Origin
In Karlsruhe, Germany, Captain 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 Strong heart brought a lot of attention to the breed, making it very popular.
Description
The German Shepherd Dog is well proportioned and very strong. It has a sturdy, muscular, slightly elongated body with a light, solid bone structure. The head is in proportion to its body, with a little rounded forehead. The nose is black but blue or liver color nose is considered as a fault. The teeth meet in a strong scissors bite. The dark eyes are almond shaped . The ears are wide at the base, pointed, upright and turned forward. The ears of puppies under six months may drop slightly. The bushy tail reaches below the hocks and hangs down when the dog is at rest. The front legs and shoulder are muscular and the thighs are thick and sturdy. The round feet have very hard soles.
Varieties of the German Shepherd
Double coat
Plush coat
Long haired coat
The coat most often comes in black with tan, sable or all black. White blue and liver colored coats are considered a fault according to most standards, the white GSD dogs are recognized as a separate breed by some clubs and are called the American White Shepherd.
Capability of the Breed
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
- extremely faithful, and brave
They will not think twice about giving their lives for their human pack. They have a high learning ability.
They love to be close to their families , but can wary of strangers.
This breed 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 is extremely loyal to its handler. Socialize this breed well starting at puppy hood. Aggression and attacks on people are due to poor handling and training. 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 with passive owners or whose 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. They would 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.
They are indeed 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 that will be happy simply lying around your living room or locked out in the backyard. The breed is so intelligent and learns so readily that it has been used as a
Sheepdog
Guard dog
Police work
Guide for the blind
Search and rescue services
Military
What to do with your Shepherd
Exercise
They 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 daily on long walks and while on the walk the dog must be made to heel beside or behind the person holding the lead, because the leader leads the way and that leader needs to be 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 quiet nicely as well as give him a sense of purpose. Whether it is ball chasing, Frisbee catching, obedience training, participation in a canine play group or just taking long walks, you must be willing to provide some form of daily, constructive exercise. The daily exercise must include daily walks to satisfy dogs migration instinct. If under - exercised or mentally challenged, this breed can become restless and destructive.
Grooming
This breed sheds bits of hair constantly and is a seasonally heavy shredder. They should be brushed daily or you will have hair all over your home. Bath only when necessary, over bathing can cause skin irritation from oil depletion. Check ears and trim claws regularly.
