 German
Shepherd
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 breed requires plenty of room
for exercise and activity; obedience training
is also recommended.
Height:
25"
(63.5cm) for dogs, 23" (58.4cm) for bitches
Weight:
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,
preferably deep and rich, range from black and
tan, all black, or varying sandy shades. Regular
brushing is required.
Temperament:
The breed
is a loyal protector to its family and home. They
are confident, intelligent, fearless, and poised
yet eager and willing upon invitation. While the
dog 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
CKC: Group 7 - Herding Dogs
KC: Non-Sporting - Working Group
FCI: Group 1
ANKC: Group 5 - Working Dogs
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