German Shephered

Description:

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 almost to its 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. 

Origin: Germany

Life span: About 35 years

Sub types:

There are three varieties of the German Shepherd: rough-coated, long rough-coated, and the long-haired. 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 Amercian White Shephered. A piebald color has also occured in a single GSD bloodline which are now being called Panda Shephered.                                                                                                               

 A Panda is 35% white, the remainder of color is black and tan, and has no white German Shepherds in its ancestry.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.

As a pet:

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 themental and physical daily exercise they need to be stable. This breed needs owners who are naturely authortative 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 aquarding issue.                                               

Training:

They should be trained and socialized from an early age.. Owners need to have an air of natural authority to their demeanor. Do not treat this dog as if he were human. Learn canine instints 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 aconsistentpack 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: Dogs 24-26 inches (60-65cm.) Females 22-24 inches (55-60cm.)
Weight: 77-85 pounds (35-40kg.)

Housing:

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.

Intelligence and behaviour:

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.