The German Shepard
German Shepherds are large dogs that originated in Germany. German Shepherds are a new breed of dog, like most breeds. Their origin dates as far back as 1899. As part of the herding group, German Shepherds are working dogs developed originally for herding and guarding sheep, hence their name. Their intelligence, trainability and obedience, has made German Shepherds around the world a preferred breed for multiple types of work. German Shepherds participate in, search-and-rescue, police and military roles, and even acting. German Shepherds are the second most popular dog in the United States of America.
The breed standard height at the Withers is 60 to 65cm for males and 55 to 65cm for females. The weight standard is 30 to 40 kilograms for males and 22 to 32 kilograms for females. They have a domed forehead, a long square-cut muzzle and a black nose. The jaws are strong, with a scissor-like bite. The eyes are medium-sized and brown with a lively, intelligent and self-assured look. The ears are large and stand erect, open at the front and parallel, but they often are pulled back during movement. They have a long neck, which is raised when excited and lowered when moving at a fast pace. The tail is bushy and reaches to the hock. German Shepherds can be a variety of colors, the most common of which are tan/black and red/black. Most color varieties have black masks and black body markings which can range from a classic “saddle” to an over-all “blanket.”
German Shepherds sport a double coat. The outer coat, which sheds all year round, is close and dense with a thick undercoat. The coat is accepted in two variants; medium and long. The long-hair gene is recessive making the long-hair variety rarer. Treatment of the long-hair variation differs across standards; they are accepted under the German and UK Kennel Clubs but are considered a fault in the American Kennel Club.