German Shepherd Puppies Blog

I would say yes, if you would like to have a highly intelligent, hard working and devoted, furry companion by your side. German Shepherds are courageous and energetic dogs that excel in herding, police work and rescue and they can also be a guide for blind people. If they are raised together with other pets and dogs, they can get on well in the future; otherwise they will only try to herd other animals and will never regard them as equal family members.

The coat of German Shepherds is a harsh, straight, thick double coat that causes continuous shedding with some heavier seasonal shedding. Therefore – mainly during seasonal shedding – they require daily brushing. This breed is prone to some health issues like hip dysplasia, allergies, epilepsy and digestive problems.

The training of this dog is relatively easy, as they are very clever and are able to learn quick, but they require a consistent and firm trainer. They will never respond to heavy-handed and harsh training methods. Early socialization and obedience training is a must for them.

All in all, the German Shepherd is a kind, playful and clever dog who needs an experienced dog owner who will be able to provide them with long, daily walks and family play sessions, as well as a large, securely fenced yard for activities.

I hope this article will help you decide whether German Shepherd is the best breed for you and for your family.

This working breed is a loyal and affectionate family friend. Being alert and fearless make them a perfect watchdog and protector. They are very intelligent, so they learn easily. One thing you have to pay attention to is that as German Shepherds are very social, it’s not recommended to leave them alone for a very long time, because it may cause beahvior problems.

Yes, it can be. The German Shepherd’s coat can be medium-sized or long, but as the long-hair gene is recessive, they are quite rare.

Source: Allison Kaye Design

One of the standard characteristics of the German Shepherd is the erect ears that gives the appearance of being alert and confident. But owners shouldn’t be alarmed if they notice their puppy’s ears are not standing but folded down. For the German Shepherd, ears begin to stand up between the ages of 7 to 9 weeks and larger ears may take a bit longer than that.  Erect ears are due to the strengthening of the cartilage. Massaging the ears with fingers is a good way to make them stronger.

Giving the German Shepherd calcium tablets can also help but it must be done with moderation and care for the dog may suffer from rapid bone build up and Panosteitis which is the inflammation of the bones.  However some German Shepherds will not have erect ears but “soft ears” which is a genetic inheritance and an automatic disqualification in breed competitions.  Some erect ears will have wavy tips and its known as friendly ears. Not a disqualification however may not look good.

If  you still have questions about German Shepherds, you will find more information on the development, general health and care of the breed in the German Shepherd handbook.

Much like the Rottweiler breed, the German Shepherd excells at Schutzhund as well. What is Schutzhund? Well, Schutzhund, is a German word meaning: “protection dog” and it tests a dog?s desire to work, his courage, his intelligence, his trainability, his bond to the handler, his perseverance and his protective instincts. Dogs that pass Schutzhund tests should be suitable for police work, specific odor detection, search and rescue, and many other tasks.

The purpose of Schutzhund is also used with German Shepherds to identify those representatives of the breed that have the perfect character traits required for these demanding jobs. Becasue of their inherent intelligence, they are easily trainable. There are many dedicated people out there, who make it their vocation to train their dogs. Some even specialize in Schutzhund training for the German Shepherd breed. I take my hat of to them. It is one thing to love a breed. It is a whole different ball-game to make it one’s life work to study training techniques to better a breed as well.

The German Shepherd comes in three varieties; namely: short haired, medium haired and long haired. Some groups or breeders have focused on variants of the breed that are not recognized by most kennel clubs as standard show German Shepherds. The long-haired, or “fuzzy” variation of the breed is similar in looks to the Belgian Teruvian Shepherd Dog. The gene for the long hair is a recessive gene, and so it is more common to have the shorter or medium-length variety.

Color-wise, there are many color variations found in the German Shepherd:

- Conformation-line dogs, are mostly black-and-tan and black-and-red. Combinations containing very light hues such as cream are typically considered as faults. All-black is usually, but not always, accepted. For conformation-line dogs, the “saddle” marking is probably the most well-known. This consists of a large black patch on the upper and mid back, extending partway down the dog’s sides. The “sable” marking, which consists of one color with randomly-sized and -shaped patches or swaths of different-colored hair mixed in, is typical for working-line dogs. Some sable-pattern dogs have three colors in their coat; this is called agouti. The other popular marking is called “bi-color”, and consists of a dog that is all one color (typically black) save for differently-colored paws and lower legs, and sometimes a swath on the belly.

- Working-line dogs are typically sable, black-and-tan or black-and-brown.

One can sometimes see White German Shepherds, but these are also called Berger Blanc Suisse, or the White Swiss Shepherd dog and they are actually recognized by the FCI as a separate breed!The recessive gene for white coat hair was fixed in the German Shepherd Dog breed DNA by the late 19th and early 20th century German breeding program that extensively used “color coated” dogs that carried a recessive gene for “white coats.” The American-, the German- and the Canadian German Shepherd Club all see the white coat as basis for disqualification.

You have probably heard the word Alsatian. What connection does it have to the German Shepherd? Well, the the proper English name for the breed is the German Shepherd Dog, which is a literal translation from the German: “Deutscher Sch?ferhund”. However, they are usually simply called “German Shepherds”. In countries , where the police force uses only German Shepherds, the breed is colloquially called dog the “Police Dog” as well. In 1919, the breed was given the name: Alsatian Wolf Dog, due to anti-German sentiments after World War I. The word Alsatian comes from the word Alsace which is a traditionally German-speaking French area on the west bank of the Rhine. With time, the ‘wolf dog’ part was dropped due to a fear that it would create a negative connotation. The name Alsatian is still used in the U.K, in Ireland and in France. Only in 1977, did the name: German Shepherd become recognised in the U.K. In the United States, the breed was originally known as the ‘German Sheep Dog’ by the AKC Germany. In 1917, the name was changed to ‘Shepherd Dog’ due to anti-German sentiments. Only in 1931 did the word ‘German’ was once again become associated with the breed in teh US. In Germany, Northern- and Eastern Europe the breed is still commonly known as Sch?ferhund.