German Shepherd

German Shepherd

Height
24-26 Inches
Weight
65-90 Pounds
Lifespan
12-14 Years
Exercise
1-2 Hours Daily

Overview

Height
24-26 Inches
Weight
65-90 Pounds
Lifespan
12-14 Years
Exercise
1-2 Hours Daily

The German Shepherd is an extremely popular due to the fact that they are exceptionally loving, loyal, authoritative, intelligent, and protective. They have been used for the blind, by the military and police due to their exceptional sense of smell. They also have an ability to attack effectively when needed.

The German Shepherd is also known as the Alsatian, comes from a family of herding dogs from Germany, and was bred in the 1800s to become what it is known as today.

These dogs make excellent guard dogs, and are the perfect solution to keeping your family safe at night (although they are not to be kept outside all day as they do require a lot of human love and affection).

What makes them particularly special, is their courage and confidence. They even have a willingness to literally take a bullet for those they love. They will do anything, and everything to protect those they love and see as family (as they are pack dogs).

It is also exceptionally important to make sure they are trained when young. This allows them to learn to socialise with other humans and dogs immediately. They can be quite territorial and can, at times, be aggressive towards strangers and other unknown animals – especially other males.

At the end of the day, a German Shepherd will truly be your best friend till the end!

History

As discussed earlier, German Shepherds come from herding dogs from Germany, that were different in type from area to area, until the late 1800s.

Captain Max von Stephanitz was a German cavalry officer who was besotted with the breed and wanted to create the perfect German herder dog. He, and some other breeders in the area, crossed the DNA of herding dogs from Germany’s north and central districts, which created the German Shepherd Dog that we know of today.

This cavalry officer spent 35 years of his life showing off and refining the breed. He also co-founded the very first German Shepherd club.

German Shepherds exploded in popularity in the U.S in the early part of the 20th century due to the fact that there were two of them that made it in Hollywood in a big way – both Rin-Tin-Tin (who appeared in 27 movies) and Strongheart!

This breed is the 60th breed of the AKC’s, and received its recognition in 1908. They were also used for various purposes in both World Wars.

Health

In general, German Shepherds are very strong, athletic dogs. However, they do, like all dogs, suffer from certain health issues. Certain German Shepherds can develop degenerative myelopathy (which affects the spinal cord, resulting in weakness of the hind limbs and paralysis), as well as hip and elbow dysplasia – a common health issue among medium to large-sized dogs.

These dogs can get bloat, which causes a lot of pain, and should be seen to and treated immediately. As they get older, they will start losing sight in their eyes, however their sense of smell is so strong, that they are able to navigate themselves around even with weakened sight!

German Shepherd puppies must get their shots and deworming at the vet as soon as possible!

Interesting Facts

  • German Shepherds have been known to skydive with soldiers.
  • K9 Apollo is the name of a famous German Shepherd who helped out at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 and received the Dickin Medal for his brave service
  • German Shepherds are known to take bullets for their owners
  • German Shepherds can be taught to understand around 50 commands
  • German Shepherds can get along with cats provided they are introduced while young

Photos of German Shepherd

Here are some Bernese mountain dog photos for you to get a good picture of the breed.
NAMES BY BREED

German Shepherd Names

Female, Male, Inspired by size or by coat color

Klaus

Wolfgang

Britta

Helga

Katrin

Zelda

Bach

Charlemange

Einstein

Rin-Tin-Tin

Beemer

Moose

Schnapps

Stein

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