Hello,

I have a very unfortunate thing going on in our home right now.....We have a 10 month old Show/Working Pedigree GSD that we have to put down because he developed a tumor in his mouth that can not be removed. We have been doing schutzhund with him and as a show line dog we have been told that he is as good if not better than some working line dogs plus he is great in our house.

With that being said I am looking at some other dogs form the breeder we got him from but right now they have working line dogs only. My question is...can a working line dog be a good house pet also or do they tend to be more serious? I was told that these dogs are clear headed but a good amout of dog.....

Thanks Bob

I would stay away from show lines. Show does not = pet, nor work, it just means the style of breeding, i.e. poor hips, incorrect physical structure, and a pretty coat. Its ok, I have a showline. He has the obligatory bad (ok, terrible) hips, but he's pretty He's also actually a lot harder to handle than any of my working dogs. Not because he's more aggressive or more driven, he just lacks any amount of "will to please." If it wasn't for his excellent hearing, I'd think he was deaf.

That said, while there are some more docile working GSD's out there... NO GSD should be bred to be a pet, or to be a mediocre dog, it is what is ruining the breed. What you will find, is that not all litters churn out top quality working dogs either, and you will have calmer and more driven dogs in a given litter. Find a breeder that is breeding for working ability, tell them what you are looking for, which sounds like a house dog that can do Schutzhund on the weekend, and have them help you pick an appropriate puppy. There are plenty of dogs like this around.

Good luck.

Mike...

Mike

I am sorry I don't think I explained well enough....The breeder I am working with has excellent dogs and breed nothing but top line. I think word pet was a bad word to use...my fault....what I meant was He lives in our home with us and not out side in a kennel and I assure you his drive and focus are great in both obedience and tracking and his is very clear in the head and his bit was deep and hard up until a couple weeks ago when this tumor in his mouth go to big....I was just looking to know if working line dogs do well in the house with a family....

Working line dogs can do fine in the house with a family providing they are exercized and trained properly.

Bob, working-line GSD's can make good house dogs. It depends on the individual dog. The level of exercise,training and controlling the pack varies. Workingline dogs tend to need more exercise and mental stimulation. If, not. They will channel that frustration to destructive things like chewing,dominating weaker pack members and marking his house. But, if you put in the time and training you'll get a great pet that can live in the home. I have two working-line GSDs and try to find 20 to 30 minutes twice a day for their exercise and obedience. I try to make them use their head and/or nose to find their ball or tug. I switch up their schedule so they are work at different times and it doesn't become routine. If, I don't find the time my 2 year old male Loco is like a pressure cooker. He's ready to go to do something 24/7. My female is almost 6 and is spry as ever. She has a calmer nature. But you can easily see by the expression on her face she's going crazy. But, both dogs are very calm in the home and crate.

 Quote:

I was just looking to know if working line dogs do well in the house with a family....

What Susan said

 Quote: robert de nicola

....I was just looking to know if working line dogs do well in the house with a family....

I've read quite a bit on this topic and talked personally with others at seminars about their experiences. And the answer comes up as yes, working line dogs can do fine in a house with a family.

You really have to stay on top of things. It takes a long time for some to mature, and until then, it is a lot of work. Dedicated work, and even given that, problems can/will arise.

I "surrendered" my first working line GSD. He went back to the breeder, then I hooked him up with a K9 trainer. From my understanding, he will be placed with a department soon for dual purpose. He had very little "sense of humor" so to speak and was serious about everything.

If it were only me, I would have kept the dog. However, for me, keeping a family on the same page about training and rearing a pup of that caliber was challenging. It finally boiled down to my not trusting my handling of a dog who lit up on my kid.

I plan to get another working line GSD. I plan to raise the dog in the house, but to also have an indoor outdoor kennel as another option for living arrangements.

Maybe get a poll going...does your working line dog live in the house or indoor outdoor kennel. ? Of the people I know, the majority of their working dogs live in the house, but a good many have the addition of the kennels too.

A workinglines dog will do as good or bad as a showlines dog in the house. Good owner= good behaviour, bad owner = bad behaviour.

A good workinglines pup is 8 zillion times better to own though, lol

Sorry to hear about your dog too.
AL

Robert & all,

First: i am so sorry about your dog's tumor. that must be heart-breaking, esp in a puppy so young.

Second: ouch...
i have a showline pup and he is great for drive/focus/wanting to please (as well as confidence & really good nerves), and he is lovely too.
for *my* goals: 4-legged family member in the house, basic PP and hobby Schutzhund, he is perfect. admittedly, he is only 6 months now and also admittedly he is my very 1st GSD--- but so far--perfect for me/my family. i have seen plenty of working line dogs & FOR ME they would be too much to live with. and i know of several who were badly matched into homes that had no clue & ended up as "donations" to the local police dept whewre thankfully they fit in.

my guy is also a "pressure cooker", like Tracey so aptly described, & i have to spend time burning off physical energy every day w/o fail, as well as mental exercises. he is no couch potato.
but ouch---doesnt anyone on this list LIKE the showline dogs?
: {
arent there SOME that are mentally/physically sound, intelligent, brave, naturally protective & loyal-- but who also have the ability to "chill" when necessary? (and by all that i do not mean "pet") ???

thx.
jen

Robert,

I own a working line GSD. When we went to the breeder he asked us if we were looking for a pet and when we said "yes" he directed us to the puppy we bought. Hans is now 2 1/2 years old. He lives in the house with us and in the past several months we have stopped crating him at night and when we leave the home. He has proven that he is trustworthy in the home, alone, as long as we are smart about it (don't leave that left over steak on the kitchen counter). He is a good companion, he would be an excellent companion if he wasn't dog aggressive, but we're working on that.

He has drive. He has focus. He just wasn't the most driven and focused dog in his litter.

What I have learned is that when you breed two excellent, high drive highly focused highly titled working line GSDs with great health, it isn't the same as stamping out puppies from a machine. The puppies are going to vary in their drive, focus, etc. My breeder was able to listen to what we wanted and direct us towards a puppy that was right for us. Maybe your breeder can do the same.

All that said, Hans isn't a couch potato. He lets us know when he gets bored and wants to do something and we do have to exercise him daily. So expect that you can find a working line GSD that will fit into your lifestyle, provided your lifestyle accommodates his need for exercise and stimulation.