East German Shepherd vs Bull Terrier Miniature - Breed Comparison

The East German Shepherd is a line of the German Shepherd Dog breed. The German Shepherd Dog came about when the three types of “continental shepherd dogs” separated into the Dutch Shephers, German Shepherd and Belgian Shepherd. In the 1800’s it was local shepherds who bred their dogs and selected the traits they needed in their geography. The result was dogs in various local areas who all could herd and guard flocks; who were intelligent, strong, fast and had a good sense of smell, but their appearance and skills varied from town to town. The changes in Germany from agriculture and sheep to industrial cities rendered the German Sheep Dog obsolete. But was it really? Many felt the dog could be a good working dog in the cities as well but needed some refinement in the breed according to Max von Stephanite. At a dog show in 1899, he found what he wanted – the perfect working dog.Stephanitz bought the dog and founded the Society for the German Shepherd. (Verein fur Deutsch Schaferhunde) Stephanitz is considered the developer of the German Shepherd Dog.

The East German Shepherd is a line of the same breed. There are several different lines of the German Shepherd Dog, with slight difference for the reason they were bred. For instance, the German Shepherd Dog is bred for looks while the East German Shepherd is bred to be a working dog. Often called a DDR German Shepherd, they came about from the Deutsche Democratic Republic or the Republic of East Germany. For about 40 years in East Germany these dogs were bred only within the DDR bloodline.

The East German Shepherd is stronger, heavier boned, leaner, more muscular and solid. During the time of the Berlin Wall, from 1961-1989, there were few German Shepherds for breeding stock on either side of the wall, but especially in the East. There the government controlled the development of the breed. They developed a separate registry for the DDR – East German Shepherd. With such strict standards for a perfect working dog and such little breeding stock, the only dogs allowed to reproduce were the ones that passed a rigorous test and were deemed perfect working dogs.

In West Germany they continued to breed for appearance. The West German Shepherd are the most popular ones and are usually simply called German Shepherds. The show dogs of today and the American line came from the West.

Preserving the East German Shepherd today is important and difficult. It means preserving not improving. The Strength of the East German Shepherd is their body line and style, Today’s breeder must maintain this while making sure there is enough diversity in the gene pool to keep the line healthy without losing its body style and working temperament. It is important that the East German Shepherd have a straight back rather than the sloping one of the German Shepherd Dog or the American lines of the GSD. The working dog is also more aggressive and has a much higher work drive than any of the other German Shepherd Dogs lines.

Less well known than the Bull Terrier, the Miniature Bull Terrier which actually follows the same breed standard, has a height of 35cm. The Bull Terrier and Miniature are classified as the same breed. The weight of the smaller Miniature is only about 15kg.

It was in the early 1800s that the Miniature Bull Terrier was developed, descending from the English Bulldog as well as the White English Terrier which is now extinct. This blend produced the Bull and Terrier, which was later shortened to the Bull Terrier. They came in a number of colors such as pure white, white and tan as well as white-and-black-patched or tri-colored.

Breed fanciers wanted a compact dog which looked much the same as the larger Bull Terrier. It was in 1938 that Colonel Glyn founded the Miniature Bull Terrier Club in England and the Miniature Bull Terrier Club of America was formed in 1966.

What are the differences between the German Shepherd Dog (GSD) and the East German Shepherd? The East German Shepherd has a straight back and a larger bone structure. He has a very large and block shaped head with a lean, athletic build. His lips are taunt and dark, and his nose must be black. He has a scissor bite and strong teeth. His eyes are medium sized almonds that are slanted slightly. The eyes are also very dark. His ears are erect and not too big. His legs, haunches and feet must all be coordinated so that he trots rather than runs.

Miniature Bull Terriers, just like the regular Bull Terriers have short, glossy coats and these coats can be white, tan, brindle or tri-color such as black, tan and white. This is a muscular little dog, with the same very distinctive egg-shaped head and small, closely-set dark eyes and erect ears. The medium length tail is carried horizontally.

