One of the most popular dog breeds is the shepherd. These are smart and beautiful animals, well amenable to training. Among them, the German and East European Shepherd Dogs stand out especially . The differences between them are not very noticeable, although experts consider them two different breeds. They are different not only in appearance, but also in character, temperament, and even in the origin of the breed.
German Shepherd Characteristic
This breed was recognized only at the end of the 19th century. The founder of the breed is Max von Stefanitz. And it comes from shepherd dogs, which have long been bred in Scandinavia. The new breed quickly spread throughout Europe and became popular. At first, these dogs were used as shepherds. Then their qualities were discovered, allowing them to be used in the service and search service and security.
These are strong, muscular dogs that are ready to protect the owner from any danger. In addition, they are very smart and easy to train. Thanks to this, representatives of this breed are now widely used in the police, tax service, and investigation. They serve in the army, work as guide dogs. But German shepherds are also popular as a companion and house keeper.
Origin of an East European Shepherd Dog
This variety of the breed popular all over the world was bred in Russia. German shepherds did not withstand severe frosts and heat, they were not very hardy. Back in the 20s of the 20th century, Russian breeders began to improve the breed popular in Europe. They tried to adapt it to the conditions of our country. Breeding continued after the war, and in the 40s the name of the new breed appeared - the East European Shepherd. Its difference from the German one is that it is larger, but has a thinner skeleton.
This breed was bred according to a strictly classified method. They did not cross dogs with anyone, they used only the method of selecting the most suitable individuals. In the 60-70s, the East European shepherd dogs enjoyed great respect in our country, although they were considered only a variety of German. In 91, a new international breed standard was adopted and the “Vostochny” were transferred to an illegal position. There was a threat of complete destruction of the breed. But thanks to the efforts of the Russian Federation of dog handlers, who proved that there are differences between the German and East European Shepherd dogs, in 2002 the breed was recognized as independent.
East European Shepherd Characteristic
When breeding a new breed, it was characterized as a German Shepherd of the East European type. At first they had few differences. But for a long time in the USSR dogs were not imported from abroad, and breeding work continued. Therefore, by the end of the 20th century, differences between the German and East European Shepherd dogs became more pronounced.
When breeding, dog handlers sought to make the breed more resilient and larger. Therefore, the East European Shepherd Dog is more adapted to the harsh Russian climate. She has longer legs and a wide chest, which allows her to move freely in the snow.
Similarity of breeds
Only recently, the East European Shepherd Dog was recognized as a separate breed. After all, the differences from the German are still quite noticeable. But since these breeds are related and have common roots, there are many similarities among them. They are very popular because of the versatility of dogs, their beautiful character and ability to train. These are smart and loyal companions, sensitive defenders. They can be used as service dogs, guide dogs, watchmen, companions. The similarity is also the color of the animals. Although the gray tan is more common in East European shepherds, the black-brown ones are mostly “Germans”.
The main differences between the breeds
Domestic dog handlers managed to achieve recognition of the East European Shepherd as a separate breed due to the fact that it has many clearly visible differences from the German one. Due to the isolation of the USSR and special breeding conditions, they became very different. Now, the main differences between the German Shepherd and the East European are distinguished:
- German croups are beveled, and the hind legs are shorter than the front;
- Eastern European tall legs, larger, and their limbs are thinner;
- VEO back straight, front and hind legs of the same length;
- among the "Germans" there are short-haired and long-haired varieties;
- German shepherds run smoothly, as if spread over the ground;
- when running, they are more resilient, but VEOs are faster at short distances.
The differences between the German and East European Shepherd in appearance
An ignorant person cannot distinguish between these dogs. But the specialist will determine the breed by its appearance. First of all, East European Shepherd Dogs are larger. They are about 5-7 cm taller, even bitches seem larger than German ones. By standards, their height is from 62 to 76 cm, unlike the "Germans", who should not be higher than 65 cm. They also differ in weight: if the German weighs from 22 to 40 kg, then the VEO can weigh 50 kg, and even 60. They also have longer legs and a wide chest.
In addition, each dog handler will immediately say how the German Shepherd differs from the East European. These are the structural features of the skeleton that are immediately visible. The "Germans" have a beveled back, curving in an arc to the tail. At the same time, the hind legs are several centimeters shorter than the front. Therefore, these dogs move at a smooth trot, crouching to the ground. Because of this, they are prone to dysplasia of the hip joints, and with increasing speed should increase the frequency of movements. East European shepherd dogs have a straight back, there is no slope. And they move sharply, with a sweeping trot, with tremors. Speed is increased due to more sweeping movements.
It is impossible to distinguish these dogs by coat color. Both those, and others can be black, gray-tan. But lighter shades are more common among Eastern European ones, and the “Germans” are mostly black-red - this is the so-called black color.
The difference between the German and East European Shepherd dogs in character
Despite the fact that both of these breeds are considered very intelligent and easily trained, in this area there are also differences between them. Most importantly, the difference between German and East European shepherd dogs is temperament. "Germans" refer to choleric. They are more active, playful and restless, but friendly. They have to move a lot, run, this can be explained by the features of their origin from shepherd dogs. It is good to start them for active people, often on foot or bicycle trips, in which the dog will become a faithful companion. This type of shepherd is more suitable for a city apartment, although it will have to walk a lot.
The East European Shepherd Dog is calmer and slower in this regard. She is balanced, not so playful, but not aggressive. This is a harsh dog that recognizes only the owners and is wary of strangers. Therefore, these are excellent watchmen and defenders. VEOs are often used in border troops and other units because of their seriousness. They are more suitable for the role of a watchdog, as they tolerate severe climatic conditions. In addition, thanks to a more stable psyche, they are more suitable for the role of guide dogs.
Both of these breeds lend themselves perfectly to training, they are smart and loyal to the owner. They will become a true friend and a good defender.
Which breed is better
It’s hard to say which dog is better or worse. Such a problem does not confront those who do not understand the difference between the German and East European Shepherd dogs. Moreover, in our country they are often confused, they are sold by the Eastern European, and they are passed off as popular German. If the breed is important, you should pay attention to the one that is more suitable in each case. For official investigative purposes, for detention or patrolling, the "Germans" are more suitable. Eastern European in this respect are less hardy. But they are well suited for security. Therefore, those who need a guard more, a non-aggressive and calm dog, should choose the "Eastern". And German shepherds are more suitable as a companion, they are more playful and active.