Interesting! Glanced through, will read it entirely a little bit later. Thanks.

 

The world is changing right before your eyes. While GSD genetic database is building up and already in use for association, you can do this How it Works | Wisdom Panel UK

 

While I am no expert, I own a dog of east german lines and did a fair bit of research before going that route. While I am happy with my dog, I also believe there is a lot of propaganda and myth surrounding "DDR" lines (as exemplified in some of the comments above). Moreover, stereotypes are just that - generalities, not absolutes. For instance, my DDR dog did not mature slowly, has good prey drive, very little suspicion, and I would not characterize her as being high in defense drive. (She is, however, built like a tank).

For broski2815, following is the mating test of your dog:

http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/breeding.result?father=2292237&mother=2292239

Upon quick review, going back in your dog's sire's pedigree it appears he is primarily DDR and west working lines while the dam appears to be a mix of DDR, west working, and czech lines.

As for your concern that DDR lines are not suitable for family life and need to "work" all the time, that is not my experience at all. When we brought our DDR line dog home as an 8 week old puppy, my kids were ages 2 and 5. While my decision at the time may have been informed, in part, by some misconceptions (since dispelled through experience), it was not by accident that I chose to go this direction as my foremost concern was getting a dog who would excel as a family companion in a house with young kids. And, she has been a great family dog.

A few years after we got the DDR female, we got a west working line male. A number of dogs in his pedigree get a fair bit of internet chatter. If you were to take literally everything you read about these dogs in his pedigree, you would probably be shocked to hear that he too is a good family dog. Real life is often quite different, and certainly more nuanced, than generalization about "lines" or commentary based upon a dog or two in a pedigree . . . . .

GSDSar's comment about focusing on the dog you have was a good one. Since you already have the dog, don't get hung up on the pedigree. Focus on the dog that is in front of you and deal with him as he is rather than what others say he should be.

 

Of course there was a lot of propaganda around the DDR dogs to the West. I do think/know when the curtain came down their dogs probably had a little better hip health, and were sturdier and less disease susceptible. But they had good dogs and not so good dogs. There is reason they craved the genetics of Bernd v Lierberg and snuck breedings to him in spite of curtain.

 

Dogs are not the clones of one particular line, they are individuals. Here, we are discussing the future of the working line, trying to figure out the best possibilities for the future generations. We are living in the free market world, many people are reading this site, and the free market depends on the interest of the buyer. Dog business is a big business, makes a lot of money, not through the breeding only, and there always would be a war between breeding centres and kennel clubs. There is a war between show line lovers and working line lovers. Somehow EE lines made their way through, police buy them, and clubs breed them for IPO, and individuals are happy having them as pets (as I can see) despite all iron or wooden curtains. It means - they are good dogs. The only thing upsets me - is lack of information. Nearly in every site one and the same story about them. What concerns propaganda - you should know, that if you wish to change information in Wikipedia - you are welcome, anyone can correct the text bu clicking at the bottom. I've read about Husky recently. Every site says that they are totally non-aggressive beautiful family dogs. Why there was so much blood when I visited Husky club meeting, and why the owners complained about bitten children - only devil knows.

 

David, I don't want to come off as rude, but your entire argument throughout this thread has been, "I know because I read a website" and then you went off about Huskies for some reason. Posting random links does not make an argument and more importantly it speaks volumes about you, not the dogs.

 

Okay David, that's one way of looking at things, websites and videos have done a lot to improve the breed in recent years.

 

Read the article. Neat stuff! It should be noted, however, they did not differentiate between the subsets within WLs, DDR, Czech, WGWL and such.

 

There is American Showline, DDR East German Working Line , West German Working Line, Czech Working Line, and West German Showline. There isn't a Dutch working line in the GSD. In the Dutch Shepherd there is The Working Dutch Shepherd Association. Ok

 

Hi also curious how to tell if my dog is East or West lines, is anyone able to help interpret as I have seen both DDR and SZ in his pedigree. Sire Dasty Vom Ludwigseck dam Yultzen Quest.

 

You can tell by the pedigree. Sire is DDR, dam is a combo of Czech/Slovak, West German.

Update: So I had a chance to look at this further. This is more gee wizz info for you, the female goes back to the early German showlines in 5 places if you extend her pedigree out 7 generations. This does not make her showline as many working line dogs do, but generally you only see it in one or two places. This female has a bit more. Also in the female some of the Czech/Slovak goes back to the old DDR as some of the better lines do so there is a bit more in the female too. The male is from a known German kennel that does the DDR breedings & he is all DDR.

 

Thank you so much! That makes a lot more sense, that is super interesting. Appreciate it.