About the German Shepherd Dog

The history of the German Shepherd goes back to the 19th century, they originated from the Alsace-Lorraine, a region in France that was part of Germany at that time, by the cross-breeding of rural German herding dogs. Ex-cavalry officer Max von Stephanitz, a passionate animal lover, is credited as being the originator and the father of this breed.

The male German Shepherd dogs typically stand between 24-26 inches in height to their withers, with females being slight smaller, at between 22-24 inches. Average weight ranges are between 75 and 95 pounds, and a well looked after dog can enjoy a lifespan of 10 to 14 years.

This breed is not usually aggressive, despite common misconceptions, and whilst it is true to say that they don’t make friends easily, once they have made a friend, they show impressive loyalty and protection.

These dogs are great watchdogs, known for their high intelligence and strong protective traits. They are easy to train but they do not like to be alone for long periods of time since they are an active breed and easily get frustrated and bored when they do not get sufficient exercise and are not able to interact and use their intelligence. Socialization and training from early age is a must for the German Shepherd dog breed.

German Shepherds generally have good health, but they are prone, like many other dog breeds, to certain diseases and health conditions. Of course not all dogs in this breed will get these diseases but you should be aware of them if you consider owning one. Common conditions include hip and elbow dysplasia, degenerative myelopathy, gastric dilatation-volvulus, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, and contact or food allergies.

German Shepherd hip and elbow dysplasia probably represents two of the most common problems this breed encounters and is known for. Once considered hereditary with malformations that develop during periods of rapid growth, scientists now believe that whilst there may be a predisposition for the dysplasia, since the majority of puppies are born with good hips their environment and early stages of growth play a more important part in their chances to develop this condition. It seems that genetics has little to play in the formation of this condition with a puppy from two hip certified parents just a likely to develop dysplasia than not.

If the condition does develop both hip and elbow dysplasia has the potential to cause arthritis and/or severely deformed joints, often disabling the dog. Prevention can be assisted with good weight maintenance, regular and appropriate exercise for the age of the dog combined with a balanced diet to grow and keep the dog’s muscles and joints strong. Exercise that encourages strength in the muscles of the legs and pelvis will provide increased stability of the hip joints.