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Are WL GSDs more fit then SL GSDs?

6K views 48 replies 24 participants last post by  gsdsar 
#1 ·
I have a WL GSD and doesn't seem to get fat no matter how much he eats, always has the same lean/fit look.

Are all or most WL GSDs like that? Or is it just a GSD thing?
 
#2 ·
Nope. I've seen working line dogs that look like coffee tables, and show line dogs that are thin and don't carry their weight well. I have seen fit dogs in both venues. I have an old bitch that I feed hardly nothing to and she is stocky as they come. And Milla, at 2 I could barely get her over 50 pounds. Now she is in her 70s, but she is 8.5 years old now.

I think a working line dog with a ton of energy and drive, and outlets for that, would tend to be fitter than a showline dog that has almost no drive, and wants to be a couch potato. But they are not all couch potatoes.

I think it really depends on the owners when it comes to overweight, underweight is tougher because sometimes we fight their metabolism.
 
#3 ·
If by fit you mean lean, then yes, both my WGSL and my white GSD are very fit. I try to keep them on the leaner side. I think it's better for their joints and overall health. I think they weigh about the right amount so I've never tried to get them heavier. If they ate too much and didn't get enough exercise, I imagine they would put on pounds. I've seen fat GSDs and it's kind of sad.
 
#5 · (Edited)
Idk my dog who is believed to have WL in him runs faster and is far more agile than any dog out there. I've only seen one German Shepherd that could catch him, and it was a working line.

Saw a video too of a WL GSD rough housing with a SL. Despite the SL being larger he was no match because of the quickness that the WL GSD. So yeah I would say the WL is more fit than the SL.
 
#8 ·
My two showlines say fooey to this comment. I have asl and wgsl pup. Max my male asl Gsd is tireless and is not a hyper dog our wgsl pup can keep right up with him if we let her. One of his grandfather's lived till he was 16 and he was a young 16. The vet always comments on Max's muscles and the great shape he is in. I think if a dog is a couch potatoe it is more challenging to keep the dog fit -if the dog has enough drive it makes it easier to stay in shape. Of course diet comes into play.
 
#7 ·
OK, those two pictures are a lousy example because neither dog is in the same stance. Think about the times someone has taken a photo of you at the wrong moment, you know the one, winking and mouth open looking dorfy.

My WGSL is three and thin and trim, although it is hard to see under all his fur. He doesn't have the drive of some of the WL dogs in our club but he is still healthy young and strong. Same breeder but different parents, my female is much smaller and zooms!

Maybe those who specifically chose to get WL dogs intend to do more with their dogs, get out more and stay active longer with their dogs.

In our club we have a gal with a golden retriever in her pack. When she first came her dog had the typical labby chunkiness. Now her lab is trim and muscular. She changed the way she feeds her dogs and how she works with them.
 
#12 ·
Is your boy intact? I ask because my SL girl couldn't keep weight on to save her life before her spay. Now I am always working to keep her lean and cut. It's still kind of a losing battle. The magic distance is 15-20 miles per week of walking on top of whatever else we do. I don't always achieve that.

I see fit dogs of both line types, though. The basic structures might be a bit different, but when it comes to evaluating overall fitness, I don't feel comfortable generalizing.
 
#13 ·
I think some dogs just have a fast metabolism. My dog is going on 4 now and I still have to feed him extra bits so I don't have to see all his ribs. He eats about 2 lbs of meat, bones, and organs a day + about 375 calories (est) of Honest Kitchen base mix + an egg or two if he's looking too lean.
 
#14 ·
I would guess that on average a working line is more lean/fit than a show line because they are supposed to be selectively bred for working ability. I would think their higher drive and genetically athletic body type would make them more predisposed to be leaner/more agile. That being said just about all the show lines I've seen are fit and athletic looking but look to be more bulky/less agile. The worst I've seen are some pet lines but even with them most look fit, though there have been some fat ones. I'm sure that the dogs activity level and diet have a lot more to do with a GSD being fit than lines.
 
#16 ·
See this guy's got it down.

Doesn't matter the diet and the exercise level a dog gets, the working line will always be more fit.

The following video below is a compilation video of two breeds, Rottweiler and German Shepherd but I really just wanna discuss the first clip.



Look at the first German Shepherd trotting in what appears to be a dog show setting. Look how much effort it's taking that poor dog to reach those speeds. Really looks like he's trying. My dog in comparison, straight back and can trot a lot faster than that dog and appear to be putting little to no effort in doing so.

Show lines either have a roach back or slope back and this impeads there movement. In all the videos I've seen they look slow, and something about their movement is unnatural and unsettling. All because some dumb inbred **** said "GERMAN SHEPHERDS ARE SUPPOSED TO HAVE DEFORMED BACKS! THAT STRAIGHT BACK IS TOO HEALTHY AND THEY MOVE TOO FAST! THE NEW STANDARD NOW SAYS FOR THEM TO HAVE SLOPING BACKS! EITHER BREED THEM THIS WAY OR THEY ARE NOT REAL GERMAN SHEPHERDS!"

