WORKING GERMAN SHEPHERD

In terms of temperament, working dogs are higher drive, higher energy and also possess harder, tougher more attitudinal personalities than dogs of the other types. Many of these dogs have a tremendous work ethic and desire to do things with their owners, and some can be quite demanding in their needs for physical exercise and mental stimulation. And while it's not true that all working line dogs need a job, indeed most are happiest when they have one. Therefore these dogs are the ideal choice for someone who is looking for a dog for schutzhund, ring sport or other protection sports, police work, search and rescue, personal protection, security/guard work, drug/explosives detection, or competitive level obedience, tracking, working trials or agility.

More so than the other types of German Shepherds, working lines require regular exercise, mental stimulation through training, and clear, fair, consistent leadership from their owners. Because of this, they are only suitable for companion homes where the family is active and can commit to training the dog and ensuring that the dog receives quality time interacting with the family on a daily basis.

If properly raised and trained, a well bred GSD of working lines has a temperament that is exemplary for the family situation. They are protective, yet gentle with children, and their nerve and temperament is impeccable. These are not dogs that are rattled or frightened easily, making them stable, reliable companions.

Working German Shepherds have balanced temperament, impressive tracking abilities, natural drive, physical structure and intelligence. Today the working lineage lives on, and they are great family dogs as well as guard dogs and tracking dogs.

European working German Shepherds retain the characteristics sought after by the Max von Stephanitz. They include:

• High “drive,” especially prey drive.

• Exceptional temperament. The working GSD have high energy, a love of work, loyalty to their owners and confidence around children. Exceptional intelligence and bullet-proof nerves.

• Physical Soundness. Working GSD is agile and compact. These dogs are straight back without angulation, bred for work not showing.

DRIVES REQUIRED FOR WORK/PROTECTION ROLES

• PREY DRIVE
  
• FOOD DRIVE
  

IMPORTANCE OF GENETICS FOR WORKING DOG

The genetic traits consist of instinct and drive, these are inherited by every puppy from they parents and lineage. Working German Shepherd dogs have been selected and bred for their work-ability and drives, the drive intensity and character differentiate between puppies and therefore when choosing puppy it is important to select the right drives and character for lifestyle required. If you are looking for a family protection dog then medium drive dog would be suitable, but if you are looking for security dog then puppy with highest drives would be selected. I always work with my client requirements to select the right temperament and drive for the puppies future roles. 

GERMAN SHEPHERD HEALTH

• Hip and Elb ​ ow scoring -all our dogs are health tested in accordance to The Kennel Club health screening schemes or FCI CLUB health screening schemes and we would only breed dogs with the top marks for hips and elbows, this is because these are passed onto offspring. To find out more information please click links below
  
•   https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/health/for-breeders/complex-inherited-disorders/bvakc-health-schemes/
• http://www.fci.be/en/Hip-and-Elbow-Dysplasia-162.html
• DM - Degenerative Myelopathy - This disease is a result of the deterioration of structures in the spinal cord that are responsible for transmission of nerve impulses. Although the changes may be found anywhere in the spinal cord, they are most severe in the lower back. Dogs who are tested for DM can have 3 possible results as follow:

The dog does not have any copies of the abnormal gene associated with the condition you have tested for. The dog will not be clinically affected by the disorder and will only pass on a normal copy of the gene to any offspring. Clear dogs can be mated to any dogs without producing affected puppies.

Carrier

The dog has one copy of the normal gene and one copy of the abnormal gene associated with the condition you have tested for. The dog will not usually be clinically affected by the disorder, but may pass one copy of the normal gene, or one copy of the abnormal gene on to its offspring. Carrier dogs can only be mated to clear dogs without the risk of producing affected puppies. Mating a carrier to a carrier, or a carrier to an affected dog is putting the health of future puppies at risk.

Affected

The dog has two copies of the abnormal gene associated with the condition you have tested for. The dog will be clinically affected by the disorder and will pass one copy of the abnormal gene on to any potential offspring. Affected dogs can only be mated to clear dogs without risking producing affected puppies, however all resulting puppies will be carriers. Mating an affected dog to a carrier, or another affected dog is putting the health of future puppies at risk.

Many people are concerned about breeding from a carrier or an affected dog because they are worried about making carriers more prevalent in the breed. Remember that every organism is already a carrier for many autosomal recessive conditions. Often, there is no way to know that these faulty genes are present until they are expressed in a dog with two copies of the gene or unless a DNA test is available. DNA tests are available for only some of the known mutations in dogs, but there are likely to be many more recessive mutations that we know nothing about. Every time you breed any dog you are already most likely breeding a dog that is a carrier for an autosomal recessive condition (this will be the same for all organisms including humans). The only difference with breeding a dog that has tested positive for a carrier is that you know what disease the autosomal recessive gene can cause. Carrier dog has one copy of the normal gene and one copy of the abnormal gene associated with the condition you have tested for. The dog will not be clinically affected by the disorder, but may pass one copy of the normal gene, or one copy of the abnormal gene on to its offspring. Carrier dogs can only be mated to clear dogs without the risk of producing affected puppies. For more information follow link below:

https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/health/for-breeders/dna-testing-simple-inherited-disorders/#breedingadvice

• Haemophilia testing for males. Haemophilia can often be seen in puppies, who can exhibit prolonged bleeding and even die within weeks after birth. Haemophilia is more commonly seen in purebred dogs, and occurs more often in the males. Haemophilia is an inherited disorder involving a deficiency of the clotting activity in the blood. Our males used in breeding program are tested for this disease and only used for breeding if results are Normal.