The German Shepherd

This page is about one my favorite dog breeds besides mixed breed dogs.

The German Shepherd:

Perhaps the most widely recognized of all breeds, the German Shepherd dog is a versatile worker, renowned for its strength and agility.

Class: Herding
Size: Height at top of shoulders -
males: 60-65cm, females: 55-60cm
Coat: Medium length, straight, hard and close-lying, with a dense, thick undercoat.
Color: Soild black or grey; black saddle with tan or gold to light grey markings; grey with lighter or brown markings. Blues, livers, albinos, and whites highly undesirable.
Other Features: Strong head; medium-sized eyes and ears; relatively long neck; long shoulders blades; straight back; strong hindquarters, broad and well muscled; long, bushy tail.

History:

It has been suggested that the German Shepherd herd dog may be a descendant of the Bronze Age wolf. Certainly, around the 7th century AD, there existed in Germany a shepherd dog of similar type but with light coat. By the 16th century, the coat is said to have darked appreciably.

The German Shepherd was first exhibited at a dog show in Hanover in 1882. Credit for the formation of the modern breed is generally attributed to the German fanicer, Rittmeister Von Stephanitz, who worked tirelessly in the early 1900s to improve its temperament and conformation. The breed won dedicated fanciers in other countries including Britain and America, among those who had seen the breed working in Germany in the First World War. It was at that time thought inapproproate to call the breed by a name that included the word "German", and elsewhere, as the Alsatian because it had orignated in the Alsace. In 1971, the Birtish Kennel Club finally relented and the name German Shepherd Dog was restored.

Character and Care:

The popluar German Shepherd is extremely intelligent and makes a first-class companion, show dog, obedience worker and guard. It is eminently trainable and so works as a police dog, in the armed services, as a guide dog for the blind, and in numerous other capacities. Its superior guardng ability can get it into trouble, because it may misread a sign and spring to its owner's defence. However, with knowledgeable handling and training it is a splendid canine companion. It needs vigorous daily grooming, plenty of exercise, and above all, a job to do, even if this only entails competing in obedience or agility tets. it is unfair and unwise for this intelligent ainmal to be subjected to a life of boredom.