German Shepherd

What is a German Shepherd?

A large herding and working breed of 22-40kg, developed in the 1890s by Max von Stephanitz as a standardised German sheepdog and rapidly adopted for police and military work. Everything the breed is good at follows from a single trait: it wants to work with a handler.

History and origins

Von Stephanitz bought a dog called Horand von Grafrath in 1899 and founded the breed around him, with the explicit motto that utility comes first. The breed reached Britain after the First World War, where it was renamed Alsatian to avoid association with Germany; the original name was formally restored in 1977.

Two population splits matter today. Show lines - particularly the German show line - are heavier and more angulated at the rear; working lines are straighter-backed, leaner and far more driven. The exaggerated sloping topline seen in some show dogs has been widely criticised and is not required by the standard.

Appearance and size

55-65cm at the shoulder. Double coat, medium or long. Colours: black and tan, black and red, sable, solid black, and bi-colour. Solid white is a recognised separate breed in some registries and is not shown under the KC standard. "Blue" and "liver" are dilutes and are faults.

Temperament and personality

Confident, watchful and intensely loyal. A well-bred GSD is not nervy or sharp - it is stable, discriminating and slow to escalate. Nervousness and reactivity in this breed are almost always breeding or socialisation failures, and both are common at the cheap end of the market.

Intelligence and trainability

Among the very best. They learn quickly, retain reliably and enjoy complex tasks. They also learn unwanted behaviours just as fast and are strong enough that a bad habit becomes a real problem. Start training the week the puppy arrives, and continue for life: tracking, obedience, scentwork, herding or IGP all suit them.

Children and other pets

Good family dogs when raised with children, though their size and herding instinct mean supervision with small children is sensible. They can be same-sex intolerant with other dogs. Early, positive, extensive socialisation from eight to sixteen weeks is not optional in this breed.

Health problems

• Hip dysplasia - the breed's historic problem. Ask for BVA/KC hip scores on both parents and compare with the breed median (around 11); lower is better.
• Elbow dysplasia - grade 0.
• Degenerative myelopathy (DM) - a progressive spinal cord disease. DNA test; at least one parent clear.
• MDR1 drug sensitivity - DNA test.
• Bloat (GDV) - deep-chested and at real risk. Learn the signs; it is a surgical emergency.
• Also: exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, anal furunculosis, and haemophilia A in males.

Daily care routine

Two hours of exercise plus at least twenty minutes of structured training or scentwork. A GSD that is walked but not worked will find its own job, and its own job is usually barking at the window.

Grooming and coat care

Brush two or three times a week, daily during the two annual coat blows, which are dramatic. An undercoat rake is essential. Never shave the double coat - it does not grow back correctly and it removes the insulation that keeps the dog cool.

Exercise needs

Two hours daily for an adult, split, with off-lead running and mental work. Restrict high-impact exercise until 15-18 months; the joints are still developing and this is a breed where that matters.

Feeding and diet

Two measured meals, never one large one, and no hard exercise for an hour either side - bloat risk. £50-£80 a month. Large-breed puppy food with controlled calcium during growth.

Price

£900-£2,000 from hip- and elbow-scored, DNA-tested parents. Working lines from titled parents can be considerably more. Setup £400-£700; ongoing £110-£180 a month. Insurance is not cheap.

Buying advice

Ask for hip and elbow scores in writing for both parents, and the DM DNA result. Ask what the parents do - a breeder producing working-line dogs should be able to tell you about their training and titles. Meet the mother and assess her temperament carefully: nervousness is heritable, and it is the hardest thing to fix later.