Which Breeds Come In Working Lines?

[Blackdogs]

We all know about the German Shepherd, but there seem to be a number of other breeds that come in working lines - some I wasn't previously aware of.

So which breeds are you aware of that come in working lines?

Feel free to post pictures!

[Ivory & Beau]

Belgian Shepherd

English Pointer

[Guest Clover]

Malinois

Cocker Spaniels

ESS

Border Collie

Kelpie

GSD

Beagle

JRT

Labrador

Photo 1 - 2013-11-16 by clover_elvis, on Flickr

3 x working type Border Collies, all 3 are completely different.

Edited December 4, 2014 by Clover

[Podengo]

Dachshund (Teckel)

Giant Schnauzer

Bouvier De Flandres

Irish Setter

English Setter

Doberman

[grumpette]

Beautiful photo Clover of you and your much loved dogs

Rottweilers come in show and working lines :D

[JRG]

Almost all the gundog breeds have working lines and show lines, some more obvious than others. In some breeds the working lines have almost died out because of lack of use and in the breeds of more modern development the split is not as noticeable.

On the whole, the working dogs tend to be smaller and less exaggerated than the show dogs eg shorter ears, less feathering etc. The working dogs are more athletically built than their show cousins and their drive has more purpose.

Some breeders try to breed "dual purpose" animals.

[megan_]

Aussies too

[raineth]

In the UK there are working Basset Hounds that are more moderately built than show line Bassets.

[megan_]

Beautiful photo Clover of you and your much loved dogs

Rottweilers come in show and working lines :D

Didn't know this! Do they look very different?

[Kavik]

Working line Kelpies tend to be taller, leggier, leaner than their show counterparts, with less coat, and the common colours are different in working lines than show lines

Working line GSD are not as exaggerated, different structure than the show dogs and the common colours are different in the working lines than show lines

[grumpette]

Beautiful photo Clover of you and your much loved dogs

Rottweilers come in show and working lines :D

Didn't know this! Do they look very different?

Working Rottweilers tend to be a lot leaner and can be smaller than than show lines. They are less Mastiff like and tend to have strong working drives.

However, there are currently some stunning examples of working dogs that are also quite successful in the speciality show ring. They have the correct conformation and excellent working drives and temperament.

I have to go to work, so will try to find photos later.

Allerzeit and Starkehre will know more about this than I do.

[Tapua]

While there are different types within the breed there are some with separate registrations so the two registrations cannot be interbred. IE ANKC/FCI Kelpies & WKC Kelpies.

[LisaCC]

Aussies too

Like Borders there is a big difference between working and purely sporting lines too.

[DeltaCharlie]

I have lots of working BC photos I could share :) Most of our breeding lines are main registered so could be bred with show lines if we wanted to. Although the sire we used for our last 2 litters was Sporting Registered so his pups are too.

Sweep and Link (both Main Registered)

Whip (also Main Registered)

And because who doesn't love a puppy- Whip (MR) Boost (Main Registered) Dash (Sporting Registered)

Family photos

Porter (litter 1) Shock (litter 2) Rush (litter 1) Link (Mum) Fuze (litter 2)

Sean (Dad) Cian (litter 2) Rush (litter 1) Fuze (litter 2) Shock (litter 2) I think the pups were about 7 months old here.

Not the clearest photo, I can't find the original so this is a screenshot.

Sean (Dad) Rush (litter 1) Link (Mum) Flyte (litter 1) Cruize (litter 1)

Plus my signature has the older guys in it, just missing the youngest 3.

[DeltaCharlie]

Gooch (potential husband for Rush next year)

Working ESS (She actually belongs to a DOLer) MR lines

Working Kelpie (not sure of his registration, his prefix was Spinifex and they did have MR lines)

Working Aussie (if I was ever to cross to the dark side I love these Flatout lines and would head there :) ) Can't find a better pic sorry.

[huski]

MALINOIS :D

[VizslaMomma]

[silentchild]

At the risk of opening a can of worms...... I'm always a bit confused about working lines vs show lines - wouldn't a breed be a breed be a breed and shouldn't they all fall under the same breed standard? For example shouldn't a border collie be a border collie - there is one breed standard so there should be just one type, one border collie, and that's it? Why should there be such a big difference between show and working lines? Shouldn't there just be one type that everyone sticks too - the one true breed type? Show borders should be able to work stock, and working borders should be able to show. Why should there be such a big difference in temperament? (and not talking about the border collie specifically but all breeds that have working vs show lines, just using it as an example). I'm not wording this well enough.. but I hope somebody understands what I mean LOL. Not trying to start a debate - I honestly just want to learn more about it. Have always wondered why there needs to be such a difference.

[cavNrott]

I agree Silentchild. In an ideal world that's probably the way it would be.

My GSD's were both from working lines. I like the relatively straight back of the working line GSD and don't like the exaggerated sloping back of the show lines.

[DeltaCharlie]

In the ideal world, yes :) There are many working-line BCs in the UK who are also shown and do well. Unfortunately, many of those dogs would not be given MR in Aus due to their colour or coat.

It is important to remember that a show standard is written to suit the most common characteristics of a dog and anything else is faulted. In the working world those faults are overlooked and the dog is looked at as a whole package and judged on its ability to do the task at hand. With every generation bred the lines will move further apart.

As an example, with the Border Collies there has become a big divide between the lines. Some of it is for practical reasons, eg short coat is preferred by most working people in Aus as it doesn't knot, doesn't weigh the dog down when wet, doesn't gather as many burrs and grass seeds, and is generally easier to maintain. Yet in Australia, smooth coat is not permitted on MR. Others are more aesthetic reasons, particular coat colours do better in the show ring, some prefer symmetrical markings, big coats are flashy etc. If you are on a sheep station on the other hand, you couldn't care less what the dog looked like so long as it made your life easier.

Both worlds are very competitive and no matter what you are doing with your dogs you are going to strive for the best. If you are breeding for the show ring you are going to breed dogs that are suited for that purpose, and look the part. If you are breeding for work then you are going to be breeding your best workers.

No dog will ever be perfect (although I'm sure a few come close :) ). You cannot breed for every single aspect of the breed, so people focus on a few. I believe regardless of your purpose, a solid temperament should always be right up there in priorities, other things will vary depending on what you are trying to achieve. For some that may be a particular colour, show standard structure and flowing movement. For others it will be that x-factor that nobody can name but is found in all the best working dogs. If you have that x-factor and a dog that is built to work all day every day for its entire life without ever breaking down then you couldn't care less what colour the dog is or how its ears sit on its head. The more you focus on one aspect, the more you will filter out other aspects. A line of dogs bred purely for their ability to conform to the standard will not retain the same ability to work stock as a line of dogs bred purely for their ability to work (and would likely be laughed out of the show ring).

Its not necessarily a bad thing, I guess. After all, some of the working lines (regardless of breed) would not make suitable backyard pets. Having the often lower-key show equivalent allows more people access to the breed and provides everyone with a dog that suits them.