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German shepherd

The German Shepherd was standardised from 1899 by Max von Stephanitz, who bought a working herding dog named Horand and built a breed around him with the explicit principle that utility must come before appearance.

Within a few decades it had become the world's most widely used working dog.

It stands 55 to 65 centimetres, weighs 22 to 40 kilograms and lives nine to thirteen years. The breed has since split in two directions, and the split matters: working lines are straight-backed, level and bred for function, while some show lines have been bred toward a sloping, roached back and extreme hind angulation that has drawn sustained veterinary criticism and, in Britain, regulatory attention.

Origin
Germany, standardised from 1899 by Max von Stephanitz
Size
55–65 cm; 22–40 kg
Lifespan
9–13 years
Coat
Double coat, short or long; sheds constantly and heavily
Lines
Working lines are level-backed; some show lines are roached
Health
Hip and elbow dysplasia, degenerative myelopathy, EPI, bloat

Related: Anatolian shepherd dog · Australian shepherd · Bohemian shepherd · Bucovina shepherd dog · Caucasian shepherd dog

3 german shepherd photos of 2 dogs, newest first

  • Kaiser, a german shepherd

    Kaiser

    Kaiser takes the wet trail at dawn at full speed and comes home twice his own weight.

    FrostyOtter · 5 days ago

  • Kestrel, a german shepherd

    Kestrel

    Kestrel was promoted to weather forecaster surprised by its own forecast; unfortunately, a tower of lemons begins to collapse.

    FrostyOtter · 1 week ago

Living with a german shepherd

Look at the back and the hind legs. A dog whose topline slopes sharply and whose hocks are close to the ground is a conformation problem, not a breed feature — vets and welfare bodies have criticised it, and Crufts has been the subject of complaints about it. A level-backed working-line dog is the healthier animal.

Ask for hip and elbow scores and the degenerative myelopathy DNA test. Degenerative myelopathy is a progressive spinal disease causing hind-limb paralysis from middle age.

Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency is over-represented in the breed: a thin dog with a huge appetite and pale greasy faeces needs testing, and it is manageable with enzyme supplementation.

Deep chest means bloat risk. Learn the signs.

They need serious exercise and mental work, and they shed all year round.

General guidance, not veterinary advice. Individual dogs vary, and anything about a specific animal is a question for a vet who has seen it.

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