German Shepherd Dog Breed Information
If you want a smart, trainable, active, versatile pup, the German Shepherd Dog breed may be the perfect choice. German Shepherds - are one of the most popular dog breeds, consistently ranking in the top five most popular breeds based on the American Kennel Club breed registration statistics. The German Shepherd Dog - or GSD - is a popular dog because they provide loyal companionship and can learn many tasks - from obedience work to police work and support services for people with disabilities. The German Shepherd Dog breed is also an excellent guard dog, making our list of the Top 10 Best Guard Dog Breeds.
German Shepherd Dog Breed Rundown
Height: 24-26 inches (males), 22-24 inches (females) (56 cm to 66 cm)
Weight: 65 to 90 lbs. (males), 50 to 70 lbs. (females) (32 kilos to 59 kilos)
Lifespan: 7 to 10 years
Origin: Germany
Personality: The German Shepherd dog breed is highly intelligent, loyal, obedient, dedicated, courageous, and affectionate with their family. German Shepherds are working dogs and like to stay busy - whether training in obedience, tracking, protection work, or agility, they excel at nearly every dog sport. German Shepherds love to be with their families and thrive on a close relationship with their owners. They are not dogs to leave in the house or yard alone all the time, as a bored Shepherd can develop behavioral issues like digging, barking, and aggression. These lovable dogs make loyal companions and will do everything they can to please their owners. Despite their serious guard dog reputation, they can be very affectionate and downright goofy with family.
German Shepherd Appearance
German Shepherds are large, athletic dogs, with muscular bodies and double coats. They are longer than they are tall, with long, square muzzles, almond eyes, and triangular ears. The German Shepherd dog breed comes in a variety of colors, including black and tan (most common), black and red, white, black, and gray. There are two varieties of coat, with medium coat length being the most common. German Shepherds with long coats have recessive genes and are less common.
German Shepherd History
The German Shepherd was originally bred in Germany as a herding dog. In Germany in the 1890s, sheepdogs were bred for their herding and protective abilities to guard sheep from predators. There was no one distinct breed of sheep dog in Germany at the time and Max von Stephanitz, an ex-cavalry captain and former student of the Berlin Veterinary College, began breeding the German herding dogs to create a distinct working breed with exceptional intelligence and dedication.
In 1899, von Stephanitz bought a herding dog at a dog show and was amazed by the dog’s intelligence, loyalty, and strength. He named the dog Horand von Grafrath and founded the first German Shepherd society. Horand was the first German Shepherd Dog registered. The new breed quickly became popular due to its intelligence and great working abilities.
Since then, German Shepherds have been used by law enforcement around the world for police work and tracking, and they have also served as prized military dogs, and valued assistance dogs for people with disabilities. The German Shepherd Dog breed has exceptional intelligence, learns quickly, and enjoys work, making the breed the most widely recognized working dog breed in the world.
Today most German Shepherds are companion dogs but many also serve in security and military forces, as assistance dogs, and as search and rescue dogs.
German Shepherd Personality
German Shepherds are working dogs bred for their intelligence and they are curious, smart, and enjoy having jobs to perform. Often considered one of the most versatile dog breeds, German Shepherds excel at almost every dog sport. The German Shepherd Dog breed is often used for guarding and security work, and their natural protectiveness, loyalty, and suspicion of strangers make them outstanding for these lines of work. They are also excellent companions and their natural curiosity and intelligence make them great at obedience, agility, tracking, and scent work.
German Shepherds are dedicated and affectionate with their owners and can be playful, cuddly, and even goofy with family members. They have a confident, stable temperament and can be great family dogs. The typical German Shepherd learns quickly and is eager to please, and they thrive with obedience training and socialization.
As with any large dog, German Shepherds need proper socialization to ensure they become well-adjusted members of society. These dogs have active minds and need mental stimulation to do well. Shepherds that are not exposed to different people and situations may develop barking, chewing, and aggression issues. Due to their popularity, some unscrupulous breeders have overbred German Shepherds, which can lead to temperament issues such as aggression as well as health problems.
Training a German Shepherd Dog
The German Shepherd Dog breed is highly intelligent, learns quickly, and enjoys training. Most German Shepherds excel in obedience, especially with firm, consistent leadership. German Shepherds enjoy learning and if you plan to adopt a German Shepherd, plan on doing some canine activities with your pup like obedience and agility. German Shepherds like to work closely with their owners and are highly dedicated to family.
Their loyalty and courage also make German Shepherds do well in security and protection work. If you want a family guard dog, however, you will not need to train your shepherd to guard as they will naturally guard your family and home.
German Shepherd Dogs are a strong, confident, dignified breed with a medium energy level and they thrive on obedience training and mental stimulation. They enjoy being with their family and will naturally go to extreme lengths to protect their humans. With training and socialization, as well as regular activities with their humans, German Shepherds will thrive.
Famous German Shepherds
Rin Tin Tin is the most German Shepherd and he has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The famous shepherd was born in France and was adopted by an American soldier fighting in World War I. He returned to the U.S. and Rin Tin Tin became an international movie star, playing in 27 Hollywood films in the 1920s and 1930s.
Strongheart was one of the early dog film stars. The German Shepherd starred in Hollywood films in the 1920s and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Champ, Commander, and Major- U.S. President Joe Biden’s German Shepherd dogs, who have all lived in the White House.
Major - A German Shepherd who lived at the White House. The former police dog was owned by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Trakr - Canadian German Shepherd and tracking dog that discovered the last survivor of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York City.
Celebrities with German Shepherds
U.S. President Joe Biden is a longtime German Shepherd owner and currently has three German Shepherds. Biden’s German Shepherd Major is the first shelter dog to live in the White House.
Actress Reese Witherspoon owned a beloved German Shepherd Nash, who died in 2019.
Actor Jake Gyllenhaal has a German Shepherd named Atticus.
Pop star Miley Cyrus has a German Shepherd mix named Bo.
Actor Ben Affleck has a German Shepherd named Hutch.
German Shepherd Health
German Shepherds are a large, working breed that has been plagued by health issues in recent years due to overbreeding. Not all shepherds have these health issues but these are some of the most common health ones that GSDs have:
Hip and elbow dysplasia
Arthritis
Bloat
Degenerative myelopathy (a neurological disease)
Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI), a degenerative disease of the pancreas
Von Willebrand disease (a bleeding disorder)
Musculoskeletal disorders
Where to Get a German Shepherd
If you want to adopt a German Shepherd Dog, there are many great dogs and puppies in rescues. Here are some of the main German Shepherd rescue organizations and the German Shepherd Dog Club of America for a directory of GSD breeders:
German Shepherd Rescue and Adoptions is a German Shepherd rescue serving North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.
German Shepherd Rescue, Inc. rescues German Shepherds in the Chicago area and has adoptable GSDs.
German Shepherd Rescue of New England has German Shepherd adoptions in the New England area.
German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County has resources for GSD owners and adoptable German Shepherd dogs in Southern California.
Mid-Atlantic German Shepherd Rescue has adoptable German Shepherds and German Shepherd mixes in the Mid-Atlantic area.
German Shepherd Dog Club of America is the national German Shepherd club in the U.S. and is recognized by the American Kennel Club. The club has a directory of breeders and lots of resources on the Akita breed and Akita care.
This article is intended as an overview of the intelligent, versatile German Shepherd Dog breed. These loyal dogs are so popular because they make exceptional pets and working dogs. If you're looking for more information to prepare for adopting a German Shepherd, check out our 10 Tips to Prepare Before Adopting a Dog.
