K I am wondering something ... NOT knocking either working or showlines, to each his or her own - BUT I have noticed that the working line GSDs are not the typical black/red colors you see in the showlines. Having said that, one would assume (at least I did) that that would mean the majority of GSDs used by police for work would resemble the working lines. Sooooo....

Why is it that when I watched the Westminster Show last year that all of the GSDs in with the NYPD were red/black and resembled the looks of the showline GSDs? Yes I realize that this one example is from a conformation show, but for 2002 they did a tribute to 9/11 honoring all the service dogs whose efforts helped recover those lost and these GSDs were featured. Just got me to thinking as I have been studying the working lines as of late. Can anyone clear up my confusion?

Thanks and sorry again for the stupid question...

You havent been looking enough. Almost all show dogs in the U S are black and red. Becouse that is what the American judges like. Working line dogs, or the people who produce working dogs, are not that configning. We breed for workability and correct structure amoung other things. working lines also have black and red but we also have a lot of the other allowable colors also.
U S conformation shows have no requirements accept the dog be registered and in tacked. They have no requirement that the dog be sound in structure or that the dog have any brains or workability.

makes sense to me, but then why were the dogs used by the NYPD - a department I would assume would need serious dogs - using what looked to be showlines? That's the part that confuses me.

Working line dogs are going to be any of the available colors, including Black and Red. It is going to be impossible to identify the lines (Show vs. Working) based on the color. Even in the show ring there are some other colors shown, they just don't win as much.

Laura
As richard said, and I tried to. You see a lot of Blk and red working dogs. Along with other colors. But in show lines there are only a few "other" colors, most are Blk and red in the show ring.

Gotcha, thank you all. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Laura, there are other color dogs on the NYPD k9 units. I just saw a black sable one on tv the other day.
Alot of the rescue dogs honored for their recovery work at Ground Zero were not only NYPD dogs. Many were from other agencies and not all were GSD's. Some were even privately owned.

Jeannette I believe it, I am just speculating on the GSDs shown at Westminster - the ones who worked with the 9/11 tragedy.

Laura

One way that I can tell American show line here in from working line is not by color, but by the server angelation of hind quaters for that show ring's flowing trout. I've also notice the muzzle more narrow and danity looking head. Some show dogs bodies are not that bad, but you look into their eyes you see a puppy like emptiness and they may look away, or turn away. Most working dogs will stare back and may challengeh you, like "Are you talking to me"!

Working GSD can be generally soild black or a version of sable, because the show ring rarely shows them and they never hardly win. So most are bred to work. Alot of people hold these color dogs in high priority as workable, generally.

Though this is not full proof, as you have seen. Most GSD that are on patrol in my city are saddle bag of various color. But they have that look and movement that makes you want to get the hell out of their way, instead of pat them. They definitely don't look like pretty danity show animals, though they are beautiful.

Like most things its hard to generalize, unless its a white GSD. Useless but pretty, if the nose is not pink. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />