German
Shepherd Dog
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 Description:
Considered an extremely capable dog, the
German Shepherd Dog owes its existence to
the vision of Captain Max von Stephanitz.
In the 1890s, the German Cavalry officer
set out to create a dog with excellent herding
and guarding capabilities. This work required
a breed with intelligence, loyalty, endurance,
strength and a willingness to be trained
and worked; and so, it was developed with
German herding and farm dogs. By 1899, The
Society for German Shepherd Dogs had created
and laid out the breed standard, set up
a system for breed registration and issued
strict breeding regulations. The breed is
now extremely popular throughout the world.
It has excelled at more jobs than any other
breed, including use as a war dog, sentry
dog, tracker, herder, drug dog, and search-and-rescue
dog, guide for the blind, to name a few.
This German Shepherd Dog requires plenty
of room for exercise and activity; obedience
training is also recommended.
Height:
The height for a German Shepherd
is 25" (63.5cm) for dogs, 23"
(58.4cm) for bitches.
Weight:
The weight for a German Shepherd
is 75 - 90 lbs (33.5 - 33.5 kg) for dogs,
60 - 70 lbs (26.8 - 26.8 kg) for bitches.
Coat
Type: The double-coat of
the German Shepherd consists of an undercoat
which protects against temperature extremes,
bugs and water, as well as a straight outer
coat which lies flat against the body.
Colors:
The color of the German
Shepherd's coat is preferably deep and rich,
range from black and tan, all black, or
varying sandy shades. Regular brushing is
required.
Temperament:
The German Shepherd is a loyal
protector to its family and home. They are
confident, intelligent, fearless, and poised
yet eager and willing upon invitation. While
the German Shepherd should be approachable
and friendly, he does not make immediate
friendships with strangers. You can and
should begin obedience training with a German
Shepherd while it is still young.
Health
Problems: When
buying your German Shepherd, be sure to
check the breeder's reputation; due to its
popularity, this breed has been subject
to less-than-perfect breeding practices
in some cases. Common problems to be aware
of include hip dysplasia, and epilepsy which
is proven to be genetic, or inherited in
this breed.
Special
Interest: These
dogs are poised and calm, and the first
seeing-eye dog was a German Shepherd Dog
by the name of Buddy. The German Shepherd
is also brave and fearless, and as a result
was used extensively during WWI with over
48,000 of them seeing active service. These
dogs are very strong and agile: the record
for the highest jump by a dog as reported
in the Guinness Book of World Records was
a jump of 11'9" (3.6 m) by a German
Shepherd Dog.
Classifications:
AKC: Group 7 - Herding Dogs
ANKC: Group 5 - Working Dogs
CKC: Group 7 - Herding Dogs
FCI: Group 1 Section 1 Sheepdogs
KC: Non-Sporting - Working Group
NZKC: Working
UKC: Herding
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