German Shepherd - Dog Breed Info

The German shepherd dog also known as Alsatian in France, UK and Ireland, and more commonly in France as "Berger Allemand", Schaferhund and by the acronym GSD or simply German shepherd. This dog breed is originally bred for herding sheep. German shepherd dogs are one of the most popular breeds in UK with 12,857 registrations and also in US with 43,575 registrations. These breeds are best for working as guide dogs for the blind, police work, guarding, search and rescue, therapy and in military. German shepherds can also make loyal and loving pets inside the home. These dogs are sociable and it is necessary for young puppies in order to prevent aggressive and dangerous behavior is an adult.

The standards for the breed differ by country and organization. The general definition of the German shepherd dog is large and strong dog between 75 and 110 lbs but can reach 150+lbs. Males will reach the height 24-26 inch (60-65cm) and females will reach the height of 22-24 inch (55-60). The dogs has double coat with under coat and outer coat fur. Short haired dogs are preferred while some of the organizations accept long haired German shepherds. The coats of these are in black with tan, sable or all black but also will come in blue, liver and white which are considered a fault according to most standards. White is not acceptable for the German shepherd and now recognized as a separate breed known as American White shepherd. The nose is normally black but with blue or liver will occur sometimes and considered as a fault.

The body of German shepherd dogs are elongated, sturdy, and muscular with a light but solid bone structure. The head should be proportionate with the body and a little convex head. Ears are wide at the base, pointed, upright and turned forward but of puppies less than six months may droop slightly. The eyes are almond-shaped, dark with a lively intelligent expression but never protruding. The tail is bushy and will reach to the hocks and hangs down when it is at rest. The front legs and the shoulders are muscular and the thighs are thick and sturdy. The feet are round with soles. There are three varieties of the German shepherd. They are rough coated, long rough coated and the long hared.

German shepherd is used as working dogs which are direct and fearless, eager and alert. The dog is known for its courage and loyalty towards their masters. They are confident but not hostile, high learning ability, serious, almost human in his intelligence and obedient. They bark, if it is necessary and love to be close to their families.