German Shepherds
The German Shepherd Dog
originated in Germany back in 1899. The first dog was called Horand von
Grafath. He was owned by Rittmeister von Stephanitz and was the first
registered dog and the foundation dog for the breed. By breeding him
with bitches that matched
him as closely as possible and probably some in-breeding too, a breed type
was formed.
The “general appearance” of
the German Shepherd is a dog that is slightly long in comparison to it’s
height; it should have a powerful and well muscled build and a
weather-resistant coat. A true to type dog should give the appearance of
innate strength, intelligence and suppleness
The German Shepherd is a versatile working dog. Originally bred for the dual purpose of working sheep and guarding the flock, it needs to have a balanced tireless gait, free from exaggeration. It needs to be alert, attentive to handler, able to think for itself, resilient, bold, loyal, self assured and courageous. They will tolerate strangers without being overly affectionate, but should never be nervous or aggressive.
The ideal height for dogs is 63 cms (25 ins) and for bitches is 58 cms (23 ins). 2.5 cms (1 in) either above or below the ideal is permissible, but any more than this can detract from the workability of the dog.
The German Shepherd is very loyal to it’s family. They make a good guard dog, but should not be allowed to “rule the roost”. They like to know their place in the pack and need to know the rules and boundaries, training at an early age will ensure the dog knows these. An untrained German Shepherd will think it is the leader of it’s pack (your family), this coupled with it’s natural instinct to guard can present problems.
A good quality working German Shepherd should be keen to learn and eager to please you. Because of the job they were bred to do and their intelligence, they need to be kept both physically and mentally active. They pick things up very quickly, so bad habits can be learned as easily as good ones. Responsible ownership and training will give you the ultimate companion who is a joy to have as a member of your family. Activities that you can do with your German Shepherd include Obedience, Agility, Working Trials, Sheepdog trialling and Back-packing.
This page was last updated 14-09-2007