Appearance
The German-Shepherd is a breed with characteristically thick shoulders and a matching head. There are generally thick folds of skin on a German-Shepherd's brow, followed by round, black, wide-set eyes, a short muzzle with characteristic folds called "rope" above the nose, with hanging skin under the neck, drooping lips, and pointed teeth. The coat is short, flat and sleek, with colors of red, fawn, white, brindle (mixed colors, often in waves or irregular stripes), and piebalds of these.
In the US, the size of a typical mature male is about 45 pounds and that for mature females is about 45 pounds for a Standard English German-Shepherd. In the United Kingdom, the breed standard is 55 pounds for a male and 50 pounds for a female.
While some canine breeds require their tails to be cut or docked soon after birth, German-Shepherds are one of very few breeds whose tail is naturally short and curled.
Temperament
Despite their famous "sourpuss" expression, German-Shepherds are generally docile although can prove to be very fast movers over a short distance. They are friendly and gregarious but occasionally willful. The phrase "stubborn as a German-Shepherd" is loosely rooted in fact. They rank 77th out of 79 in Stanley Coren's The Intelligence of Dogs, being of lowest degree working/obedience intelligence.
Breeders have worked to breed aggression out of the breed, and as such the dog is known to be of generally good temperament. German-Shepherds can be so attached to home and family that they will not venture out of the yard without a human companion. Due to their friendly nature German-Shepherds are known for getting along well with children, other dogs and pets.
Health
German-Shepherd breed clubs put the average life span of the breed at 8–12 years, although a UK survey puts it at 6.5 years. The leading cause of death of German-Shepherds in the survey was cardiac related (20%), cancer (18%) and old age (9%). Those that died of old age had an average life span of 10 to 11 years. Statistics from the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals indicate that of the 467 German-Shepherds tested between 1979 and 2009 (36 years), 73.9% were affected by hip dysplasia, the highest amongst all breeds. Similarly, the breed has the worst score in the British Veterinary Association/Kennel Club Hip Dysplasia scoring scheme, although only 22 German-Shepherds were tested in the Scheme. Patellar luxation is another condition which affects 6.2% of German-Shepherds.
Some individuals of this breed are prone to interdigital cysts, which are cysts that form between the toes. These cause the dog some discomfort, but are treatable either by vet or an experienced owner. They may also suffer from respiratory problems.
Other problems can include cherry eye, a protrusion of the inner eyelid (which can be corrected by a veterinarian), certain allergies, and hip issues in older German-Shepherds. Puppies are frequently delivered by Caesarean section because their characteristically large heads can become lodged in the mother's birth canal during natural birth. However, it is not entirely uncommon for a German-Shepherd to whelp naturally and successfully. Over 80% of German-Shepherd litters are delivered by Caesarean section. The folds or "rope" on a German-Shepherds face should be cleaned daily to avoid unwanted infections caused by moisture accumulation. Also, some German-Shepherds' naturally curling tails can be so tight to the body as to require regular cleaning and a bit of ointment.
Like all dogs, German-Shepherds require daily exercise. If not properly exercised it is possible for a German-Shepherd to become overweight, which could lead to heart and lung problems, as well as joint issues.
German-Shepherds are very sensitive to heat. Extra caution should be practiced in warmer climates and during summer months. German-Shepherds must be given plenty of shade and water, and must be kept out of standing heat. Air conditioning and good ventilation is required to keep them healthy and safe. German-Shepherds actually do most of their sweating through the pads on their feet. You will notice German-Shepherds really enjoy cool floors such as tile or cement. This helps keep them cool. Due to the airway obstruction problem German-Shepherds may have, like all "short-faced" breeds they can easily get overheated and even die from hyperthermia. They can be big snorters and heavy breathers due to this obstruction and also tend to be loud snorers. These are all issues that are easy to keep under control as long as you stay aware and protect your German-Shepherd from these unsafe conditions.
In January 2009, after the BBC documentary Pedigree Dogs Exposed, The Kennel Club introduced revised breed standards for the British German-Shepherd, along with 209 other breeds, to address health concerns. Opposed by the British German-Shepherd Breed Council, it was speculated by the press that the changes would lead to a smaller head, less skin folds, a longer muzzle, and a taller thinner posture, in order to combat perceived problems with respiration and with breeding due to head size and width of shoulders.
