What is the difference between a West German Shepherd and an East German Shepherd?

The major difference between the West German Shepherd and the East German Shepherd is that the West German Shepherd focuses primarily on the dog’s appearance and does not take into account the dog’s inherited instincts for courage and work and movement. For many people, references to the West German Shepherd are to the show line German Shepherd, while references to the East German Shepherd are to the working line German Shepherd.