5 Different Types Of German Shepherd Breeds & Their Features

5 Different Types Of German Shepherd Breed & Their Features

Last Updated:

January 23, 2025

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Do you want to know about the two major groups and five different types of German Shepherd breed and their traits? You’re in the right place.

There are five main types of German Shepherds which have been further classified into two groups i.e. Showline German Shepherds and Working Line German Shepherds.

The American Showlines & West Showlines are bred primarily for their appearance, showcasing a sloped back and distinct gait, making them frequent stars in dog shows. In contrast, European Working Lines are bred for their working capabilities rather than looks, excelling in tasks such as police work, search and rescue, and protection.

East German DDR Working Lines are known for their robust health, intelligence, and strong working drive, originally bred for patrolling the East German border. Lastly, the Czech Working Lines, developed from DDR lines, are distinguished by their dark pigmentation and are highly sought after for military and police work due to their exceptional working abilities and resilience.

The following topics will be covered in this article:

Brief Introduction
Showline Vs Working Line German Shepherds
- Showline German Shepherds
- Working Line German Shepherds
Types Of German Shepherds
- American Showline German Shepherds
- West/European Showline German Shepherds
- West Working Line German Shepherds
- East Working Line DDR German Shepherds
- Czech Working Line German Shepherds

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01. Brief Introduction

German Shepherd is a modern, medium to large size dog breed originated in Germany. They were originally trained and popular for herding sheep and patrolling territory borders during wars. Besides petting, GSDs are also used for herding, search & rescue operations, building protection, grabbing criminals, etc…

Why So Popular? German Shepherd is considered one of the best dog breeds because it is highly intelligent, protective, attractive, elegant, smart, obedient, working, and strong.
Names? Some of the other names of German Shepherds are: Alsatian wolf dog, Berger Allemand, Deutscher, and Schäferhund.
Weight & Height? Their weight varies from 20 kg to 40Kg and their height ranges from 55 cm to 60 cm at the shoulder. However, some of them have weights over 68 kg, and height up to 78 cm at the shoulder.
How Many Puppies Does a Female Give Birth To? At one birth German Shepherd female gives birth to 4-9 puppies.
GSD Price? The prices for world-class purebred German Shepherd puppies with pedigree range from $2000 to $10,000 or more. To know more about the prices of German Shepherds and top-quality German Shepherd breeders in the US, read this article: 20+ Best German Shepherd Breeders In The United States.

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02. Showline Vs Working Line German Shepherds

In this section, you will learn about the major differences between Show Line & Working Line German Shepherds.

2.1 Showline German Shepherds

The Showline German Shepherds as from their name “Show Line” are used for dog shows.

To look excellent, these GSDs have to be perfect like their teeth have to be lineup perfectly, their ears have to be a lineup, their hair should be proper, their length should be perfect, their height should be perfect, their weight should be perfect, angles of their bones should be perfect because the show always looks for the perfect physical German Shepherds.

They have an angulated back that slopes from high to low as you go from shoulders to rear end.

Showline German Shepherd Example — A stock coat black and tan saddle West showline German Shepherd standing for a pose.

2.1 Working Line German Shepherds

The Working Line German Shepherds have straight back and athletic type of figures, purely built to work all the time tirelessly. They have bigger heads & bigger bones.

The Working Line German Shepherds don’t need to be perfect. Their tail just does not need to be in the right angulation. As clearly evident from their name “Working Line”, are always ready for work, work, and work. They never get lazy, always active and desireful.

In short, we can say that Showline German Shepherds excel in the shows whereas Work Line German Shepherds excel in work.

Example of Working Line German Shepherd — A giant black and tan sable stock coat Czech Working Line German Shepherd standing with the owner.

03. Types Of German Shepherds

In this section, we will introduce you to 5 different types of German Shepherd breed, their features, and traits.

American Showline German Shepherds
West Showline German Shepherds
West Working Line German Shepherds
East Working Line DDR German Shepherds
Czech Working Line German Shepherds

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3.1 American Showline German Shepherds

The American Showline German Shepherds are also called the AKC(American Kennel Club) Lines GSDs. This type of German Shepherd is generally taller and longer.

They come in different colors like the black and tan saddle, black and cream saddle, solid black, saddle sable, black sable, light sable, black and tan blanket, and solid white.

A black and tan saddle American Showline German Shepherd standing for a pose with his owners — A black and tan saddle stock coat American Showline German Shepherd standing for a pose with his owners.

The coloring of American Show Line German Shepherd coats is typically lighter. This type of German Shepherd is generally more laid-back.

They have a lower drive, which means they have less energy as compared to Working Line GSDs.

A light sable American Showline German Shepherd standing for a pose on the grass with his trainer — A light sable stock coat American Showline German Shepherd standing for a pose on the grass with his trainer.

American showline German Shepherds are good pets for the family.

They are very obedient, tracking, and good at herding sheep as compared to Working Lines GSDs.

They are active but have low strength, and because of this weakness these GSDs are not really best for top personal protection or law enforcement, but some of them do reasonably well and are widely used.

A young black and cream stock coat saddle showline German Shepherd standing for a pose on the grass. — A young black and cream saddle stock coat showline German Shepherd puppy standing for a pose on the grass.

