German Shepherd Dog

Alternate Names: Deutscher Schaferhund, Alsatian

Breed Group: Herding (AKC, UKC)

History and Overview:

A descendant of farm and herding dogs, the German Shepherd is a relatively young breed originating around the early twentieth century. This dog resembles its distant ancestor, the wolf, and was originally bred to be the ideal herding shepherd and guard dog. Today, the German Shepherd Dog is incredibly popular as a police and military dog, and it is recognized as the second most popular dog breed in the United States according to the American Kennel Club. As long as they are provided with a social and active lifestyle, German Shepherd Dogs are great for most  family types and living situations.

Physique:

German Shepherd Dogs, or GSDs for short, are large dogs standing approximately 22-26 inches tall and weighing 60-90lbs. They have long, muscular bodies and are incredibly agile. They are characterized by large prick ears, black noses, and dark eyes. They have a long tail that is set low and curves up slightly.

Character and Temperament:

GSDs are highly intelligent dogs, third only behind Border Collies and Poodles.  They are even-tempered, confident dogs, but they need to be socialized early and often. They do well with children and most other animals, but some German Shepherds can be cat chasers. While very affectionate towards friends and family, GSDs can be quite reserved with strangers at first. However, they usually warm up to most individuals quickly.

Training:

German Shepherd Dogs are eager to learn and are extremely intelligent. They can quickly learn new commands and tricks especially if trained using reward-based methods. They need mental and physical challenges on a daily basis so strict adherence to a training plan is advised.

Health:

German Shepherd Dogs have an average life span of 7-10 years old. It is very important that an owner provides an adequate level of physical activity for his/her German Shepherd. Long walks and running outside is ideal. A large backyard is highly recommended. Although strong and healthy animals, it is possible for German Shepherd Dogs to suffer from a number of problems including epilepsy, hip and elbow dysplasia, arthritis, panostetis, and exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. Like all large breeds, German Shepherd Dogs are prone to bloat.

Coat & Grooming:

The German Shepherd Dog has a thick double coat comprised of a short, dense undercoat and a straight, full outer coat. They have thicker hair at the neck and thighs. Their coats are most often black and tan in color, but other variations are solid black, black and red, and less commonly, solid white. German Shepherds shed year-round. Brushing and a monthly bath with a mild shampoo will help decrease the amount of shedding, but will not fully remedy the problem.