German Shepherd Dogs are one of the most popular breeds in the world, and they are renowned for their intelligence, strength, and loyalty to their family.
Height and Weight
Dogs should be between 24-26 inches at the shoulder.
Bitches should be around 22-24 inches at the shoulder.
The AKC Standards do not list any specific weight requirements, but one can expect their German Shepherd Dog to weight roughly 70-80 pounds if female and 80-95 pounds if male.
What that all means is that German Shepherd Dogs are big dogs. Keep that in mind if purchasing one.
Coat and Appearance
German Shepherd Dogs have black, ash, or iron gray ‘saddles’ and brown, yellow, or golden undercoats. They have black muzzles and markings on their legs, ears, and tails.
White German Shepherd Dogs do occur, but white is considered a fault by AKC Standards and white German Shepherd Dogs are not allowed to show, though they can compete in any form of agility or obedience competition as well as tracking and herding competitions.
The coat should be straight and thick with a soft undercoat.
The German Shepherd Dog will shed, and frequent brushing will help this problem; however, the shedding will be impossible to escape.
German Shepherd Dogs should not be bathed unless absolutely necessary. Bathing removes the essential oils from the skin.
The dog has large, triangular ears that sit erect on top of the dog’s head, and a long straight tail. They have long, powerful legs and deep chests, as well as a slightly elongated back. Their muzzles are pointed and straight. The German Shepherd Dog has round, brown eyes that are proportional to its face.
Temperament
German Shepherd Dogs are known to be loyal, protective, intelligent, hard-working, and loving creatures who are capable of any type of work as well as being great for responsible families.
German Shepherd Dogs are highly trainable and training should begin early. They should be trained to be highly obedient, as they are an enthusiastic breed as well as a large breed and need to be controllable.
While German Shepherd Dogs can be walked without a leash when properly trained, it is recommended that you walk them on a leash anyway as a safety precaution.
German Shepherd Dogs are great with families as well as with children, but small children should not be left unattended, due to the reasons mentioned above. Since the breed is so large and enthusiastic, it is possible for them to easily injure a child completely accidentally. However, German Shepherd Dogs make great housedogs and family pets.
Origins and History
The German Shepherd Dog, if you couldn’t guess, originated in Germany, where it is called the Deutsche Schäferhunde.
It was originally bred as a herding dog and then was used as a police and military dog as well as a guard dog.
Today, the German Shepherd Dog is used for all of these things among a list of other jobs, including rescue dog, seeing-eye dog, and family pet.
Other Facts
German Shepherd Dogs life on average 13 years.
Their most common health problem is hip dysplasia, which is why it is necessary to take proper care of them while exercising and provide them with a soft bed to lie down on.
While German Shepherd Dogs tend to be consistently all of the traits mentioned above, there is a small populace of “fear biters”, which actually comes from a gene in the dog’s genetics. It causes the dogs to be anxious and fearful and to bite out of fear, not viciousness.
The dog in German Shepherd Dog is actually part of their name. The “hunde” in their German name means “dog”.
A puppy’s true coat and markings can’t be seen until the dog matures a little bit and sheds its puppy coat.
German Shepherds need lots of exercise but should never be allowed to roam free on their own. Large fenced-in areas that allow them to play outside are best, and they should be kept as housedogs.
Fun Facts
The original Rin Tin Tin was actually one of the sole survivors of the bombing of Lorraine, France, during World War I. Corporal Lee Duncan demanded that his battalion search a bombed war dog kennel where a mother German Shepherd Dog and her litter were the sole survivors.
The German Shepherd Dog is the only breed that has a worldwide umbrella organization. The WUVZ is based in Germany and more than sixty countries are members. The WUVZ takes care of matters pertaining to the breed and there are more than half-a-million members.
The German Shepherd Dog also claims the largest show held for any breed: the Sieger Show annually in Germany where it attracts hundreds of thousands of people and more than 1000 German Shepherd Dog entries.
Pictured is my dog, Treibear. She is half German Shepherd, half Great Dane (two awesome German breeds, might I add!) and she is one of the gentlest, kindest, most loyal, intelligent dogs I have ever encountered – and I’m not just saying that because she’s my dog.
Sources:
Personal Experience
German Shepherd Dog Breed Information
Ca-Ji Shepherds – German Shepherd Fact Sheet
