The German Shepherd Dog Breed - DDR, Czech and British Lines - Family - Pets

These days, I have been gaining more visitors on this blog, which I have dedicated to the German Shepherd dog breed; something for which I'm appreciative. So thanks for coming back if you have already read one of my posts before and thanks for coming for the first time if that is the case.

In past posts I expressed that the German Shepherd dog breed has several varieties and types consistent with the standard of the breed and that in some scenarios it is possible to identify their place of origin by their physical features. In this article I will name a few I know of, just to demonstrate the point.

A couple of the most familiar ones are the German Shepherd dogs of German lines and the German Shepherd dogs of American lines. I have already explained the predominant differences in structure and temperament between these two lines on another post, so I will not bore you with their detailed description again. If you are interested, you can check my post from December 6th 2009; "The German Shepherd Dog Breed- Difference Between German Lines and American Lines".

A few other lines that fall in this category are:

East German Lines (DDR)

They were designed in the German Democratic Republic (Deutshe Demokratishe Republik) informally called East Germany, from those dogs that stayed in the East after World War II.

The DDR was a socialist state, which was founded in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany and in the portion of East Berlin which was occupied by the Allied forces. Geographically, it comprised of northeast Germany rather than all of eastern Germany. Its dissolution began with the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989 and ended in October 1990 with the German reunification. It has been 20 years since the reunification of Germany. However, even today a break down still exists between the German Shepherd bloodlines recovered after the World War II.

The DDR no longer exists today, but the DDR German Shepherd Dog still does, although in my viewpoint it's a "dying breed". Before the fall of the Berlin Wall, East German dogs were kept secluded from West German dogs and because of that, they preserved their own different characteristics. Although they came from the same original stock before the war, the division prevented the mixing of bloodlines and they developed relatively differently. Nowadays German Shepherd dogs of pure East German Lines are pretty unusual and many lines are extinct.

True DDR bloodlines are limited to four decades of breeding in former East Germany, but their bloodlines may be found in the pedigrees of German Shepherds around the world today.

DDR dogs have a strong, solid, lean, muscular body, heavy bone construction and a large massive head. They have dark pigmentation and are not as angulated as West German show dogs. These dogs have a strong temperament, great working capacity and are well suited for Schutzhund, police work, search and rescue and many other tasks. Most importantly, DDR German Shepherds have a very low rate and severity of hip dysplasia.

Czechoslovakian Lines (Czech)

They were bred in communist Czechoslovakia as state working dogs. These dogs were usually developed from DDR lines and are essentially the same.

Czechoslovakia existed as a sovereign state from 1918 to 1992. In 1939 though, Czechoslovakia was forcefully subdivided and to some extent incorporated to Nazi Germany, and this lasted until 1945, when the Soviet Union took over the eastern part of Carpathian Ruthenia, which afterwards became part of the Slovak Republic. From 1939 to 1945 the state didn't really exist, although the Czechoslovakian government did continue to exist in exile. On January 1st 1993 Czechoslovakia peacefully separated into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Before the revolution in Czechoslovakia and the fall of their communist government in 1989, German Shepherds bred in Czechoslovakia were primarily working dogs used for the protection of their borders. What is extraordinary is that their breeding was done in just one kennel founded in 1955, which was owned by the Czechoslovakian Army's Border Patrol. The dogs used for breeding were chosen mostly from the East Germany (DDR) and the breeding program centered on solid nerves, working ability, strong bones and dark pigmentation.

The DDR and Czechoslovakia were members of the Soviet Bloc and they both produced working bloodlines to be used as help to border guards and as police protection dogs. Because of the intimate affiliation between the two, both lines are pretty much the same bloodline.

British Lines (Alsatians)

These lines are descendants of old lines that were imported into the British Isles before the post-war German lines.

Around 1908 the first German Shepherds showed up in Great Britain. In 1917, after America entered World War I, everything associated with Germany acquired a negative connotation. The American Kennel Club changed the name of the breed from the German Shepherd dog to the Shepherd Dog. On the other hand in England, the breed was renamed Alsatian, after the French-German border area of Alsace, Lorraine. The name Alsatian was never actually used anywhere else, except for England, and it was changed back to the German Shepherd dog in 1977.

