Working dogs are canines that are trained to perform special tasks, which cannot be done by ordinary breeds. One of the most common breeds of working dogs is the German Shepherd, otherwise known as the Alsatian. The working German Shepherd is often employed as a guard dog, search dog, rescue dog, police dog, or a military dog. These are usually the areas of specialization for this breed since the German Shepherd is trained to protect. Alsatians are generally obedient, and apt to please. If you want to train working dogs, opt for German Shepherds because they are easier to train.



Alsatians are large and strong dog breed. Their coats are filled with hairs that are either short or long. The color of their coat varies. But the most common are brown and tan. On the other hand, there are some German Shepherds that are completely white or completely black. The ears of this canine breed are erect while its tail is long. It belongs to different lines that have different appearances, capabilities, and behaviors. There is an international breed of German Shepherds that is raised as working dogs.

North American German Shepherds are raised mainly for their looks, which is a very unique characteristic for this line. Compared to typical Alsatians, the former line of German Shepherds has angled backs. This can be bad, especially if the canine is employed as a working German Shepherd. North American German Shepherds do not possess the working traits of other Alsatian lines. If you want to train German Shepherds as working dogs, make sure that you opt for those that belong to lines that are capable of heavy work.

A working German Shepherd is apt to show loyalty to its owner or trainer. It is also a very obedient dog breed, heeding to everything that you have to say. Because of its strong jaw and teeth, it can be taught or trained to show aggression towards suspects or intruders. If you have Alsatians as working dogs, you have to train and breed them properly. If you do otherwise, they will end up with too much aggression or will become too fearful. If you are training German Shepherds, you have to do it the proper way if you do not want your canine to end up in a dog pound.

A working German Shepherd is often linked to police or detective work, giving them the image of danger and fierceness. Despite this stereotypical characteristic, Alsatians are suitable as pets. What is more, they do not show aggression, when trained not to. They can be loyal and emotional dogs. As a matter of fact, a German Shepherd is one of the trustiest working dogs for the blind. But since German Shepherds want to have enough exercise, they are more suitable as rescue dogs.

If you are a dog trainer and you want to promote your passion, you can upload training videos. You can post these at Working Dog Videos, which is a website that offers videos of dogs in training. This website is also helpful to dog owners, who want to learn the proper way of raising their German Shepherds.