Characteristics and personality of the German Shepherd dog
breed
The German shepherd, always in vogue, ready and easy to
train, is quite active and enjoys when he has something to do. Therefore, they
need to do a lot of exercise on a daily basis; otherwise, they become nervous
or highly excitable.
The German shepherd at a glance
The German Shepherd Dog Breed
To avoid aggressive and overprotective behavior, it is
necessary to socialize and train German shepherds from a very young age.
Size:
Weight range:
Males: 34 - 43 kg
Females: 34 - 43 kg
Height at the withers:
Males: 64 cm
Females: 58 cm
Characteristics:
Ears upright (naturally)
Expectations:
Energy level: medium
Life expectancy: 10 - 12 years
Tendency to drool: low
Tendency to snore: low
Tendency to bark: low
Tendency to Dig: Low
Attention need / Socialization: moderate
Bred for:
Grazing, watchdog
German shepherds reach a maximum of 65 cm in height, and
weigh up to approximately 41 kg.
It is a well-proportioned dog. The head is broad and
gracefully tapers into a sharp snout. The ears are quite long and remain
upright. The back is level and muscular, ending in a hip that curves downwards
and a fairly thick tail. The hair is thick, hard and coarse, generally of
medium length; however, long-haired specimens are often born. Hair color can be
black, brown, black and brown or gray.
The breed lives approximately 10-12 years.
Personality
German shepherds get along well with children and other pets
if they grow up together, but they tend to doubt strange people due to their
guardian instincts. This breed is considered to be smart and easy to train.
Some German shepherds who have not been properly bred can be very excitable and
nervous. Bad socialization and inadequate training can trigger overprotective
or aggressive behaviors.
Coexistence
It is important to acquire German Shepherds from reputable
breeders since as good shepherds they are large, powerful and have strong
guarding instincts. Dogs bred with bad practices are more likely to be nervous.
To avoid aggressive and overprotective behavior, it is
necessary to carefully socialize German shepherds from a young age and train
them in obedience. They must be with the family and exposed to other people and
pets in the neighborhood under supervision; they should not be confined to a
house or yard alone or with other dogs.
German shepherds are active and enjoy having something to
do. They need to do a lot of exercise on a daily basis; otherwise, they become
nervous or highly excitable.
Its molting is very intense and occurs about twice a year,
and the rest of the time it molts a smaller amount continuously. To control the
shedding and maintain beautiful hair, brush it at least a few times a week.
History
German shepherds are, as their name indicates, a breed
native to Germany. They were developed at the end of the XIX century crossing
different breeds of dogs for herding. This breed was subjected to rigorous
selection and evolved rapidly. In the UK, these dogs are known as Alsatians
because fans of this breed in the area wanted to protect the dog from
anti-German sentiments after World War II.
German shepherds entered the United States at the hands of
soldiers returning home after the First World War. The breed caught the
public's attention by movie stars like Strong heart and, later, Rin Tin Tin. At
the end of World War II, German shepherds were the preferred military breed,
and they were also the first guide dogs. Today, they are one of the most
successful dogs in the United States. In 1999, German Shepherds ranked third on
the American Kennel Club's Top 50 Breeds list.
It is also a herding breed famous for its bravery, loyalty
and guardian instincts. It is an excellent watchdog, police dog, military dog,
guide dog, and search and rescue dog. For many families, due to his character
he is a valuable member of the family.
German shepherd
The German
shepherd or sheepdog (German: Deutscher Schäferhund) is a breed of dog that
comes from Germany. The breed is relatively new, since its origin dates back to
1899. They are part of the herding group, because they were dogs originally
developed to gather and watch sheep. Since then, however, thanks to their
strength, intelligence, training capacity and obedience, German Shepherds from
around the world are often the preferred breed for many other types of work,
such as: Police Dog, Watchdog, guide for the blind, a rescue animal, and
others, according to the use made by the forces and security forces and the
army. In many countries they even have specific units called K-9s.
History
Its origins date
back to the end of the 19th century, when a breeding program was started in
Germany to guard and protect sheep herds against wolves. The cavalry captain of
the German army, Maximilian von Stephanitz, is considered the father of the
breed. Later, after the appearance of the Association of Friends of the German
Shepherd in 1899, a selection of specimens was started whose crosses improved
both the psychic and physical aspect of the animal.
The first
inscribed specimen Horand von Grafrath was a vigorous animal, of firm
character, grayish fur and wolfish appearance that proved to be a stallion with
the traits that Von Stephanitz was looking for. In the first encounter these
desirable traits were passed on to successor dogs, and reinforced by careful
rules of selective crossbreeding between members of the same lineage as this
first breeder; a practice that sought to highlight and enhance the desirable
characteristics through a specific genetic management.
