One of the most popular dog breeds in the world, German Shepherds are known for their loyalty and companionship. They are also a very active breed of working job and excel at tasks such as herding. German Shepherds are a particularly strong and intelligent breed of dog, which has seen them working with police and security forces around the world.
The origins of the German Shepherd date back to around 1899, making them a relatively new breed of dog. As the name suggests, the breed was developed in Germany. The first German shepherds are thought to have arrived in Western Australian in around 1904. Bred to both be strong to protect sheep from predators and also to be intelligent and loyal so able to herd them, the breed gained popularity around the world rather quickly.
In some places the German Shepherd is known as an Alsatian or Wolf Dog, after the end of World War II it was thought that the word German could be seen in a negative light. With this is mind their name was changed in some countries.
Appearance
A large breed of dog, an adult German Shepherd will measure in at around 22 – 26 inches. They have large ears, a long neck and a sloping back. The forehead is rounded and the snout pointed. The most common colour of German Shepherd has a tan coloured coat with points of black around the face, feet and tail. There are black, dark brown and white varieties also. The white colour, while considered a mismark in some places, is a popular guard dog in snowing and alpine areas.
German Shepherds have a double coat, the outer coat sheds all year around which means that they often need brushing and grooming. There is a medium and long hair variety, the longer hair is the recessive gene which is rarer.
Temperament
While strong and good workers, German Shepherds also make excellent companions and family dogs due to their loyalty and affectionate natures. They are one of the most intelligent breeds of dogs in the world, and were developed specifically for this purpose. With this is mind it is clear to see why they excel at both obedience training and at herding and similar sports.
While they will become very close to family members, they do take a while to warm to strangers and for this reason make an excellent guard dog. They are an active breed of dog and need regular walks. They love to get outside, explore and learn new things.
German shepherds are thought to be fearless and quite confident dogs. Some dogs have been known to show signs of aggression towards people and smaller dogs.
Working and Tasks
Bred originally as a herding dog, German Shepherds still exceed at this task today. They are also used as search and rescue dogs, within the police force and the military.
Their intelligence means that they take well to many tasks. The important thing is to give them a purpose, plenty to do in the backyard and always make sure they get a good amount of exercise.
Health
German Shepherds commonly suffer from hip problems and some dogs do not develop a full set of teeth.