In the early 2000’s Butch Cappel of Cappel Canine became increasingly concerned with problems he saw while working with some of the top GSD working bloodlines. Both health and temperament were suffering. He set out to find the best of the best to create a bloodline that would allow him to place dogs in homes, in LEO agencies, in competition, and around the world that would be genetically, mentally, and structurally capable of protecting and loving families for years to come.
Working closely with the Dutch military and being in the protection dog world, Butch was no stranger to the Belgian Malinois that was to come on the scene. However he found that it was hard to find a steady source of top quality dogs. And often they were suited for the work but not suited to be off duty and part of the family. Their energy and drive was just too high for the average family today.
Dutch Shepherd is a great dog with long legs and body, a drive to work, but also a deep desire to love and protect it’s family, yet it lacks a certain drive and intuitiveness when compared with the German Shepherd.
Is the Western Shepherd just a Malinois/GSD mix? NO!
“German Malinois” or Malinois-Shepherd mix, there are many names for out crosses of these accomplished breeds. These have their own benefits but individual crossings can be unpredictable in the individual pups, and often do not reproduce true to a standard. The goal was to breed for the best qualities in each accomplished breed, and back cross, and out cross until the a foundation was laid for foundation stock that would be true to the program goals: healthy hips, size, speed, stamina, drive, intelligence, and trainability.
Along the way we removed the undercoat, which causes these dogs to battle with heat fatigue and causes their owners to battle with a LOT of shedding.
So no, it is not just another hybrid – it is a breed all its own.