Von An Der Rott
The German Shepherd
About The German Shepherd
This breed is one of the most amazing breeds worldwide
The German Shepherd originates from Germany. Something we're very proud of as our family came over to the United States from Germany (hence our kennel name is German from our Village).
One thing I really want to touch on is there are different lines in the German Shepherd.
So, you will often hear people disagree or sometimes even argue on a breed standard for the dog.. This is normally why. You have those with show lines, then working lines. These two lines have distinctive differences; and different purposes.
Then on top of the two main types of lines, we have other distinguished differences. There are even lines within the show and working lines as well.
We Have the American Lines, The West German Show lines, The West German Working Lines, The East German Shepherd (DDR) Lines, and lastly, we have Czech/Slovac Working Lines.
Each of these lines excel in different areas. So, hopefully this brief and really not in-depth explanation helps you understand why you will see so much controversy on lines sometimes. Here we have two main lines and they are working lines but we chose to work with two for a reason. Which, I am going to discuss here.
We have some old DDR/Czech lines. We also though use some West German Working Lines too. We do this often to bring in some characteristics that we use for a good service dog and our SARs dogs.
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The German Shepherd is NOT for everyone. Bet you didn't think you'd see that on a breeders website- let's talk about it.
If you're looking for a dog that is not going to be a lot of work as a puppy, this dog is not for you.
If you're looking for a dog that's going to have a personality of a Golden Retriever and love everyone it comes across; this dog is not for you. These dogs were bred to herd, not lassie dogs.
I am saying this because owning a German Shepherd is a heavy responsibly on the owner. It is your job to train the dog to be sure you're not one stuck with a legal liability. Two, you have a dog you can take out in public. We do use them for service dogs; that being said we know that there may be a hurdle here and there that lets say a golden retriever service dog may not run into, that a German Shepherd would.
They can make great family dogs; with the right family that understands the responsibility in early training, and proper training.
If this is your first dog; and you do not have a history of lets say growing up with one in your family we do NOT recommend this breed for you.
We volunteer with rescues all around the United States to train dogs, or put them in touch with someone who can do specific training for the dog. We often hear German Shepherds are surrendered within the first year because a family expected the dog to be something more like a retriever. So, its better to educate yourself make sure this breed matches your life style. We've had some laid back dogs born here lol like I am talking couch potatoes but that doesn't mean they didn't go through a land shark phase as a puppy. You have to know and be ready to properly correct such behaviors before they are adults to get that sweet couch potato dog.
We post lots of videos about the breed, the lifestyle, training tips or videos from other trainers to show methods we use to assist you. However, you have to put in the work.
What's The Difference in the lines
Temperament
Let's take some time to discuss the breeds temperament
The German Shepherd has a long history of being a loyal companion. The dog started as a herding dog. This is a dog that as long as it has existed, they have been working.
Today you find this breed all over. You will find the German Shepherd in your pet home. You will find the breed is the field protecting our men and women in uniform.
This dog is intelligent and needs stimulation. A busy shepherd will always be a happy shepherd, no matter the line.
The AKC standards describes this dog as confident, courageous, and smart.
I add in this breed is very loyal. This dog is sensitive to its owner. By that I mean they seem to really understand their owners and connect with them.
*I want to stress that it is so very important to make sure all your dogs are health and temperament tested. Over time from puppy mills and backyard breeders, the breed can have issues with temperament. Be sure your breeder strives to breed not just healthy but solid nerved dogs.
We do a health and temperament test before our puppies leave us. We also do 8 weeks of handling series techniques. We do this to be sure the dog is introduced to lots of textures, sounds, and environments. This helps enable our dogs to be ready, and not timid of new things. We discuss this more in the facts section.
