German Shepherd
In my own words
Good day to you (or Guten Tag, as we German Shepherds would say). I am so pleased to meet you, because I am just longing to find owners (even one will do!) that I can look after.
I regard my owners and their family as my pack, so I would appreciate being involved with everything you do. The more games and tasks you can give me to do the happier I will be. I enjoy plenty of exercise, and playing “fetch”, chasing games and hide-and-seek are my idea of heaven. No wonder I am used so much by the Police and the Search & Rescue people!
I take pride in my appearance and enjoy being groomed, otherwise I will shed my coat and you will have a very furry house. Sorry!
By the way, I don’t bark much, unless I feel you need to know there’s a stranger at the door, and though I may appear big and fierce, look into my beautiful brown eyes and you’ll see what a softy I am (but don’t tell anyone – it will be our secret).
My ideal owner(s)
Someone with lots of energy, who will teach me stuff and play with me.
An active family with children I can play with and look after.
People who are natural leaders.
Please remember, I need to be treated with authority by everyone in the family, otherwise I tend to forget my manners.
What they say about me
Handsome and sturdy
Intelligent and eager to please
Loyal, obedient and protective
Hardworking
Strong willed and fearless
Handy
Please read on, to find out more about me, and whether I will be someone you can be happy with for the next 12 years!
Is this German Shepherd for you?
Test your knowledge about the German Shepherd
Information essential about the German Shepherd
Kennel Club Group:
Utility
Size:
Large: Male 24” (63cm) to shoulder, Female 22 ½” (58cm), weight 44 – 80 lb (22 – 40kg)
Popularity:
One of the most popular breeds of dog in the world.
Breed History:
Originating in Germany, German Shepherd dogs were used to herd and guard sheep. Eventually, after much cross breeding of “good” types, the modern German Shepherd Dog (GSD) was standardised in 1899 and registered with the Kennel Club in 1919. Because of their herding and guarding instincts, they have been used extensively and successfully as Police Dogs, and for guard duties. Their intelligence and good looks have led them into the world of film acting, notable characters being Rin Tin Tin and Strongheart. Their powerful scenting ability has also led them to be used in Search and Rescue operations. Because of their strong bonding instincts, they make excellent family dogs
Character:
Highly intelligent and alert, your German Shepherd is a loyal and easy going companion provided he is given plenty to occupy that lively mind. Most intelligent of the large breeds, GSD’s can learn a task within 5 repetitions. Maturing at around three years, training and socialisation requires time and patience. Youngsters can be boisterous, so all that energy needs to be channelled to avoid aggression. Your German Shepherd will love to go jogging with you, and will delight in learning tricks, taking part in Dog Agility contests and playing with as well as protecting (and even herding!) your children. In short, your well bred German Shepherd will protect you and yours with all his heart and soul, and be your best friend too.
Temperament:
Highly active, self assured, happy in himself and loves to learn and to have a purpose in life. Your German Shepherd is loyal and bonds well with people he knows, including children. GSDs can be stand-offish with strangers, and can become over-protective of their family and territory, but careful socialisation can avoid this. They hate being on their own for too long, and can become destructive, chewing furniture or digging up your garden, if bored and lonely, or under-occupied.
Conformation:
A good German Shepherd should have great presence, a look of pride and nobility. The body should be slightly longer than tall, sturdy but lean. The neck should slope to muscular shoulders, strong hind legs and a bushy tail. The head should be slightly convex with a long, square muzzle, ears pointed and erect, eyes almond shaped and fairly deep set with a calm, friendly expression. Note: extreme sloping of the back and “legs out behind”, seen in dogs bred for showing should be avoided if this is not your intention. A dog from a working line does not have this feature, and will stay sound for far longer
Colour:
The most common is black and tan, but they also come in sable, plain black, blue and white. The coat can be short (rough-coated), medium haired or longhaired.
Training:
German Shepherds are naturally obedient, and respond best to positive, reward based training rather than a “firm hand” method which can lead to resentment. Ideally, training should start with Puppy School at 12 weeks or as soon as their initial inoculations are complete. Never underestimate their intelligence – they are “thinking” dogs.
Care:
The German Shepherd has a double coat - a longer top coat which sheds all the year round, and a soft, dense undercoat. The coat is highly weatherproof, but needs daily grooming to avoid gross shedding, knots in longer coats and skin problems in all types
Health:
The lifespan of a healthy individual is around 10 - 12 years, which is normal for a dog of this size. If you buy from a reputable, responsible breeder, health problems are usually rare, but poor breeding can mean character faults, and congenital conditions such as Hip Dysplasia, epilepsy, heart defects and blood disorders, especially in dogs from a showing line, so be vigilant if you want to go down this route. German Shepherds’ open, erect ears can make them prone to ear infections. Just be careful who you buy from, to ensure that you take home a healthy, friendly, happy individual.
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The following grid gives a fast track review which covers all breeds. You can apply it to help you decide if a German Shepherd is suitable for you, the environment where you live, your personality and your lifestyle. On the grid, 1= strongly disagree, and 5= strongly agree. For example, if you are looking for a dog that likes to swim, look down the list under Activities, and you will see that GSD’s like water, but are not great swimmers, scoring 3 . If you want a playful companion, look down the same list, and you will see that GSD’s love to fetch and hunt, and score 5. You might like to save or print off this section and keep it for reference while you check some other breeds before making your final choice.
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*PLEASE NOTE: All our breed profiles are general, and all dogs are individuals. Always talk to the breeders and meet the owners you are buying from. Try to meet the dog and its parents if it is a puppy in their home environment.
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