Von Stephanitz
sought primarily the practical and working aspect of the breed. From the
beginning, the form in the German shepherd should not deviate him from his
zootechnical functionality. Von Stephanitz foresaw a first threat to the validity
of the breed as a working animal when human society was transformed from a
primarily agricultural and livestock base to an industrialized economy. In a
first phase, he persuaded the German government to accept the breed in police
jobs. This was the beginning of the association of the race with the forces of
law and with military use. Soon the qualities of intelligence, reliability and
resistance of the animal, the main aspects of its character and its existence
in history, guaranteed its use in many important roles, being one of those
noblest roles as a guide dog for the blind.
This breed was
used as a sniffer dog during World War II by the German army and police. In
fact, the services rendered during the two world wars gave him worldwide
respect and admiration.
Characteristics
General
appearance: robust and flexible, slightly elongated, muscular body, its jaws
closed in scissors. It is a companion dog since it is a balanced dog and easy
to train.
Color variants in
German shepherds; black, black with brown, reddish and black edges, sable, but
its black cloak is always visible — hence many called it “black cloak.
Height at the
withers: between 60-65cm the male, and the female between 55-60cm
Weight: the male
is around 36kg to 47kg, and the female is between 27kg and 35kg.
Life expectancy:
11 to 15 years
General
Shepherd of cows
and sheep with tireless trotting and great intelligence. He has excelled in
numerous jobs useful to man, such as: guardian, guide dog, police, attack dog,
drug detector, etc. It is a vigorous, agile, well-muscled, awake animal. Their
physical proportions must be related not only to their appearance but also to
their temperament. It is usually a well-balanced dog, with a harmonious
development of the fore and hind limbs. A good specimen pleases at first sight;
it is also very strong. Sometimes he can be aggressive and a little overbearing
depending on the way he educates himself. For all these reasons he is a dog
dedicated to work.
Head
It is
wedge-shaped and is in proportion to the length of the body (its length is
approximately 40% of the height of the cross), without appearing either rough
or elongated. In its general appearance it is usually dry and moderately broad
in the middle of the ears. Viewed from the front and from the sides, the
forehead is slightly arched and without or with a slightly marked medium
furrow. The ratio between the cranial and facial regions should be 50% to 50%.
The width of the cranial region is almost the same as its length. Viewed from
above, the cranial region decreases uniformly from the ears to the nose,
leaving a not very noticeable frontal-nasal depression and leaning on the
snout, which is wedge-shaped. The upper and lower jaws are strongly developed.
The nose is straight; any bulging or subsidence is undesirable. The lips, dark
in color, are firm and well attached.
Eyes
Medium size,
almondy, glancing fit and never protruding. Its color is usually as dark as
possible. Penetrating light eyes are undesirable as they affect the dog's
expression; that's why there are usually no dogs with this type of eyes.
The main problem
is that they get dirty (especially if the dog lives in the city, due to
contamination). Normally, this dirt is removed in the form of blemishes, which
can be cleaned with a damp cloth. They should not be allowed to accumulate
until the dog is so bothered by rubbing with her paw.
In older dogs, or
due to illness or injury, there may be difficulties in maintaining moisture in
the eye. In this case, it is advisable to clean regularly, after consulting the
vet to indicate the appropriate product to use.
Ears
The German
Shepherd Dog has medium-sized ears, erect, open forwards and carried evenly
(neither turned nor carried sideways). They are pointed with canopy facing the
front. Pointed or drooping ears are faulty.
If earwax
accumulates, it must be carefully removed, just as it would be in the case of a
person. But it is necessary to do it with much more care, since due to the
shape of the dog's ears, if the wax scales are simply released, they will fall
inside, potentially damaging the ear canal. If you are not sure how it is done,
it is better to leave it to a professional; Anyway, a good way to clean a dog's
ears (both raised and droopy ears) is with a little cotton wool moistened with
liquid petroleum jelly, always from the inside out of the ear, only what you
see, never reach deeper as it can damage.
The ears will
start to plant around five or six months of age. In the event that this does
not happen, you must put templates for a perfect planting of the ears.
Particular
attention should be paid to dogs of breeds that have droopy ears, which in
addition to accumulating "normal" dirt can become parasite nests,
among other things, due to the lack of ventilation, a disadvantage that the
German shepherd does not have due to the shape of his ears.
Three year old female.
Viewed from all
sides, the forelimbs are straight; seen from the front, they are absolutely
parallel. The shoulder blade and the arm are of the same length, firmly
attached to the body by means of good musculature. The ideal angle between the
shoulder blade and the arm is 90 °, but it is generally 110 °. The elbows are
usually not turned outwards or inwards, the dog being at rest or in motion. The
forearms, viewed from either side, are straight and parallel to each other, dry
and well muscled. The metacarpus has a length of approximately 1/3 of the
forearm and forms an angle with it of approximately 20-22 °. A metacarpus too
inclined (more than 22 °) or too straight (less than 20 °) impairs the dog's
ability to work, especially its resistance. The front feet are rounded,
compact, with arched toes. The pads are usually firm, but not brittle. The
nails are strong and strong dark in color, although there may be exceptions.
German shepherd photo :
video : Day in the Life of a German Shepherd
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