The
German Shepherd Dog is well proportioned and very strong. The GSD has a
sturdy, muscular, slightly elongated body with a light, solid bone
structure. The head should be in proportion to its body, and the
forehead a little rounded. The nose is most often black however, blue or
liver still do sometimes occur, but is considered a fault and can not
be shown. The teeth meet in a strong scissors bite. The dark eyes are
almond-shaped, and never protruding. The ears are wide at the base,
pointed, upright, and turned forward. The ears of puppies under six
months may droop slightly. The bushy tail reaches below the hocks and
hangs down when the dog is at rest. The front legs and shoulders are
muscular and the thighs are thick and sturdy. The round feet have very
hard soles. There are three varieties of the German Shepherd: double
coat, the plush coat, and the long-haired coat. The coat most often
comes in black with tan, sable or all black, but also can come in blue,
liver and white, but those colors are considered a fault according to
most standards. White is not an acceptable color for the German
Shepherd, however they are now being recognized as a separate breed,
called the American White Shepherd. A piebald color has also occurred in
a single GSD bloodline which are now being called Panda Shepherds. A
Panda is 35% white, the remainder of color is black and tan, and has no
white German Shepherds in its ancestry.
Temperament
Often
used as working dogs, German Shepherds are courageous, keen, alert and
fearless. Cheerful, obedient and eager to learn. Tranquil, confident,
serious and clever. GSDs are extremely faithful, and brave. They will
not think twice about giving their lives for their human pack. They have
a high learning ability. German Shepherds love to be close to their
families, but can be wary of strangers. This breed needs his people and
should not be left isolated for long periods of time. They only bark
when they feel it is necessary. Often used as police dogs, the German
Shepherd has a very strong protective instinct, and are extremely loyal
to their handler. Socialized this breed well starting at puppyhood.
Aggression and attacks on people are due to poor handling and training.
Problems arise when an owner allows the dog to believe he is pack leader
over humans and or does not give the dog the mental and physical daily
exercise they need to be stable. This breed needs owners who are
naturally authoritative over the dog in a calm, but firm, confident and
consistent way. A stable, well-adjusted, and trained dog is for the most
part generally good with other pets and excellent with children in the
family. They must be firmly trained in obedience from an early age.
German Shepherds who have passive owners and or who's instincts are not
being met can become timid, skittish and may be prone to fear biting and
develop a guarding issue. They should be trained and socialized from an
early age. German Shepherds will not listen if they sense that they are
stronger minded than their owner, however they will also not respond
well to harsh discipline. Owners need to have an air of natural
authority to their demeanor. Do not treat this dog as if he were human.
Learn canine instincts and treat the dog accordingly. German Shepherds
are one of the smartest and most trainable breeds. With this highly
skilled working dog comes a drive to have a job and a task in life and a
consistent pack leader to show them guidance. They need somewhere to
channel their mental and physical energy. This is not a breed who will
be happy simply laying around your living room or locked out in the back
yard. The breed is so intelligent and learns so readily that it has
been used as a sheepdog, guard dog, in police work, as a guide for the
blind, in search and rescue service, and in the military. The German
Shepherd also excels in many other dog activities including schutzhund,
tracking, obedience, agility, flyball, and ring sport. His fine nose can
sniff out drugs and intruders, and can alert handlers to the presence
of underground mines in time to avoid detonation, or gas leaks in a
pipes buried 15 feet underground. The German Shepherd is also a popular
show and family companion.
Height, Weight
Height: Dogs 24-26 inches (60-65cm.) Females 22-24 inches (55-60cm.)
Weight: 77-85 pounds (35-40kg.)
Health Problems
Indiscriminate
breeding has lead to hereditary diseases such as hip and elbow
dysplasia, blood disorders, digestive problems, bloat, epilepsy, chronic
eczema, keratitis (inflammation of the cornea), dwarfism and flea
allergies. Also prone to DM (degenerative myelitis), EPI (endocrine
pancreatic insufficiency), and perianal fistulas and Von Willebrand's
disease.
Living Conditions
The German Shepherd will do okay in
an apartment if sufficiently exercised. They are relatively inactive
indoors and do best with at least a large yard.
Exercise
German
Shepherd Dogs love strenuous activity, preferably combined with
training of some kind, for these dogs are very intelligent and crave a
good challenge. They need to be taken on a daily, brisk, long walk, jog
or run alongside you when you bicycle. While out on the walk the dog
must be made to heel beside or behind the person holding the lead, as in
a dog's mind the leader leads the way, and that leader needs to be the
human. Most shepherds love to play ball or Frisbee. Ten to fifteen
minutes of fetching along with daily pack walks will tire your dog out
quite nicely as well as give him a sense of purpose. Whether it is ball
chasing, frisbee catching, obedience training, participation in a canine
playgroup or just taking long walks/jogs, you must be willing to
provide some form of daily, constructive exercise. The daily exercise
must always include daily walks/jogs to satisfy the dogs migration
instinct. If under-exercised and or mentally challenged, this breed can
become restless and destructive. Does best with a job to do.
Life Expectancy
Around 13 years.
Grooming
This
breed sheds bits of hair constantly and is a seasonally heavy shedder.
They should be brushed daily or you will have hair all over your home.
Bathe only when necessary, over bathing can cause skin irritation from
oil depletion. Check ears and trim claws regularly.
Origin
In
Karlsruhe, Germany, Captian Max von Stephanitz and other dedicated
breeders produced a responsive, obedient, and handsome German Shepherd
using long-haired, short-haired, and wire-haired local herding and farm
dogs from Wurtemberg, Thurginia, and Bavaria. The dogs were presented at
Hanover in 1882, and the short-haired variety was first presented in
Berlin in 1889. In April 1899, von Stephanitz registered a dog named
Horan as the first Deutsche Schäferhunde, which means German Shepherd Dog in English. Until 1915, both long-haired and wire-haired varieties
were shown. Today, in most countries, only the short coat is recognized
for show purposes. The first GSD was shown in America in 1907 and the
breed was recognized by the AKC in 1908. The German Shepherd dogs used
in movies Rin-Tin-Tin and Strongheart brought a lot of attention to the
breed making it very popular.
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