise here at Czech Working Line is just astronomical! Lets unpack some of these differences and see whether the show line dogs or the more “old school” Czech German Shepherd Dogs make more sense for your home and family.
Consider the Character of the Czech German Shepherd Dogs
Captain Max von Stephanitz famous declared, “All German Shepherd dogs are working dogs, else they are not German Shepherds.” What did he mean by such an audacious statement? Stephanitz was making the point that German Shepherds as a breed were developed to “do things.” Over time, we can describe these “things” they were bred to accomplish as; obedience, tracking and protection. German shepherds were bred to be highly biddable. In the dog world, a biddable dog is a trainable dog. German Shepherds were bred to be highly trainable dogs. Here at Czech Working Line, we put it this way. Our aim is to produce litters of Czech German Shepherd Dogs that are super easy to train. We recognize that few of our customers are going to engage in high level protection sports. Few dogs will end up as police dogs or in border patrol work. With German Shepherds being one of America’s more common dog breeds, sheer statistics make it unlikely that a majority of dogs in any given litter will be trained as a specialist.
Czech German Shepherd Dogs that are Super Easy to Train
But following the ethos of Captain Stephanitz, German Shepherd breeds intent on improving their dogs will necessarily continue working to produce dogs that can do things. Working dogs, by definition are dogs that don’t just lay on the couch as companion dogs. Trainable dogs will be those dogs that are super easy to train, irrespective of how far along the training path their owners intend to travel. One aspect of dogs that are easy to train is a dog’s desire to please the trainer. Where some breeds are known for being somewhat aloof and stubborn (hard to train), a true working line German Shepherd following Captain Stephanitz dream of a dog breed that could work, well-bred working line German Shepherds will be highly trainable. Or in the language we use here at Czech Working Line, our Czech German Shepherd Dogs are bred to be super easy to train. Whatever you want to do with your dog (within keeping of what GSDs were bred to accomplish), a great dog will be easy to train. And that is our goal.
Czech German Shepherd Dogs that are Capable of Tracking
Search and rescue dogs are a very specialized. Not too many dog owners are developing their dog as tracking dogs. But this is one of the three big skills for which German Shepherds were bred. As we will see later in this article, many German Shepherds have largely lost this ability. We’ll talk about why soon. But, what is it that makes a German Shepherd distinct from other breeds is their ability to thrive in obedience, tracking and protection works. Therefore, if German Shepherds are to continue as a distinct breed capable of doing these “German Shepherd working tasks,” breeders will need to continue selecting dogs for dogs capable of tracking— even if only a smaller percentage of these dogs are trained for specialized tracking. Here at Czech Working Line one of the ways we are continuing to improve the breed is to by continuing to select for dogs capable of thriving as tracking dogs. Doing so requires testing. We don’t just breed a dog because it is a purebred, registered dog. Dogs are tested to prove they are capable of not only tracking, but tracking at a high level. One of the ways we are working towards developing better tracking dogs is by using stud dogs that have proven themselves highly capable in this area. Using titled stud dogs means the dogs have passed objective tracking exams. And this moves our line of dogs towards Stephanitz’ goal of all German Shepherds being working dogs.
Czech German Shepherd Dogs that Thrive as Good Protection Dogs
Similar to the two other categories of work, German Shepherds were from the early days bred for protection work. In the late 1800’s dogs were selected for both livestock protection and human protection. Within a few short decades this dual mandate quickly shifted towards a primary protection focus on human protection. The industrial revolution led to a shift away from pastoral farming. Protecting against two legged predators took the drivers seat as the more important protection mandate. Our Czech German Shepherd import Querro is a phenomenal example of a dog that shines in protection work. See here and here for video of Querro in training for protection work. A great protection dog will “out” or let go of the bite just as easily as obeying the command to bite. Too often the macho idea (and a wrong idea) is that agressive dogs that bite quickly are the kind of dog that make good protection dogs. Absolutely not! These are dogs that are a safety hazard. These are the kind of dogs that are a lawsuit waiting to happen. A good family protection dog or a good candidate for a police dog is the kind of dog that is highly responsive to all commands. These includes the command to let go just as much as the command to bite. Great protection dogs start with dogs that are great at obedience.
Czech German Shepherd Dogs, Great Protection Dogs as Well as Family Companion Dogs
From a pedigree perspective, Czech German Shepherds are closely connected to East German (DDR) bloodlines. In the early days of the breed’s development, Germany as a country was divided into two separate nations. Some historians make a case for east German breeders and trainers requiring their breeding stock to go through much more rigorous testing than their west German counterparts. Dogs in the east were described as being required to scale a six foot vertical fence where dogs in the west scaled a more subdued slanted “V” shaped fence. Some historians might even describe the East German standards as ruthlessly strict. Dogs with even minor hip and elbow defects were swiftly eliminated. They were not used for breeding. East German bloodlines were famed to have all but eliminated hip and elbow displasia. To read more on this subject, see our article on the history of the German Shepherd breed. Going back decades, Czech German Shepherd Dog breeders imported East German dogs, many of which became foundational to the development of Czech line German Shepherds. Then, in 1989 the Berlin Wall came down. The East German Shepherd breeding program run by the govenment imploded in a matter of days. Trainers and breeders supported by the East German government lost their jobs by the thousand. Where these lines had previously been plentiful, they became scarce. Fast forward several decades, and the Czech German Shepherd Dogs are not far more available. Here at Czech Working Line, our goal has been to continue working to improve the original intend of the breed. Therefore, we only breed true working line German Shepherd Dogs. The health problems associated with the American show line German Shepherds. Thats too much for this article. But if you are interested in a quick summary on that topic, see here. For the purposes of this article, it will be sufficient to point to the show line’s excessive roach back and exaggerated, sloped hindquarters. How does a reasonable thinking person not concluded the “hump back” of the show line dogs is anything other than a gross genetic defect?
The Czech German Shepherd Dogs we breed are true examples of the working dog Captain Max Stephanitz describes. They “do” things. They excel in obedience, tracking and protection work. So whether you are simply looking for a good family companion dog, a dog for protection work, or a more specialized search and rescue dog, a good working line Czech German Shepherd Dog just might be what the doctor ordered. Click the following linke see our available German Shepherd puppies for sale. Or give us a call to talk about bringing home one of these super puppies.