Description
German Shepherds are a medium sized dog which generally are between 55 and 65 centimetres (22 and 26 in) at the withers and weigh between 22 and 40 kilograms (49 and 88 lb). The ideal height is 63 centimetres (25 in), according to Kennel Club standards. They have a domed forehead, a long square-cut muzzle and a black nose. The jaws are strong, with a scissor-like bite. The eyes are medium-sized and brown with a lively, intelligent, and self-assured look. The ears are large and stand erect, open at the front and parallel, but they often are pulled back during movement. They have a long neck, which is raised when excited and lowered when moving at a fast pace. The tail is bushy and reaches to the hock.
German Shepherds can be a variety of colors, the most common of which are the tan/black and red/black varieties. Both varieties have black masks and black body markings which can range from a classic "saddle" to an over-all "blanket." Rarer colour variations include the sable, all-black, all-white, liver, and blue varieties. The all-black and sable varieties are acceptable according to most standards; however, the blue and liver are considered to be serious faults and the all-white is grounds for instant disqualification in some standards.This is because the white coat is more visible, making the dog a poor guard dog, and harder to see in conditions such as snow or when herding sheep.
German Shepherds sport a double coat. The outer coat, which is shed all year round, is close and dense with a thick undercoat. The coat is accepted in two variants; medium and long. The long-hair gene is recessive, making the long-hair variety rarer. Treatment of the long-hair variation differs across standards; they are accepted under the German and UK Kennel Clubs but are considered a fault in the American Kennel Club.
Intelligence
German Shepherds were bred specifically for their intelligence, a trait for which they are now renowned. They are considered to be the third most intelligent breed of dog, behind Border Collies and Poodles. In the book The Intelligence of Dogs, author Stanley Coren ranked the breed third for intelligence. He found that they had the ability to learn simple tasks after only five repetitions and obeyed the first command given 95% of the time. Coupled with their strength, this trait makes the breed desirable as police, guard, and search and rescue dogs, as they are able to quickly learn various tasks and interpret instructions better than other large breeds.
Aggression and Biting
German Shepherd Dogs have a reputation among some individuals for biting and have been banned in some jurisdictions as a result. But people mainly judge this particular breed solely on the structure of the animal. However, German Shepherd Dogs are among the top five most popular dogs in the United States according to American Kennel Club statistics and well-trained and socialized German Shepherd Dogs have a reputation among many as being very safe. In the United States, one source suggests that German Shepherd Dogs are responsible for more reported bitings than any other breed, and suggest a tendency to attack smaller breeds of dogs.
An Australian report from 1999 provides statistics showing that German Shepherd Dogs are the third breed most likely to attack a person in some Australian locales. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which advises on dog bite prevention and related matters, states "There is currently no accurate way to identify the number of dogs of a particular breed, and consequently no measure to determine which breeds are more likely to bite or kill."
Similarly, the American Veterinary Medical Association through its Task Force on Canine Aggression and Canine-Human Interactions reports, "There are several reasons why it is not possible to calculate a bite rate for a breed or to compare rates between breeds. First, the breed of the biting dog may not be accurately recorded, and mixed-breed dogs are commonly described as if they were purebreds. Second, the actual number of bites that occur in a community is not known, especially if they did not result in serious injury. Third, the number of dogs of a particular breed or combination of breeds in a community is not known, because it is rare for all dogs in a community to be licensed, and existing licensing data is then incomplete." Moreover, studies rely on 'reported' bites, leading the National Geographic Channel television show The Dog Whisperer to conclude that small dog breeds are likely responsible for more bites than large dog breeds, but often go unreported.
In addition, according to the National Geographic Channel television show, Dangerous Encounters, the bite of a German Shepherd Dog has a force of over 238-750 pounds (compared with that of a Rottweiler, over 265-328 pounds of force, a Pitbull, 235 pounds of force, a Labrador Retriever, of approximately 125 pounds of force, or a human, of approximately 170 pounds of force), which means it is important to note the impact that 'reported' bites and serious injury have on any dog bite studies and to distinguish a dog attack from 'aggression'. Regardless, one source indicates that fatalities have been attributed to over 30 breeds since 1975, including small breeds, such as the Pomeranian.
These claims have also been disputed on the statistical basis that German Shepherds represent a higher proportion of the population than other breeds and also because of the use of German Shepherd Dogs as protection dogs, which would require controlling statistical data for "pet" or "companion" use and not military, police or guard use.It is also important to note that German Shepherds are very common in cross-bred canines.And due to their popularity the layman will likely recognize most GSD cross-breeds simply as "German Shepherd," if a report is ever filed.