The Miniature Bull Terrier isn’t particularly good with small children, but he still makes a good companion for people, whether he lives in the city or the country. In fact, this smaller breed Bull Terrier makes a great pet for people with smaller spaces, and like the Bull Terrier, he is a loving, devoted pet. He has an entertaining personality, is playful and energetic, making him a good watch dog.

However, even though he is small, he is always more than ready to take on any larger pets and therefore isn’t considered the greatest pet to have if you have other animals in the house. However, with excellent training and socialization, this handicap can be overcome.

The East German Shepherd is a well- balanced dog. He is sure of himself, friendly, loyal and wants to please his owner. He is intelligent, resilient and attentive. He will make a great family pet. He is aggressive with a high prey drive but that can be tempered with good socialization and training. He is easy to train.

The attractive Miniature Bull Terrier is just a small version of the regular Bull Terrier, and many people are drawn to them because they have all the spunk of the larger breed but are easier to manage. He is such an entertaining little dog and guarantees to make an excellent family companion. He is just longing to be involved in every family activity happening around him.

He becomes attached to his human family, but this deep bond between him and his family can lead to separation anxiety. Never leave him alone day after day in the backyard. You wouldn’t to that to one of your children, and he is a family member, albeit a 4-legged one.

Just like the standard Bull Terrier, the Miniature Bull Terrier is going to need firm training from a young age. Then he becomes an exceptional pet as he understand the boundaries in your particular home.

Because the East German Shepherd line has been isolated behind the Berlin Wall, there are not many genetic health issues in the line. Most importantly the East German Shepherd shows no hip dysplasia which plagues most GSD. There are a couple of situations to look out for. They are:

• Bloat

A life threatening issue that must be addressed immediately for fear of death. Bloat is caused when a larger dog with a deep chest eats too large a meal before or after strenuous exercise, eats too fast, or drinks too much water. The stomach distends with air or gas and twists. Sometimes it is completely inverted. Get help fast or your dog will die.

The Miniature Bull Terrier can live to be 10 to 12 years of age. Their most serious health issue is blindness which is caused by lens dislocation, showing up more or less after 3 years of age. With the white dogs, other breed health concerns can include congenital deafness and compulsive tail chasing.

Tail Chasing:

Some Bull Terriers develop a compulsive neurologic disorder where the dog turns round and round chasing his tail. As soon as you see this, try and distract him with an exciting game, because allowed to develop, it’s a habit that can become difficult to control.

Dental Disease:

This is a common problem with dogs and you need to watch that tartar build-up on the teeth which can lead to infection of the gums. Brush your pet’s teeth with special dog toothpaste and toothbrush 2 or 3 times a week so that he doesn’t lose any teeth. Bad teeth can affect other organs such as the kidneys and heart.

Feeding

Because these dogs were bred to work you need to feed them a high quality dry food, made for working dogs. It needs to have a good amount of calcium and glucosamine. Feed about 3-4 cups per day divided into 2 feeding times.

Health issues

In addition to bloat as mentioned above, the East German Shepherd can also have both air born, and food born allergies. These are easily treated by your veterinarian.

Exercise and games

The East German Shepherd is a high energy, high activity dog so you have some for him. He is agile and athletic. He needs serious exercise and a job is essential. If you can’t give an East German Shepherd a job, then don’t get this dog. He loves tracking and has a high prey drive. Keep him trained, challenged and working. Try tracking and herding trials, obedience, agility, fly ball and bar hunt.

Grooming:

With his short, smooth coat, the Miniature Bull Terriers requires little grooming. He’ll need a good brush down twice a week to remove loose hairs.

Spaying or Neutering:

This is one of the best things you can do for your Bull Terrier if you don’t want them having puppies. Spaying or neutering decreases the likelihood of certain types of cancers too.

Diet:

Keep your dog’s diet consistent, varying between a top quality commercial produced dog food appropriate to his age. You can include home-made meat, vegetables and rice and some raw meat every now and then. Never feed him human-food such as peanuts, crisps and chocolate. Always have fresh, cool water available night and day.