These dogs developed a little differently than German Shepherds from other locations. They have heavier bone structure, a long body type, uniform shoulders and an even top line. They come in a number of colors, being black and tan, black and red, sable, bi color and black the most common.

English Lines German Shepherds have a soft temperament and they vary in drive. They make remarkable family companions, particularly for first time owners, but they also function well as service dogs, therapy dogs and guide dogs.

Nowadays, it's very hard to find German Shepherds of pure East German, Czechoslovakian or British Lines; in fact, even finding pictures of true representatives of these lines is difficult. To illustrate the fact that these lines have physical characteristics which visibly identify their origin, some of the pictures I've used in this article are from the mid to late nineteen hundreds, when these lines were unaltered. The German Shepherd dog breed has evolved in many diverse ways since it's creation and it will continue to; hopefully for the better.

Web Marketing Strategy 5: Use Backlinks For Your Main Off Page SEO Marketing - Business - Business Ideas

The main goal of a Web Marketing Strategy is generating traffic to your blog or website. Google is one the main platform used to generate traffic using Search Engine Optimization (SEO) or PPC. SEO is based on a number of factors, such as your targeted keywords, content and back links. A back links is an anchored text leading back to your blog or website from another blog or website. It is very important that you are congruent with your keywords. If your article is about German shepherd dogs, then your web or splash pages should be about German shepherd dogs.

Back links are like power juice to your site the more links the better chance that your blog or website will rank on Google. Each back links represent that people like your content and/are sharing it. The only problem is that not all back links are created equal, Google evaluate the strength of the link based on where it originate. If that was the case then you could just make an unlimited amount of blogs or websites and make a multitude of in bound links.

A forum posts on Betternetworker.com would carry more weight than one from a forum that is a spammer paradise. Betternetworker has a great reputation for providing great content for its readers. The more stringent the forum "police" is on spammers the better chance that your back links in the form of your signature file would rank better in Google's eyes.

There are many different strategies to generate back links and are listed below in no particular order:

1. Buying Links* irrelevancy possible locations that your links will be placed on, ice cream next to oil for example

2. Directories* More relevant than buying links because links are placed in your targeted categories

3. Forum posts* good link juice but poor link quality in spammy forums

4. Blog commenting* good link juice same issue as Forums

5. Content Swaps* excellent link juice

6. Article and Content publishing* good link juice and loses link strength because of blog roll

7. RSS & Social Book Marking

8. Profile pages

9. Web 2.0 properties

The 9 listed methods listed above have different advantages and disadvantages associated with them. The best method is content swaps with another blogger for instance. You appear as a guest blogger on his or her blog and he or she does the same thing on your blog. The blog posts will have each author's anchor text in bound links in each of them respectively. This is truly the truest form of link juice that you can receive.

RSS, Social book marking, profile pages and Web 2.0 properties are probably the weakest right now. It remains to be seen how Google will change the rules regarding Social Media. Facebook, Twitter and others are growing in leap and bound. Google can not ignore this trend so empty profiles pages might start effecting your page rank while active participation in these communities will increase your page rank.

The ultimate prize is to generate traffic to your blog or website, but the next task at hand is to convert them to subscribers or business partners. The next aspect of your Web Marketing Strategy and S.E.O is your on page organization. The building of back links are more of the off page activities. The way you have your blog or website set up is the next phase in converting traffic. The next tip will focus on the on page activities. Google ranks pages and not website so having the right blend of relevancy is very important.

The German Shepherd Dog Breed - DDR, Czech and British Lines - Family - Pets

These days, I have been gaining more visitors on this blog, which I have dedicated to the German Shepherd dog breed; something for which I'm appreciative. So thanks for coming back if you have already read one of my posts before and thanks for coming for the first time if that is the case.

In past posts I expressed that the German Shepherd dog breed has several varieties and types consistent with the standard of the breed and that in some scenarios it is possible to identify their place of origin by their physical features. In this article I will name a few I know of, just to demonstrate the point.