If you can't tell I am against breeding for show and dog shows in general. What they've done to breeds like the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, German Shepherd, English Bulldog, Pug, and Boxer is nothing short of criminal.
 
#15 ·
I was also going to add that intact or not seems to make a difference. As for caloric needs I doubt very seriously there is much difference between lines vs individuals. I will say my impression has been that working line dogs seem to be more athletic or agile sometimes.

But my white boy who is intact sometimes has a hard time eating enough to look good and I have to keep him on high calorie foods. But he is very active, offleash walks, multiple sports ect.
 
#17 ·
The dogs I see regularly who are working, competing, or preparing to compete are usually kept at a higher level of fitness than dogs who aren't working toward something specific. Regardless of their pedigree.

Lambing season and spring trial season are right around the corner (in my area).... It's pretty typical to hear people discussing fine tuning their dog's physical condition & training intensity accordingly.

Dogs who aren't expected to perform at their peak won't necessarily be kept at the same level, IMHO.
 
#26 ·
Lobo, your generalizations and harsh criticisms on this thread cannot be taken seriously. You selected your own dog based on appearances, not proven working ability.

To quote you:

I was biased with German Shepherds since I absolutely loved one of my friend's German Shepherds. I wanted a dog that was energetic, intimidating enough to scare off people yet good looking enough to attract women, and even tempered. I was basically shopping for a dog and I don't think I was in the wrong for that. I don't make the money to buy from a breeder.

.....

Then I stumble into this beautiful black wolf looking dog with a medium coat, bushy tail, and just looks majestic.
He is happy, confident, has ears that are trying to stand up, tail wagging, labeled as a "German Shepherd Mix" and his name is Lobo. I took him out, liked him and decided that I need this dog.
 
#28 · (Edited)
Got me. Eeeeeeyyyy roasted lol

Anyways, Lobo stood out. I already knew about Working Line German Shepherds, Lobo looked like a badass. I just wanted a dog at the time lol but I was kinda picky as hardly any of the dogs at the shelter appealed to me. It was later on down the line that I really started to get into working dogs.

He liked me and it was clear down the line that he has working line German Shepherds in his blood.

And I hear all this talk about underangulation. Someone wanna explain this too me? And provide pictures if you can.

Anyways if you saw a dog like Lobo at the shelter why wouldn't you take him? Come on I know all of you would have taken him. In a sea of medium sized 25-50 pound mixes shows up a 70 pound large black shepherd. You all love Shepherds and would have all taken him. Here's a transformation picture of him.
 

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#30 ·
lobo floppy ears-Your rude comments are nothing but a broad sweeping generalization of your misinformed beliefs which only seem to want to promote conflict. There are extremes and challenges in every line and sure there are selfish misguided breeders such as any profession but they are only part of the equation. There are many breeders who breed for balance on all lines. I to would not be surprised if your dog lobo is not of working lines.
 
#32 ·
As for black GSDs, well, if you are against over-breeding, then, maybe you should rethink that. When you breed for color, you have to know a little about the genetics of that color. Black is recessive to all other colors. What this means is that most breeders of black dogs, will have six generation of black dogs, to ensure the black color. For this reason alone, I wouldn't personally go for a black dog. The gene pool is seriously limited. It's why I don't like the idea of the whites being a separate breed. Whites are a masking gene, so it truly isn't a different dog. They are black and tan or bi-color or black, but masked with the white gene. But if we limit whites to breed only with whites, you end up seriously limiting their gene pool.
 
#34 ·
Personally, I find it very sad to see someone come on here with such strong opinions without the education to back them up and insulting those who work very hard to improve their show lines. Yes, there are some that are very exaggerated, however, to lump all as the same shows a huge lack of knowledge.
 
#43 ·
hey guys Imm sorry about the mean comments earlier that was kinda uncalled for lol. Maybe yallare right I don't know a thing or two about show breeding so I just make assumptions and you know what they say about assumptions and assuming lol. I know yal don't like me but hey its cool lol.
 
#44 ·
Looking st Lobo's photo, I clearly see some Border Collie. Also, I think it's a mistake to assume a mixed breed is the result of two purebreds getting together. More likely, Lobo's parents are both mixed breeds themselves, further complicating the picture.

If I had to label Lobo, I would call him a GSD/Border Collie mix.
 
#46 ·
When it comes to the different lines, there are truths and what people want to believe, in the differences. There are definitely extremes in all lines, and good and bad breeders in all lines, but to equate the lines in health, temperament, working or longevity is not grounded in truth.
If 80% of one line has lost working traits and 50% of another have lost working traits, they are not equal. If there is much higher incidence of illnesses related to stress in one line over another line, they aren't equal. If there is a much higher percent of genetic shyness in one line than another, then they aren't equal.
All of the lines have inherent problems derived from that LINE, all of them.....but some of the problems are much more debilitating to the breed than others....and that is truth. So if you are breeding to preserve a LINE you are as guilty in your thinking as the thinking of floppy ears as far as the overall good of the breed. Jmo
 
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