Me and my wife would like to get a GSD, I have always loved the breed and now that I work away from home for 7-10 days at a time I would find a great deal of comfort in knowing there is a dog at home with my wife and 5 year old son. My question is, as a fairly novice dog owner I would like a gsd with great family pet qualities, but also protective instincts, would this be found in any particular line of GSD, ie. Working line, show line, etc.? I live an active lifestyle which consists of lots of walks, runs, swimming, and just being outdoors in general so I know that exercising the dog will not be an issue, and for mental stimulation I am interested in obedience, agility, and/or tracking. In conclusion I am looking for advice on how to select the dog I want based on the qualities I am looking for. Should I look into working line gsd, or maybe a show line gsd, American or German?? Or are the traits I’m looking for generally found in ALL gsd’s?? Please help.

PS – Is something like tracking a good sport for ANYONE to get involved in, for instance someone like me with novice dog handling abilities, or is there such thing as beginner tracking for people like me. I hope to hear from you guys soon, thanks!!

I currently have three German Shepherds and am considering a fourth...it's an addiction, really. I have two working lines and one west german show line.

With that said, you will find the qualities you are looking for in all lines. The trick is finding an excellent breeder with excellent health and genetics. Seek out some breeders, get to know them and their dogs. Let them get to know you and your lifestyle.

For me, becoming friends with a WGSL breeder is what switched me away from WL dogs. I now know her dogs and their genetics, habits, abilities, etc. It's tons of fun to see these same things develop with my young dog.

I do obedience, tracking and agility with my dogs and we have a blast! We all start somewhere and I'm sure you will find good resources and people to help you along the way.

I'm partial to working lines Christopher. There are plenty of showlines that do make good family pets. You see plenty of them with families, that's just not what I want. Either way, my advise is to go see as many dogs as you can and get to know people doing things with their dogs. Anything. See for yourself what the dogs are like and why the people that have them are doing what they are.

Tracking is good for a German Shepherd. Its stimulating for the dog. I've seen nervy unsure dogs that get into a little zone in tracking and do it well, and with confidence.

Have you had any dogs with your son?

My advice is to be picky. GSDs are such a popular breed in the US that there are thousands of people breeding dogs who have no business doing it. A poorly-bred GSD can end up being a heartbreaking genetic mess of bad hips, bad temperament, and a lot of other issues that won't be apparent in the adorable puppy. All puppies are adorable.

So whichever "style" of shepherd you decide on, find the best breeders of those dogs--the ones who are winning titles, engaged in sport, doing health tests (and can show you the proof).

A good breeder will ask you a lot of tough questions too. When they do, don't be put off. Be completely honest about your goals for the dog, your experience, your home situation. The breeder wants you to succeed, and they only way they can know if you are a good match for one of their puppies is to interview you.

"A poorly-bred GSD can end up being a heartbreaking genetic mess of bad hips, bad temperament, and a lot of other issues that won't be apparent in the adorable puppy. All puppies are adorable. "


Please don't think this is hyperbole. A "heartbreaking genetic mess" is a precise description.

The heartbreak of a badly bred GSD is well-known on this board (and others).

I can't think of much that is more sad than an eager new owner with a PTS scenario. And no, I'm not exaggerating.


Please think of this as the commitment that it is ..... a fifteen-year or so commitment.

Thank you all so much for the replies thus far. a little more information about me, I do have some dog experience, I have owned a GSD in the past, I got him at about 12 weeks of age but he passed away just after his 2nd birthday from GDV. with that said, he was an American Show Line, he kind of fell into my lap from an owner that wanted a puppy but soon realised after 3 or 4 days of having one that it was much more of a commitment than they were ready for. so I agreed to bring him into my home, and after a couple months I was participating in obedience classes with him, he excelled very well. to make a long story short, since he passed I felt like there was something missing in our household and I fell in the love with the breed in the short time he was with us, and have been a bit "obsessed" with them ever since. that obsession brought me to this website where I have been reading a lot of the articles, podcasts, and forums. all the new info I have been taking in from Ed and everyone else has been great, but the general consensus seems to be that Show lines, especially American, are inferior and should be avoided. this caught my attention, because I thought my Vinny was an awesome dog, who happened to be an American Show Line. so with my research I found 50 different websites that all kind of contradicted each other and I started second guessing where I should look for my next GSD. Ed is clearly very pro Working Line GSD, but I didn't know if that would also be suitable for a nice family pet. I kind of want the best of both worlds and was just confused where to go from here after trying to process all the conflicting information. well thanks to your replies so far I think I should just focus on finding a high quality breeder whose dogs possess the qualities I want, ie. a healthy balanced dog with protective instincts, and put less emphasis on what type of "Line" he comes from.

keep the replies coming! I love to hear from anyone with experience with this amazing breed of dog.

Cheers

My GSD Luca was an American show line dog, with great hips and temperament, from GV titled stock, from a breeder that produces great dogs. He was the best dog that ever lived.

There are good breeders of show line dogs. They are just rarer. A show line was a good choice for me--my first GSD, because, generally speaking, they are not as driven temperamentally as many good working GSDs. For a family companion, a show line dog can be a great choice, if you can find a good breeder.

Thanks for the advice Tracy. I never put any emphasis on what "type" of GSD to look for before I started doing research. Trying to find good information on the internet can be an exhausting endeavor sometimes, especially when every new site you look at contradicts the last one you just read. that's why I turned to the forums, to get real answers from real dog owners. so thank you.

Christopher, whatever you decide, don't do it based on videos or websites. When you buy a dog you're paying for the breeders knowledge based on experience. Meet them, meet dogs, get to know people.

That's the only way you can make a good decision, one that's based in reality. Not a deceptive video clip or BS statements on a website.

Two GSDs here. They can be a problem with health issues.
My 10 yr old GSD has "Moderated" HD and also has EPI which is a digestive problem that will keep him on expensive meds for the rest of his life. Without them he would starve to death no matter how much he eats. He's still the best dog I've ever owned out of many as to temperament, trainability, and good common sense.
The 6 yr old GSD has no issues other then he's a clown with a touch of Tazmanian Devil in him.
Both
Either of these two could have been problems in inexperienced hands for different reasons.
If you decide top get one be sure to get with a good trainer and visit here often.
Look up marker training. It's the best method of dog training in my 60 + yrs with dogs.