Long-haired German Shepherd

Long-haired German Shepherd | Case study

The Long-haired German Shepherd is a favourite amongst most amateur dog owners. They want the best of both worlds: a dog that is both intelligent and beautiful. But is this combination always what we need? In this article, you’ll learn how to train a Long-haired German Shepherd.

The Long-haired German Shepherd is one of many dog breeds that originate from Germany. It is prized for its intelligence, loyalty and versatility. The breed’s long coat is distinctive and adds to its charm, but it requires regular brushing and grooming. The Long-haired German Shepherd is often chosen as a working dog, but it also makes an excellent family pet. If you’re interested in this breed, familiarise yourself with its needs and consider whether you can meet them.

Is that really the case?

My many years’ experience in training defence dogs prove that things aren’t going too well with this genetic line. For many years now, I haven’t come across a long-haired German Shepherd in training that possessed the working qualities of, say, a short-haired German Shepherd, let alone those found in working lines (which are usually grey or black, though not always).

I know of a few kennels outside Poland that breed long-haired German Shepherds, but it seems to me that the exception proves the rule and that something is amiss.

Long-haired German Shepherd | Defence Training

In most cases, they either have a very weak temperament or are fearful, indifferent, or prone to aggression. I come into regular contact with such dogs; if there’s a breeder here with a good dog that could be put to the test, I’d be happy to offer a free training session. Unfortunately, my experience with these dogs so far has not been positive. Please don’t get me wrong – they make brilliant family dogs and are wonderful companions, but I don’t see any defensive traits in their genes. These qualities need to be developed.

German Shepherd | Training

The video below is a 20-minute clip from a training session with two long-haired German Shepherds. A male and a female, both around 18 months old, previously untrained, displaying very fearful behaviour. In this footage, you’ll see how to gradually ‘open up’ a dog like this, and you’ll witness their genuine reactions in specific situations. This footage is simply captivating. It was filmed on a mobile phone but is of good quality, allowing you to see both my work and the dogs’ behaviour.

This is undoubtedly of interest to:

• People planning to buy a dog like this
• People planning to become a dog handler
• Dog trainers
• Behaviourists

Please don’t get me wrong, they are brilliant family dogs and wonderful companions, but I don’t see any natural defensive instincts in their genes. This needs to be developed. The long-haired German Shepherd is a breed that requires systematic training. In the video below, I present a 20-minute clip from a training session with two long-haired German Shepherds. You’ll see how to gradually develop such a dog and how they react in various situations. This is incredibly fascinating footage, available to premium members as part of their subscription.

Summary

• The Long-haired German Shepherd is an intelligent, loyal and versatile dog.
• This breed’s coat requires regular brushing and grooming.
• It can be used as a working dog or a family pet.
• You should consider whether you can meet this breed’s needs.
• Experience in training guard dogs suggests that Long-haired German Shepherds have poor working qualities.
• Most of these dogs have a weak temperament or are timid.
• A dog of this breed requires training to develop its working abilities as a guard dog.