Breeds with the MOST significant difference between show and working lines?

[lancerandrara]

In comaprison to the 2014 Westminster BOB Lab, this is the 2015 Westminster BOB.
http://www.westminsterkennelclub.org/2015/photos/breed/SR73715301.html

Well, that looks much nicer to me!

If we're talking herding dogs (excluding continentals/tenders) I think I've seen the largest gulf between working and conformation Aussies.

I think Aussies have quite a lot of overlap, actually! Not necessarily in appearance, which even still look relatively similar to me, but in herding and working ability. A lot of showline Aussies work with stock and trial, excel in a wide variety of sports. Good showline Aussies generally have multiple working/sport titles in their names. Looking at our own Keechak/Erin Fleming on chaz has Aussies of this type, from show and working stock. Of course, there are extremes of both ends, but the breed as a whole has a lot of overlap.

I remember someone mentioning that ASCA number one bitch 2009 and 2010 comes from successful showlines. She also has multiple ranch titles.

 

[lancerandrara]

(urgh, accidentally multiple post)

 

[MicksMom]

...
In comaprison to the 2014 Westminster BOB Lab, this is the 2015 Westminster BOB.
http://www.westminsterkennelclub.org/2015/photos/breed/SR73715301.html

...Well, that looks much nicer to me!...

Me, too. I have to go back and look, but I'm wondering if the 2014 dog was older, and thus filled out more. If I remember correctly, there was lots of "chatter" about how heavy all the Labs looked that year. There was also a trend, for awhile, where young dogs were looking like fully matured dogs, which led to what I refer to as whiskey barrels on legs when they did mature.

 

[SpringerLover]

I was reading an article about the topic of different lines, and they used the ESS as an example of how British and American bench dogs are actually very similar. Obviously the typical coat pattern is different, but they said otherwise the dogs were basically the same. I don't really see it ... they look pretty different to me in head shape especially. Wish I remember where I read that.

The thing that stands out to me as the biggest difference between American and British show is temperament (though I agree they don't look similar to me...). I have met multiple British show females (no males yet) and they are just more thoughtful, less neurotic, and bolder. I know the two I've met are a very small sample but people I talk to say the same stuff. They are just different, in a good way.

 

[Liminal]

Well, that looks much nicer to me!




I think Aussies have quite a lot of overlap, actually! Not necessarily in appearance, which even still look relatively similar to me, but in herding and working ability. A lot of showline Aussies work with stock and trial, excel in a wide variety of sports. Good showline Aussies generally have multiple working/sport titles in their names. Looking at our own Keechak/Erin Fleming on chaz has Aussies of this type, from show and working stock. Of course, there are extremes of both ends, but the breed as a whole has a lot of overlap.

I remember someone mentioning that ASCA number one bitch 2009 and 2010 comes from successful showlines. She also has multiple ranch titles.

I'll take your word for it! A lot of my opinion there comes from conversations with people for whom stock trial placement doesn't count for much in terms of gauging working ability (though I think that perspective has some flaws of its own) and what's seemed to me to be physical differences between show line dogs and working line dogs that are almost a more dramatic version of the differences between show line and working line BCs. Quite a few working Aussies I know are closer to BCs in overall body type than to what I perceive to be the average show line Aussie, whereas BCs all look like BCs to me.

 

[FG167]

GSDs for sure....

This is an American Showline

This is a West German Showline

We have Working line dogs. The way you stack a dog can make them more or less extreme, so that is not the only way to tell "type". Temperaments, drive, and working ability are wildly different between the three.

Here is my dog (he's a longcoat), in a stack, free standing, and a bit stretched. Look at the difference in his topline...that is just due to stacking. He normally looks "straight backed".

2015-05-19, Kastle 4 Years Stacked Shot by Falon Gray Markow, on Flickr

2014-01-24, Kastle F2P-2 by Falon Gray Markow, on Flickr

2014-02-13, Dogs Ice Day-51 by Falon Gray Markow, on Flickr

 

[wanderlustsurvivor]

vs.

Border Collies.

 

[mrose_s]

Border Collies. You couldn't pay me to have a show line one and I would love a bunch more working lines.
Same for the Kelpie.

 

[release the hounds]

Generally speaking, there are vast differences in terms of appearance and the mental make up of showline and working line GSD's. I've seen good and bad in both, but overall I can't hardly consider them the same breed.