A couple of the most familiar ones are the German Shepherd dogs of German lines and the German Shepherd dogs of American lines. I have already explained the predominant differences in structure and temperament between these two lines on another post, so I will not bore you with their detailed description again. If you are interested, you can check my post from December 6th 2009; "The German Shepherd Dog Breed- Difference Between German Lines and American Lines".

A few other lines that fall in this category are:

East German Lines (DDR)

They were designed in the German Democratic Republic (Deutshe Demokratishe Republik) informally called East Germany, from those dogs that stayed in the East after World War II.

The DDR was a socialist state, which was founded in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany and in the portion of East Berlin which was occupied by the Allied forces. Geographically, it comprised of northeast Germany rather than all of eastern Germany. Its dissolution began with the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989 and ended in October 1990 with the German reunification. It has been 20 years since the reunification of Germany. However, even today a break down still exists between the German Shepherd bloodlines recovered after the World War II.

The DDR no longer exists today, but the DDR German Shepherd Dog still does, although in my viewpoint it's a "dying breed". Before the fall of the Berlin Wall, East German dogs were kept secluded from West German dogs and because of that, they preserved their own different characteristics. Although they came from the same original stock before the war, the division prevented the mixing of bloodlines and they developed relatively differently. Nowadays German Shepherd dogs of pure East German Lines are pretty unusual and many lines are extinct.

True DDR bloodlines are limited to four decades of breeding in former East Germany, but their bloodlines may be found in the pedigrees of German Shepherds around the world today.

DDR dogs have a strong, solid, lean, muscular body, heavy bone construction and a large massive head. They have dark pigmentation and are not as angulated as West German show dogs. These dogs have a strong temperament, great working capacity and are well suited for Schutzhund, police work, search and rescue and many other tasks. Most importantly, DDR German Shepherds have a very low rate and severity of hip dysplasia.

Czechoslovakian Lines (Czech)

They were bred in communist Czechoslovakia as state working dogs. These dogs were usually developed from DDR lines and are essentially the same.

Czechoslovakia existed as a sovereign state from 1918 to 1992. In 1939 though, Czechoslovakia was forcefully subdivided and to some extent incorporated to Nazi Germany, and this lasted until 1945, when the Soviet Union took over the eastern part of Carpathian Ruthenia, which afterwards became part of the Slovak Republic. From 1939 to 1945 the state didn't really exist, although the Czechoslovakian government did continue to exist in exile. On January 1st 1993 Czechoslovakia peacefully separated into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Before the revolution in Czechoslovakia and the fall of their communist government in 1989, German Shepherds bred in Czechoslovakia were primarily working dogs used for the protection of their borders. What is extraordinary is that their breeding was done in just one kennel founded in 1955, which was owned by the Czechoslovakian Army's Border Patrol. The dogs used for breeding were chosen mostly from the East Germany (DDR) and the breeding program centered on solid nerves, working ability, strong bones and dark pigmentation.

The DDR and Czechoslovakia were members of the Soviet Bloc and they both produced working bloodlines to be used as help to border guards and as police protection dogs. Because of the intimate affiliation between the two, both lines are pretty much the same bloodline.

British Lines (Alsatians)

These lines are descendants of old lines that were imported into the British Isles before the post-war German lines.

Around 1908 the first German Shepherds showed up in Great Britain. In 1917, after America entered World War I, everything associated with Germany acquired a negative connotation. The American Kennel Club changed the name of the breed from the German Shepherd dog to the Shepherd Dog. On the other hand in England, the breed was renamed Alsatian, after the French-German border area of Alsace, Lorraine. The name Alsatian was never actually used anywhere else, except for England, and it was changed back to the German Shepherd dog in 1977.

These dogs developed a little differently than German Shepherds from other locations. They have heavier bone structure, a long body type, uniform shoulders and an even top line. They come in a number of colors, being black and tan, black and red, sable, bi color and black the most common.

English Lines German Shepherds have a soft temperament and they vary in drive. They make remarkable family companions, particularly for first time owners, but they also function well as service dogs, therapy dogs and guide dogs.

Nowadays, it's very hard to find German Shepherds of pure East German, Czechoslovakian or British Lines; in fact, even finding pictures of true representatives of these lines is difficult. To illustrate the fact that these lines have physical characteristics which visibly identify their origin, some of the pictures I've used in this article are from the mid to late nineteen hundreds, when these lines were unaltered. The German Shepherd dog breed has evolved in many diverse ways since it's creation and it will continue to; hopefully for the better.

