Dog breed · Germany
The German Shepherd, also known in Britain as an Alsatian, is a German breed of working dog of medium to large size. It is characterized by its intelligent and obedient nature.
It was developed in Germany from 1899 by Max von Stephanitz, using various traditional German herding dogs, and gained international recognition after the end of the First World War. It was bred as a herding dog, for herding sheep, but has since been used in many other types of work, including disability assistance, search-and-rescue, police work, and warfare. It is commonly kept as a companion dog, and is among the most frequently registered breeds world-wide.
Behavior: German Shepherds are moderately active dogs and are described in breed standards as self assured. The breed is marked by a willingness to learn and an eagerness to have a purpose. The breed standard describes them as curious, a trait desirable in roles like guard dogs and search missions. They can become overprotective of their family and territory, especially if not socialised correctly. They are not inclined to become immediate friends with strangers. German Shepherds are highly intelligent and obedient, as well as protective of their owners.
Description: German Shepherds are medium to large-sized dogs. The breed standard height at the withers is 60–65 cm (24–26 in) for males, and 55–60 cm (22–24 in) for females. German Shepherds can sprint at speeds of up to 30 miles per hour (48 km/h).
German Shepherds are longer than they are tall, with an ideal proportion of 10 to 8+1⁄2. The AKC official breed standard does not set a standard weight range. They have a domed forehead, a long square-cut muzzle with strong jaws and a black nose. The eyes are medium-sized and brown. The ears are large and stand erect, open at the front and parallel, but they often are pulled back during movement. A German Shepherd has a long neck, which is raised when excited and lowered when moving at a fast pace as well as stalking. The tail is bushy and reaches to the hock.
German Shepherds have a double coat which is close and dense with a thick undercoat. The coat is accepted in two variants: medium and long. The gene for long hair is recessive, and therefore the long-haired variety is rarer. Treatment of the long-haired variation differs across standards; it is accepted but does not compete against standard-coated dogs under the German and UK Kennel Clubs while it can compete with standard-coated dogs, but is considered a fault in the American Kennel Club. The FCI accepted the long-haired type in 2010, listing it as the variety b, while the short-haired type is listed as the variety a.
Most commonly, German Shepherds are either tan/black or red/black. Most colour varieties have black masks and black body markings which can range from a classic "saddle" to an overall "blanket." Rarer colour variations include sable, pure-black, pure-white, liver, silver, blue, and panda varieties. The all-black and sable varieties are acceptable according to most standards; however, the blue and liver are considered to be serious faults and the all-white is grounds for instant disqualification from showing in conformation at All Breed and Specialty Shows.
Health: Many common ailments of the German Shepherd are a result of the inbreeding practised early in the breed's life. One such common ailment is hip and elbow dysplasia which may cause the dog to experience pain later on in life and may cause arthritis. A study conducted by the University of Zurich found that 45% of the police working dogs were affected by degenerative spinal stenosis, although a small sample size was used. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals found that 19.1% of German Shepherds are affected by hip dysplasia.
The German Shepherd Dog is one of the breeds more commonly affected by degenerative myelopathy, which is caused by a mutation in the SOD1 gene. A small study in the UK showed 16% of young asymptomatic German Shepherds to be homozygous for the mutation, with a further 38% being carriers.
German Shepherds are among the breeds regularly tested for Von Willebrand disease, an inherited bleeding disorder, and are at risk of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI), a degenerative disease of the pancreas. It is estimated that 1% of the UK population of German Shepherds has this disease.
Lifespan: Overall lifespan is approximately 10 years. Several studies have found the average lifespan to be lower than the average for all dogs: a 2024 UK study found a mean lifespan of 11.3 years, compared to 12 years for crossbreeds and 12.7 years for purebreds; a 2022 UK study using veterinary records found a value of 10.16 years compared to 11.23 overall and 11.82 for crossbreeds; in Italy a 2024 study found an average of 10 years, the same as the overall average; a 2005 study in Sweden based on insurance data found 51% of German Shepherd dogs died by the age of 10, higher than the overall rate of 35%. A 2015 French study found a mean lifespan of 10.08 years.
