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I've been thinking a lot lately about how there are essentially three different sub-breeds of German Shepherds, and then the ugly step-sister fourth breed that none of us really want to talk about but makes up the bulk of GSDs in the States.
Whenever a new person comes on the forums looking for a puppy, the first thing they're asked is what lines they're looking for. In reality, they just know they want a German Shepherd and the picture they have in their head probably isn't a sable, drivey working line, a $2500 highline with a roached back, or a sloped-back American show dog. The dog in their head probably looks like a "pet" type Shepherd.
So I guess the topic for discussion is this: Do you agree with the 3-way (or 4-way) split? Do you wish there were just one type of GSD? If so, what would it be like? One of the existing ones or a combination?
Also, is it possible for someone to be an ethical, reputable, high-quality breeder of "pet lines" GSDs?
Whenever a new person comes on the forums looking for a puppy, the first thing they're asked is what lines they're looking for. In reality, they just know they want a German Shepherd and the picture they have in their head probably isn't a sable, drivey working line, a $2500 highline with a roached back, or a sloped-back American show dog. The dog in their head probably looks like a "pet" type Shepherd.
So I guess the topic for discussion is this: Do you agree with the 3-way (or 4-way) split? Do you wish there were just one type of GSD? If so, what would it be like? One of the existing ones or a combination?
Also, is it possible for someone to be an ethical, reputable, high-quality breeder of "pet lines" GSDs?