Black German Shepherd - Family - Pets

While th majority, if nt ll f the articles u've read online speak of hw much fun t is to bring home our vr wn black German Shepherd, thi article wul tll yu why you huldn't b gtting this breed n th first place!

Before nythng else, ou houldn't get th article wrong. Black German Shepherds r adorable pets but iffrnt pets re for fferent owners! Hence, yu shul first understand what type f dog you would be gttng in terms of attitude, temperament, an physical characteristics, befor ou ven bring home ur dog.

Here ar top three of th reasons why ou dn't want to pick ths breed:

1) You're nt athletic

First, you houl understand tht thi breed in general re big, athletic dogs nd whn I y athletic, tht means th enjoy strenuous exercises and stuff lik that. Therefore, u' be obliged t tak thm ut everyday t walk aroun the neighbourhood r vn play wth them. German Shepherds enjoy activities n require that th are lws stimulated. If thy'r not stimulated, they tend to beme aggressive an anti-social.

2) You hav Kids or Elderly German Shepherds r small when the'r young but grow up to b very big dogs. That's wh th're not ideal whn yu hve kids or elderly t home. Most of th time, thir big structures pose a problem to kids r ol people tht might gt bumped or simply ran into.

3) You dn't hve a big house or lot While having a big lot nt necessary, ou shoul remember tht yur dogs are athletic in nature. Hence, thy require big area for exercise an stimulation. It's not alws tht ou culd bring them out fr walks, s smetmes you just hav to let them loose. During thee times, a considerably large open space for running nd playing s required for ou dog. Other, smaller dogs, however, n't require these.The gene for black coats n German Shepherds s wht knwn s a recessive gene. When a puppy i born, its DNA carries two sets of evr gene; n frm ach parent. Of course, vn though ever puppy ha tw genes that control coat colour, it n nly hve n type of coat. To illustrate this fact, an how it ties nto coat colour, we will give an xamle of a sire wh has one gene that ays "black nd tan coat", and another that sy "solid black coat". The dam will hv th same: on gene for black and tan, and the ther for solid black. When thir litter is born, ne puppy receives th sire's gene for black and tan, but receives th mother's gene fr solid black.

Because the solid black gene i recessive gene, that puppy's coat will nevr be black, det carrying the genes for both types f coats. If nother puppy receives the gene for solid black from bth parents, its coat wll b black. The nl wa dog's coat an be solid black i if it receives tht gene frm both parents. If ou crunch the numbers, ther only 25% chance tht a puppy from that litter wll hve a black coat, but there s a 50% chance tht you will hav black nd tan puppy that still carries one solid black gene. The gene for black coats n remain dormant through generations of black nd tan German Shepherds.

Where this bomes a problem, i when breeders start breeding selectively for black coats fr their beauty an aesthetic value. In order to ensure that ver puppy will hav th desired coat colour, thy wll nl breed two black German Shepherds together. Due t th rarity f black German Shepherds, this means tht they re breeding frm a vr limited gene-pool, an th quality of the dogs wll suffer.

For more information on the black german shepherd, you can check the information available online.

The German Shepherd Dog Breed - DDR, Czech and British Lines - Family - Pets

These days, I have been gaining more visitors on this blog, which I have dedicated to the German Shepherd dog breed; something for which I'm appreciative. So thanks for coming back if you have already read one of my posts before and thanks for coming for the first time if that is the case.

In past posts I expressed that the German Shepherd dog breed has several varieties and types consistent with the standard of the breed and that in some scenarios it is possible to identify their place of origin by their physical features. In this article I will name a few I know of, just to demonstrate the point.

A couple of the most familiar ones are the German Shepherd dogs of German lines and the German Shepherd dogs of American lines. I have already explained the predominant differences in structure and temperament between these two lines on another post, so I will not bore you with their detailed description again. If you are interested, you can check my post from December 6th 2009; "The German Shepherd Dog Breed- Difference Between German Lines and American Lines".

