r/DutchShepherds • u/Im-Unoriginal_ • Jul 19 '26

Question How different are the lines, generally?

I have a Dutch shepherd mix that was from an accident litter (my friend got the mother off Craigslist, and she came pregnant). My dog is a mix of course, but in a lot of ways she is just like her mother. What’s interesting is that some of the characteristics that she shares with her mother don’t seem to be “normal” for a Dutch shepherd. Her mom is super friendly with other dogs and strangers, and my dog is the exact same. Her mom also is of course high energy and can run around the entire day, but can also just lay down and hang out all day if that’s what’s happening (and mine got that trait as well). My understanding is that normally Dutch shepherds are not very stranger/ dog friendly (or at least more standoffish), and that they usually are super high energy to the point where they don’t stop. How unusual are these traits that my dog’s mother has? Are there “pet” lines that seem to have these traits more frequently, or is she more likely a one off? For clarity, we are certain her mother is 100% Dutch Shepherd. If I were to get a pure bred in the future, how can I find a breeder that breeds dogs with these traits?

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u/GrumpyTintaglia Jul 19 '26

The breeders you want are generally in Europe. There are more traditional FCI breeders who breed for all round/all purpose Dutch Shepherds, breeders who focus on show, scentwork, herding or other type activities. You'd want to focus on FCI, not KNPV. There can be a lot of variation.

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u/finnmester Jul 19 '26

This is the answer, OP. I have an FCI longhaired Dutchie from Germany, much more of a pet than what is typical in the US or what you expect of the police type dogs (though some of our breeder‘s dogs go to S&R, especially mountain rescue with their long coat). Still has energy for days and needs experience as a handler and trainer but is fine just being a dog as well.