3.2 West Show Line German Shepherds

The West German Show Line German Shepherds are widely considered the most beautiful GSD breed.

They are gracious in movement, very intelligent, and can be trained very easily.

They have a sloped body, which is not as sloping as American Show Line German Shepherds.

A stock coat black and tan saddle West/European showline German Shepherd standing on the grass in a sunny day. — A stock coat black and tan saddle West/European showline German Shepherd standing on the grass on a hot sunny day.

The West Show Line German Shepherds tend to have black and red saddles, black and tan, sable, bi-colors, and black.

Every dog in the West Show Line German Shepherd breed must be fully fit with his health (hips and elbows) before he/she mates or passes their genes.

A heavy bone black and red saddle long coat West Showline German Shepherd — A heavy bone giant black and red saddle long coat West Showline German Shepherd standing on the grass.

The West Show Line German Shepherds can do great both as protectors and family pets as compared to American Show Line GSDs. They are not lazy and need a lot of exercise and training.

They have better health and better drive than the American Show Line German Shepherds.

A plush(medium) coat black and tan saddle, West showline German Shepherd standing on the grass on a bright sunny day.

3.3 West Working Line German Shepherds

The West Working Line German Shepherds have a very stable temperament and stunning looks. They have strong drives, excellent working ability, a calmer attitude, and perfect colors.

A Black Sable West Working Line German Shepherd — A Giant Black Sable West Working Line German Shepherd Standing on the Dry Grass.

The West Working Lines GSDs have different colors like sable, solid black, black and tan bi-color, and black and tan blanket.

The back of West Working Line German Shepherds is a bit more sloping than the East Working Line DDR German Shepherds.

They could counter more health issues than the East Working Line GSDs.

A black and tan blanket stock coat West Working Line German Shepherd standing on the grass. — A black and tan blanket West Working Line German Shepherd standing on the grass.

West Working Line GSDs often excel at different sports and jobs such as search and rescue operations or guarding protection.

Though the West Working Line GSDs have a very strong desire, they have such a cool temperament that they know when to become aggressive and when to sit calm. This fantastic trait makes them the ideal German Shepherd breed for an enthusiastic family.

A solid black stock coat West Working Line German Shepherd looking at his owner(not visible).

3.4 East Working Line DDR German Shepherds

The East Working Line DDR German Shepherds are very sturdy & graceful dogs. They have really strong bones, large heads, and expanded shoulders.

They are used for military and search & rescue purposes, mainly for patrolling territory borders. Excellent in tracking and attacking. DDR stands for Deutsche Demokratische Republik(East Germany).

Black and Tan Reverse Mask original East Working Line German Shepherds sitting on the grass. — Two Black and Tan Reverse Mask Stock Coat Original East Working Line German Shepherds Sitting on the Grass.

The East Working Line GSDs have the darkest colored coats among all GSD Lines. They are mostly black sable, sable, black mahogany sable, solid black, and black and tan blanket reverse mask. Their backs are a little sloped.

They can resist extremely harsh weather conditions and long working days.

They are more defensive and reserved in nature.

Black Mahogany Sable East Working Line German Shepherd — A Giant Black Mahogany Sable Stock Coat East Working Line German Shepherd Standing on the Grass.

The East Working Line DDR German Shepherd has very strict breeding standards. These GSDs are only allowed to breed if they are fit and free of hip dysplasia.

Even puppies are tested for proper bone structure code quality temperament. If the bones in the hip joint don’t fit together correctly, one can develop a condition called hip dysplasia.

Solid Black East Working Line German Shepherd — A Solid Black Stock Coat East Working Line German Shepherd Standing for a Pose on the Grass.

3.5 Czech Working Line German Shepherds

Czech Working Line GSDs originated from communist Czechoslovakia, that’s why they are called Czech Working Line German Shepherds.

They are very loyal, graceful, agile, and have the most powerful desire among all other German Shepherd breeds.

They have extremely powerful jaws and broad shoulders.

A Young Sable Czech Working Line German Shepherd Standing on the Snow. — A Young Sable Stock Coat Czech Working Line German Shepherd Standing on the Snow.

Their coats have dark coloring, and can often be found by their darker coats and less sloping backs. The coat colors include solid black, black and tan/brown, bi-color (black with minimal tan/brown), black and tan blanket, dark sable, gray sable, and black sable.

Ears are slightly smaller than the other 4 GSD types.

A Giant Heavy Bone Black and Tan Blanket Czech Working Line German Shepherd Standing on the Grass. — A Giant Heavy Bone Black and Tan Blanket Stock Coat Czech Working Line German Shepherd Standing on the Grass.

These dogs also have very strict standards for breeding and that’s why they are very healthy like East Working Line DDR GSDs.

They have the least behavioral problems as compared to the other four types of GSDs.

Best for chasing down criminals, patrolling border territories, protection jobs, and search & rescue operations.

A Solid Black Stock Coat Czech Working Line German Shepherd Standing for a Pose on the Grass.

Conclusion

So it was all about 5 different types of German Shepherds, their features, and traits. We hope that this article has provided enough information about them. If you like this post then don’t forget to share with other people. Share your suggestions or feedback in the comments section below.

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