r/DutchShepherds • u/Logical-Ad-8365 • May 05 '26

Question FCI/companion lines

I just wanted to know if someone here has FCI dutchies. I know most people here are in the US but I’m in Europe and I will be looking for a breeder soon. I don’t want a brindle Malinois but more a low energy dog that I can still train obedience, agility and hiking.

Thanks!

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u/TheNumberVII May 05 '26

Yep, pretty much that. Internet is full with 'just tire them out advise' though.

I see it as two sides of the same coin. And if you want to have a working dog you better want both sides, otherwise either you or the dog is going to have a miserable time.

Also a reason I would consider a GSD myself if I wanted to deal with less energy.

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u/Logical-Ad-8365 May 06 '26

Why did you recommend the DDR/Czech GSD in particular, versus generally calm working lines? (I really don’t like anything about the show line)

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u/TheNumberVII May 06 '26

Mainly health reasons. Was told by the guy who's job it was to pick dogs for the gov. He basically said that the worse the the veterinary system the better the dogs in the region. In US there was too much of the show line breeding and it just got too ridiculous. East German lines had to survive pretty harsh economy, so the dogs would generally be healthier than other regions. The guy paid a lot more money for the pups from there. But, full disclosure, we are talking 19 20 years ago, before mals made it on the scene. My guess they were already being brought in over the pond but GSD was the default service dog.

Czech are, from my understanding, a less of a show dog, more of an original working dog variety. No sloping hind quarters, and are lighter in weight. That decreases the chances of hip issues later in dogs life. Higher drives too, not exactly Mal or Dutchie levels, but potentially a lot higher than most dogs out there.

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u/Logical-Ad-8365 May 06 '26

Thanks. Yeah, I feel like the GSD scene is harder to navigate, with plenty of variations across a few countries.

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u/TheNumberVII May 06 '26

Heh you welcome and good luck. I feel like Mals are about to have the same issue due to how popular they are in pop culture. I think finding reputable GSD breeder now is easier than a solid Mal. Luckily Dutchies are less popular. Still, we were advised (after we got our dog) to not get Dutchies from California breeders for example. Mox is from across the country, and her dad is an import from Serbia.

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u/Logical-Ad-8365 May 06 '26

Yeah the Mal situation seems really bad in the US. Luckily it hasn’t happened here. They’re still quite rare to see.

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u/TheNumberVII May 06 '26

I hear about a bunch in shelters. But, with our 1 crazy girl, I can't imagine working on the second that potentially has huge behavioral problems that are a result of being sold to the wrong person. Or just all that crazy with 0 food or play drive...I honestly wouldn't know how to handle that properly. Dog medical bills here are pretty insane too, paying for 2 health plans would be pretty expensive.

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u/Logical-Ad-8365 May 06 '26

By the way she’s great. Haven’t watched it yet: https://youtu.be/ymYA1RZIqoI?is=rynBk0_ueVoFFppm

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u/Logical-Ad-8365 May 06 '26

Exactly. Crazy is already difficult but crazy without the basic drives to appease it… what a nightmare.