German Shepherd is a working dog with a drive to get up and go. If not exercised enough, he will get out of shape both mentally and physically. In addition to the time spent exercising your dog, you must be willing to find an activity that you both enjoy doing, then do it on a regular basis. GSDs need a “job” to do; otherwise they get bored and unruly. When the dog is young, his job should be to attend obedience classes and practice daily. Later, there are many interesting and enjoyable activities to choose from.
The GSD will fit into any human social group, whether a single-owner household or a family with several children. In families, older children and spouses can take on some of the responsibility to keep the GSD busy and happy. If the children are instructed on “dog etiquette” (that is, how to interact with the GSD calmly and in a non-threatening manner), the dog will be a willing and devoted playmate, protecting the children with his life if necessary. With a large breed like the GSD, it is imperative that parents supervise all dog-child interactions. No dogs, even small ones, should be left alone with a young child, as accidents do happen.
A Visionary for the Blind
Dorothy Harrison Eustis (1886–1946) was born in Philadelphia and today is remembered as the founder of The Seeing Eye, the first school for guide dogs in the United States. The organization, founded in 1929, was based on principles Eustis observed at a school in Germany that trained dogs to assist blind veterans. For a while, Eustis bred German Shepherd Dogs in Switzerland. The use of assistance dogs was unknown in the United States during this period, and the mission and success of The Seeing Eye changed the lives of many visually impaired individuals. By the time Eustis died in 1946, more than 1,300 blind individuals had been matched with guide dogs. The success of The Seeing Eye (www.seeingeye.org), based in Morristown, New Jersey, has spawned other guide dog schools around the world. Today assistance dogs are used for many other disabilities, including hearing loss, epilepsy, autism, and more. Eustis’s life is celebrated in the book Independent Vision by Miriam Ascarelli, published in 2010 by Purdue University Press.
If you own a farm of any size, the German Shepherd would make a wonderful addition to help keep your menagerie in order.
OWNER SUITABILITY
Successful German Shepherd owners (meaning people who can raise a mentally and physically sound German Shepherd Dog for many years) have certain personality traits and characteristics in common. Emotional stability is a cornerstone of this breed’s personality, and the dog thrives with an equally calm and levelheaded owner. You must be predictable to the dog, or he will become insecure, and the relationship will lack the necessary trust and result in the dog developing anxiety.
Meet the German Shepherd and More!
A great place to see German Shepherd Dogs and more than 200 other dog and cat breeds is at AKC Meet the Breeds®, hosted by the American Kennel Club and presented by Pet Partners, Inc. Not only can you see dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens of all sizes, you can also talk to experts in each of the breeds. Meet the Breeds features demonstration rings to watch events with law enforcement K9s, grooming, agility, and obedience. You also can browse the more than 100 vendor booths for every imaginable product for you and your pet.
It’s great fun for the whole family. Meet the Breeds takes place in the fall in New York City. For more information, check out www.meetthebreeds.com.
The German Shepherd works for approval and learns best when guided by positive rewards rather than being forced into a behavior, so the breed’s ideal owner must also be capable of providing strong positive feedback for the dog. Although your dog would undoubtedly like to have you with him all day, he can easily adapt to a routine, if you work during the day and are away from home—just be sure to make an extra effort to share time with him each day. At least a few quality minutes of one-on-one interaction such as obedience work or games in the yard are vital if you want to remain closely bonded to your shepherd. The rest of the time, he will be content to lounge around in your sight, perhaps giving an occasional nose-nudge to solicit petting.
Bigger Is Not Always Better!
In the past hundred years that German Shepherd Dogs have been selected for work as police, military, and home guardians, the breed has increased in body size (both height and weight), compared to the original German sheep-tending dogs. The current standard for this breed calls for a mature dog between 24 and 26 inches at the top of the shoulders. Well-proportioned GSDs at that size weigh about 70 to 90 pounds. It takes up to three years for a GSD youngster to completely fill out his large frame, although pups reach adult height by about a year of age.
Today, over-sized GSDs are often advertised as desirable. Beware, though, that GSDs that are significantly larger than the standard recommends (and all dogs much over 100 pounds, for that matter) are much more susceptible to joint problems and generally do not live as long. Bigger is definitely not better.
GSD Breed Standard
OVERALL: The breed has a distinct personality marked by direct and fearless, but not hostile, expression, self-confidence and a certain aloofness that does not lend itself to immediate and indiscriminate friendships. The dog is poised, but when the occasion demands, eager and alert; both fit and willing to serve in its capacity as companion, watchdog, blind leader, herding dog, or guardian, whichever the circumstances may demand.
PROPORTION:
The German Shepherd Dog is longer than tall. The desirable long proportion is not derived from a long back, but from overall length with relation to height.
HEAD:
The head is noble, cleanly chiseled, strong without coarseness, and in proportion to the body. The expression keen, intelligent and composed. Ears are moderately pointed, in proportion to the skull, open toward the front, and carried erect when at attention, the ideal carriage being parallel to each other and perpendicular to the ground. The muzzle is long and strong, and its topline is parallel to the topline of the skull. Jaws are strongly developed.
NECK:
The neck is strong and muscular, clean-cut and relatively long, proportionate in size to the head and without loose folds of skin. At attention, the head is raised and neck carried high; otherwise head is forward rather than up.
TOPLINE:
The withers are higher than and sloping into the level back. The back is straight, very strongly developed without sag or roach, and relatively short.
CHEST:
It is well filled and carried well down between the legs. It is deep and capacious, never shallow, with ample room for lungs and heart, Correct ribbing allows the elbows to move back freely when the dog is at a trot.
TAIL:
The tail is bushy. It is set low rather than high. At rest, the tail hangs in a slight curve like a saber. When the dog is excited or in motion, the
