German Shephard Dog
Information
Woof Scale
Notes
Information
Height
Male: 25 inches
Female: 23 inches
Weight
75-95 pounds
Life Span
10-12 years
Breed Group
Herding
Woof Scale
With Kids
Shedding
Friendly
Trainability
Social
Grooming
Playful
Energy
Affection
Drooling
Protective
Barking
Notes
General notes about the dog. The dog is this and the do is that, it does this and does that.
About The Breed
The German Shepherd Dog as the name implies it is a dog bred to herd Sheep. Versatile, smart, and highly trainable dog, German Shepherds need to be socialized and taught obedience from an early age. It is relatively a large breed of dog with a strong physique, quite nimble with strong muscular build-ups and, one can arguably concur that it is one of the most recognizable breeds of dogs out there.
German Shepherds are a smart breed of dog that can be trained easily. Their attention span and need to constantly want to do something makes them one of the easily trained dogs. Therefore, they like to be active all the time and would constantly want something to do. If proper exercise is not provided to them to feed their constant want-to-do nature, they can be mischievous around the house and the outcome of it can be chewed furniture, carpets, and even shoes or doors.
Standing between 23-25 inches and weighing around 75-95 pounds, the German Shepherd’s strong physique gives a strong impression as a guarding and protecting dog. As a matter of fact, they do have excellent guarding and protecting instincts and are very loyal to the family.
GSDs are also well known as Alsatians Dog. During World War II, the negative sentiment towards Nazi Germany posed fears amongst the GSD lovers in England, and to deter the negative sentiment from Nazi Germany, the GSD lovers in England named them as Alsatians.
History
German Shepherds were bred crossing various herding dogs around the 1800s in Germany, hence the name German Shepherd Dog. The credit to developing this relatively new breed of dog goes to a captain in the German cavalry, Captain Max von Stephanitz. Captain Max Von’s eager desire to breed a superior German herding dog is the result of modern-day’s German Shepherd.
These dogs were extensively used during World War I warfare and after the end of the war, the soldiers returning home from the war introduced this dog to the United States. They quickly became famous in the United States amongst dog lovers but what really pushed the breed’s popularity was some of the early star dogs that were featured in Hollywood movies. One of such famous stars was Rin-Tin-Tin who appeared in several movies in Hollywood. Originally rescued from France after the World War and brought to the United States by a soldier, Rin-Tin-Tin played a great deal of role in making the breed famous in the United States.
Children & Other Pets
The modern-day GSD are loyal, affectionate, and friendly family dogs. Their friendly and protective nature makes them good house pets. They are good around small children and other dogs and cats. With proper obedience training and socialization from an early age, they can be very children-friendly dogs. Not every breed of dog can withstand the rough-tough playing and handling nature of small children, but GSD with their loyal, affectionate and friendly nature, quickly learn to endure a child’s rough-tough playing nature.
Caring for the German Shephard Dog
Like any other dog breed, GSDs are susceptible to health issues. Especially given their physique and slanted body, they tend to develop hip and joint issues as one of the most common health issues. Providing them with ample amounts of exercise during their lifetime and proper diet can mitigate this issue to some level, but it is more or less likely that they will develop hip and joint issues during the later time of their life. Ear infections are also common in GSDs but that can be mitigated by making sure the inside of the ears is kept as clean as possible.
German Shepherd dogs require an adequate amount of grooming if you don’t want to see a bunch of fur balls laying around your home. They tend to shed a lot. Two times a year, they shed heavily and during the rest of the year, they shed moderately. So, brushing them every other day and taking care of the hair early on, and investing in a good vacuum cleaner will definitely help with the dog hair issue around the house.
German Shepherd Dogs are active and working-class dogs. They have a high amount of energy that needs to be burned. They constantly are looking to do something and to be engaged. If this energy is not channeled properly through exercise, they tend to focus on working with precious items in the house such as furniture, shoes, carpets and will play with them instead to keep them occupied and cope with their boredom. Therefore, a good amount of exercise is necessary for this breed. If you prefer walks, running, and other outdoor activities, these dogs can be a good partner and will happily work with you to channel their extreme energy.
The GSDs are one of the easily trainable breeds that are out there. They always want to make them useful and therefore are very attentive in nature and can easily follow instructions. Training them can be easy, especially if they are introduced to proper training from an early age. They are not just accustomed to food-based positive reinforcement training, but they can also be easily trained with play-based positive reinforcement training.
Like any other dogs, the GSDs require the right amount of nutritional foods to grow, stay in good health and shine throughout their lifetime. The balanced food for GSDs includes a good amount of Carbohydrates, Protein, and an adequate amount of fat in their meal. Also, another thing to consider is that since the GSDs are working dogs with tremendous amounts of energy, they require food with high-calorie content. A balanced nutrition-rich diet can certainly reflect the health profile, looks of a good German Shepherd Dog.