A few other lines that fall in this category are:

East German Lines (DDR)

They were designed in the German Democratic Republic (Deutshe Demokratishe Republik) informally called East Germany, from those dogs that stayed in the East after World War II.

The DDR was a socialist state, which was founded in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany and in the portion of East Berlin which was occupied by the Allied forces. Geographically, it comprised of northeast Germany rather than all of eastern Germany. Its dissolution began with the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989 and ended in October 1990 with the German reunification. It has been 20 years since the reunification of Germany. However, even today a break down still exists between the German Shepherd bloodlines recovered after the World War II.

The DDR no longer exists today, but the DDR German Shepherd Dog still does, although in my viewpoint it's a "dying breed". Before the fall of the Berlin Wall, East German dogs were kept secluded from West German dogs and because of that, they preserved their own different characteristics. Although they came from the same original stock before the war, the division prevented the mixing of bloodlines and they developed relatively differently. Nowadays German Shepherd dogs of pure East German Lines are pretty unusual and many lines are extinct.

True DDR bloodlines are limited to four decades of breeding in former East Germany, but their bloodlines may be found in the pedigrees of German Shepherds around the world today.

DDR dogs have a strong, solid, lean, muscular body, heavy bone construction and a large massive head. They have dark pigmentation and are not as angulated as West German show dogs. These dogs have a strong temperament, great working capacity and are well suited for Schutzhund, police work, search and rescue and many other tasks. Most importantly, DDR German Shepherds have a very low rate and severity of hip dysplasia.

Czechoslovakian Lines (Czech)

They were bred in communist Czechoslovakia as state working dogs. These dogs were usually developed from DDR lines and are essentially the same.

Czechoslovakia existed as a sovereign state from 1918 to 1992. In 1939 though, Czechoslovakia was forcefully subdivided and to some extent incorporated to Nazi Germany, and this lasted until 1945, when the Soviet Union took over the eastern part of Carpathian Ruthenia, which afterwards became part of the Slovak Republic. From 1939 to 1945 the state didn't really exist, although the Czechoslovakian government did continue to exist in exile. On January 1st 1993 Czechoslovakia peacefully separated into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Before the revolution in Czechoslovakia and the fall of their communist government in 1989, German Shepherds bred in Czechoslovakia were primarily working dogs used for the protection of their borders. What is extraordinary is that their breeding was done in just one kennel founded in 1955, which was owned by the Czechoslovakian Army's Border Patrol. The dogs used for breeding were chosen mostly from the East Germany (DDR) and the breeding program centered on solid nerves, working ability, strong bones and dark pigmentation.

The DDR and Czechoslovakia were members of the Soviet Bloc and they both produced working bloodlines to be used as help to border guards and as police protection dogs. Because of the intimate affiliation between the two, both lines are pretty much the same bloodline.

British Lines (Alsatians)

These lines are descendants of old lines that were imported into the British Isles before the post-war German lines.

Around 1908 the first German Shepherds showed up in Great Britain. In 1917, after America entered World War I, everything associated with Germany acquired a negative connotation. The American Kennel Club changed the name of the breed from the German Shepherd dog to the Shepherd Dog. On the other hand in England, the breed was renamed Alsatian, after the French-German border area of Alsace, Lorraine. The name Alsatian was never actually used anywhere else, except for England, and it was changed back to the German Shepherd dog in 1977.

These dogs developed a little differently than German Shepherds from other locations. They have heavier bone structure, a long body type, uniform shoulders and an even top line. They come in a number of colors, being black and tan, black and red, sable, bi color and black the most common.

English Lines German Shepherds have a soft temperament and they vary in drive. They make remarkable family companions, particularly for first time owners, but they also function well as service dogs, therapy dogs and guide dogs.

Nowadays, it's very hard to find German Shepherds of pure East German, Czechoslovakian or British Lines; in fact, even finding pictures of true representatives of these lines is difficult. To illustrate the fact that these lines have physical characteristics which visibly identify their origin, some of the pictures I've used in this article are from the mid to late nineteen hundreds, when these lines were unaltered. The German Shepherd dog breed has evolved in many diverse ways since it's creation and it will continue to; hopefully for the better.

