Dog Breed Thread - German Shepherds

lrushe

HISTORY
· Captain Max Von Stephanitz sought to combine the coat, size & soundness of local herding dogs to create a dog who could work under varying conditions.
· In 1889 Von Stephanitz found the foundation dog he was looking for at a West German show.
· The dog, Hektor Linksihein later renamed Horand Von Grafrath embodied Von Stephanitz vision of a natural herder who was balanced, powerful and intelligent. He is recognised as the first German Shepherd Dog.
· Von Stephanitz set up the Verein Fur Deutsche Schaferhundenin (German Kennel Club ) in 1899 to develop the German Shepherd Dog with the adage “A pleasing appearance is desirable but cannot put the dogs working ability into question”
· Decreasing agriculture meant German Shepherd Dogs graduated from the field to the police force, army and sports clubs where they excelled at obedience, tracking and protection work.
· During WW1 America changed the breed’s name to the Shepherd Dog and Britain to the Alsatian as anything German was unmentionable.
· After WW2 America and Germany went in separate directions with the breed. America was governed by breeder preference whereas Germany obeyed the strict rules set down by the Verein Fur Deutsche Schaferhundenin which discouraged early breeding before a dog proved its worth. It also demanded Schutzhund and temperament titles for top awards.
· Famous German Shepherds include Rin-Tin-Tin and Buddy – the first Seeing Eye Dog.
Appearance
· Medium sized, strong, well muscled dog (60-65 cm for males, 55-60 cm for females).
· Body should be slightly longer than tall.
· Topline should start at the neck; continue over a straight back to a slight slope over the thigh without any abrupt change.
TEMPERAMENT
· A balanced, firm-nerved, confident, calm, intelligent animal with a ‘wait and see’ attitude while being loyal, obedient and versatile.
COAT
· Coat comes in both long and short length though the long coat is frowned upon in the show ring in some countries.
· German Shepherds have a double coat which needs minimum care besides the occasional bath and every other day groom. However when the coat is shed (this happens twice a year) it will need daily grooming until the old coat has been dropped. The guard hairs however shed all year round.
· Colours include solid black or grey/black with brown, tan or gold with a black saddle and mask.
· Solid white or white markings are forbidden but of course have no influence on a pet animal.
HEALTH
· Lifespan of 10-13 years.
· Health problems include – Hip/Elbow Dysplasia, Panosteitis (bone disease), Von Willebrand Disease (blood clotting disease), Skin Allergies, Cancers/Tumours, Bloat, Cardiomyopathy (heart disease)
GERMAN SHEPHERDS AS PETS
· A well bred, properly trained and socialised German Shepherd makes a wonderful family pet. As with any dog though they should never be left unattended with children.
· Buying from a reputable breeder is a must with this breed.
· A breeder at the very least should have the parent dogs’ hips scored.
· I like to see some working titles on this breed not least because it is a working breed but it is also a great indicator of a healthy bloodline.
· German Shepherds are not a first time dog imo; they need a firm but fair handler and early socialisation with people, other dogs and daily living as they can tend to become fearful if not exposed to these things from an early age.
· Most German Shepherds will make do with an hour or 2 30 minute walks a day but most thrive if they have a job to do so they are ideal for agility, advanced obedience or Schutzhund classes. If you don’t keep this dog busy he will find something to keep himself busy like digging, chewing etc.
· Don’t over exercise a young dog or it can cause joint problems in later life. 5 minutes exercise for every month of life is the rule and don’t try to do any serious training like agility until 18 months old when the dog’s bones will be mature.
· They do shed so be prepared to have hair on your clothes and in your house.
· German Shepherds are not the type of dog to be locked out the back and just walked once a day, they thrive on human contact and will suffer without it.
· German Shepherds are on the Restricted Breed List so will be required to wear a muzzle and be on a short, strong leash at all times in public.

lrushe

http://www.nsgsdc.com/breedhistory.shtml
http://www.vomhausgochi.com/Website/standard.htm
http://www.dogbiz.com/dogs-grp7/germ-shep/german-shepherd-health-issues.html

irishkopite93

Anybody know any reputable working line breeders?