The German Shepherd Dog Breed - DDR, Czech and British Lines - Family - Pets

These days, I have been gaining more visitors on this blog, which I have dedicated to the German Shepherd dog breed; something for which I'm appreciative. So thanks for coming back if you have already read one of my posts before and thanks for coming for the first time if that is the case.

In past posts I expressed that the German Shepherd dog breed has several varieties and types consistent with the standard of the breed and that in some scenarios it is possible to identify their place of origin by their physical features. In this article I will name a few I know of, just to demonstrate the point.

A couple of the most familiar ones are the German Shepherd dogs of German lines and the German Shepherd dogs of American lines. I have already explained the predominant differences in structure and temperament between these two lines on another post, so I will not bore you with their detailed description again. If you are interested, you can check my post from December 6th 2009; "The German Shepherd Dog Breed- Difference Between German Lines and American Lines".

A few other lines that fall in this category are:

East German Lines (DDR)

They were designed in the German Democratic Republic (Deutshe Demokratishe Republik) informally called East Germany, from those dogs that stayed in the East after World War II.

The DDR was a socialist state, which was founded in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany and in the portion of East Berlin which was occupied by the Allied forces. Geographically, it comprised of northeast Germany rather than all of eastern Germany. Its dissolution began with the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989 and ended in October 1990 with the German reunification. It has been 20 years since the reunification of Germany. However, even today a break down still exists between the German Shepherd bloodlines recovered after the World War II.

The DDR no longer exists today, but the DDR German Shepherd Dog still does, although in my viewpoint it's a "dying breed". Before the fall of the Berlin Wall, East German dogs were kept secluded from West German dogs and because of that, they preserved their own different characteristics. Although they came from the same original stock before the war, the division prevented the mixing of bloodlines and they developed relatively differently. Nowadays German Shepherd dogs of pure East German Lines are pretty unusual and many lines are extinct.

True DDR bloodlines are limited to four decades of breeding in former East Germany, but their bloodlines may be found in the pedigrees of German Shepherds around the world today.

DDR dogs have a strong, solid, lean, muscular body, heavy bone construction and a large massive head. They have dark pigmentation and are not as angulated as West German show dogs. These dogs have a strong temperament, great working capacity and are well suited for Schutzhund, police work, search and rescue and many other tasks. Most importantly, DDR German Shepherds have a very low rate and severity of hip dysplasia.

Czechoslovakian Lines (Czech)

They were bred in communist Czechoslovakia as state working dogs. These dogs were usually developed from DDR lines and are essentially the same.

Czechoslovakia existed as a sovereign state from 1918 to 1992. In 1939 though, Czechoslovakia was forcefully subdivided and to some extent incorporated to Nazi Germany, and this lasted until 1945, when the Soviet Union took over the eastern part of Carpathian Ruthenia, which afterwards became part of the Slovak Republic. From 1939 to 1945 the state didn't really exist, although the Czechoslovakian government did continue to exist in exile. On January 1st 1993 Czechoslovakia peacefully separated into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Before the revolution in Czechoslovakia and the fall of their communist government in 1989, German Shepherds bred in Czechoslovakia were primarily working dogs used for the protection of their borders. What is extraordinary is that their breeding was done in just one kennel founded in 1955, which was owned by the Czechoslovakian Army's Border Patrol. The dogs used for breeding were chosen mostly from the East Germany (DDR) and the breeding program centered on solid nerves, working ability, strong bones and dark pigmentation.

The DDR and Czechoslovakia were members of the Soviet Bloc and they both produced working bloodlines to be used as help to border guards and as police protection dogs. Because of the intimate affiliation between the two, both lines are pretty much the same bloodline.

British Lines (Alsatians)

These lines are descendants of old lines that were imported into the British Isles before the post-war German lines.

Around 1908 the first German Shepherds showed up in Great Britain. In 1917, after America entered World War I, everything associated with Germany acquired a negative connotation. The American Kennel Club changed the name of the breed from the German Shepherd dog to the Shepherd Dog. On the other hand in England, the breed was renamed Alsatian, after the French-German border area of Alsace, Lorraine. The name Alsatian was never actually used anywhere else, except for England, and it was changed back to the German Shepherd dog in 1977.

These dogs developed a little differently than German Shepherds from other locations. They have heavier bone structure, a long body type, uniform shoulders and an even top line. They come in a number of colors, being black and tan, black and red, sable, bi color and black the most common.

English Lines German Shepherds have a soft temperament and they vary in drive. They make remarkable family companions, particularly for first time owners, but they also function well as service dogs, therapy dogs and guide dogs.

Nowadays, it's very hard to find German Shepherds of pure East German, Czechoslovakian or British Lines; in fact, even finding pictures of true representatives of these lines is difficult. To illustrate the fact that these lines have physical characteristics which visibly identify their origin, some of the pictures I've used in this article are from the mid to late nineteen hundreds, when these lines were unaltered. The German Shepherd dog breed has evolved in many diverse ways since it's creation and it will continue to; hopefully for the better.

German Shepherds - The Family Watch Dog - Family - Pets

There's a lot of different breeds of dogs, but among the world's most popular dog breeds there are a few that have been singled out as the most loyal, hard-working and intelligent. German Shepherds have long been valued for these qualities and more.

The German Shepherd is a newer breed. It originated in 1899 in Germany and was used for herding sheep. The breed was created when German ex-military member and veterinary student Max von Stephanitz saw a dog with admirable working qualities. The dog was strong and intelligent, with a superior sense of smell and fierce loyalty.

Von Stephanitz purchased the dog and bred it with his own working dogs. Eventually, he created the breed we now know as German Shepherds. Every German Shepherd today can be traced back to von Stephanitz and his breeding efforts.

The name of the breed has been a source of several controversies since its inception in 1899. The original name given to the breed by Max von Stephanitz translated literally to "German Shepherd Dog." In the 1940's, the Kennel Club officially changed the breed's name to Alsation Wolf Dog. The change was due to the fear that the breed would become unpopular because of widespread anti-German sentiments during WW2.

Not long after this name change, the general public began to fear that Alsation Wolf Dogs were actually wild and aggressive half wolves. While this was not true, the public's fear was enough to prompt the Kennel Club to change the name again, this time to simply Alsation.

Dog lovers in various countries pressured kennel clubs for another name change in 1977. This time, they asked that the breed revert to its original name. Since then, the official name of the breed has been German Shepherd Dog.

The original German Shepherd Dogs were used to herd and protect sheep on working farms in Germany. Since then, German Shepherds have been used in a variety of working capacities. Perhaps most well-known is their use as police and military working dogs. In rural settings, German Shepherds are extremely useful for search and rescue missions. Their keen sense of smell and dedication to pleasing their masters make them diligent workers.

In a more urban environment, German Shepherd Dogs are extremely useful for locating drugs, explosives and fleeing suspects. The strength of the dogs makes them ideal for taking down dangerous or running suspects. They are often used in airports and mail processing facilities to sniff out contraband in luggage and packages.

In recent years, some concerns have been raised about the safety of German Shepherd Dogs. There have been some reported cases of the dogs turning violent or attacking people. However, most of these cases are based on anecdotal evidence. Dogs tend to react aggressively when mistreated or threatened, or when protecting their masters. This has been the cause for many of the so-called German Shepherd 'attacks'.

Overall, German Shepherd Dogs are very safe to have around. In fact, they make outstanding guard dogs. They are protective of their owners and will often put themselves in danger to save their masters. They are currently the third most popular dog breed in the United States and enjoy popularity all over the world.

In Spain and the Balearic Islands especially, dog lovers appreciate the loyalty and beauty of this regal breed. According to licensing records, in fact, the German Shepherd Dog is the most popular dog breed in Menorca - the popular holiday island has a reputation of being extremely safe. That reputation is thanks, in part, to these gentle working dogs. They are always on the job, protecting their adoptive families and keeping watch for any signs of trouble such as housebreakers.

German Shepherds - The Family Watch Dog - Family - Pets

There's a lot of different breeds of dogs, but among the world's most popular dog breeds there are a few that have been singled out as the most loyal, hard-working and intelligent. German Shepherds have long been valued for these qualities and more.

The German Shepherd is a newer breed. It originated in 1899 in Germany and was used for herding sheep. The breed was created when German ex-military member and veterinary student Max von Stephanitz saw a dog with admirable working qualities. The dog was strong and intelligent, with a superior sense of smell and fierce loyalty.

Von Stephanitz purchased the dog and bred it with his own working dogs. Eventually, he created the breed we now know as German Shepherds. Every German Shepherd today can be traced back to von Stephanitz and his breeding efforts.

The name of the breed has been a source of several controversies since its inception in 1899. The original name given to the breed by Max von Stephanitz translated literally to "German Shepherd Dog." In the 1940's, the Kennel Club officially changed the breed's name to Alsation Wolf Dog. The change was due to the fear that the breed would become unpopular because of widespread anti-German sentiments during WW2.

Not long after this name change, the general public began to fear that Alsation Wolf Dogs were actually wild and aggressive half wolves. While this was not true, the public's fear was enough to prompt the Kennel Club to change the name again, this time to simply Alsation.

Dog lovers in various countries pressured kennel clubs for another name change in 1977. This time, they asked that the breed revert to its original name. Since then, the official name of the breed has been German Shepherd Dog.

The original German Shepherd Dogs were used to herd and protect sheep on working farms in Germany. Since then, German Shepherds have been used in a variety of working capacities. Perhaps most well-known is their use as police and military working dogs. In rural settings, German Shepherds are extremely useful for search and rescue missions. Their keen sense of smell and dedication to pleasing their masters make them diligent workers.

In a more urban environment, German Shepherd Dogs are extremely useful for locating drugs, explosives and fleeing suspects. The strength of the dogs makes them ideal for taking down dangerous or running suspects. They are often used in airports and mail processing facilities to sniff out contraband in luggage and packages.

In recent years, some concerns have been raised about the safety of German Shepherd Dogs. There have been some reported cases of the dogs turning violent or attacking people. However, most of these cases are based on anecdotal evidence. Dogs tend to react aggressively when mistreated or threatened, or when protecting their masters. This has been the cause for many of the so-called German Shepherd 'attacks'.

Overall, German Shepherd Dogs are very safe to have around. In fact, they make outstanding guard dogs. They are protective of their owners and will often put themselves in danger to save their masters. They are currently the third most popular dog breed in the United States and enjoy popularity all over the world.

In Spain and the Balearic Islands especially, dog lovers appreciate the loyalty and beauty of this regal breed. According to licensing records, in fact, the German Shepherd Dog is the most popular dog breed in Menorca - the popular holiday island has a reputation of being extremely safe. That reputation is thanks, in part, to these gentle working dogs. They are always on the job, protecting their adoptive families and keeping watch for any signs of trouble such as housebreakers.

The German Shepherd Dog Breed - DDR, Czech and British Lines - Family - Pets

These days, I have been gaining more visitors on this blog, which I have dedicated to the German Shepherd dog breed; something for which I'm appreciative. So thanks for coming back if you have already read one of my posts before and thanks for coming for the first time if that is the case.

In past posts I expressed that the German Shepherd dog breed has several varieties and types consistent with the standard of the breed and that in some scenarios it is possible to identify their place of origin by their physical features. In this article I will name a few I know of, just to demonstrate the point.

A couple of the most familiar ones are the German Shepherd dogs of German lines and the German Shepherd dogs of American lines. I have already explained the predominant differences in structure and temperament between these two lines on another post, so I will not bore you with their detailed description again. If you are interested, you can check my post from December 6th 2009; "The German Shepherd Dog Breed- Difference Between German Lines and American Lines".

A few other lines that fall in this category are:

East German Lines (DDR)

They were designed in the German Democratic Republic (Deutshe Demokratishe Republik) informally called East Germany, from those dogs that stayed in the East after World War II.

The DDR was a socialist state, which was founded in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany and in the portion of East Berlin which was occupied by the Allied forces. Geographically, it comprised of northeast Germany rather than all of eastern Germany. Its dissolution began with the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989 and ended in October 1990 with the German reunification. It has been 20 years since the reunification of Germany. However, even today a break down still exists between the German Shepherd bloodlines recovered after the World War II.

The DDR no longer exists today, but the DDR German Shepherd Dog still does, although in my viewpoint it's a "dying breed". Before the fall of the Berlin Wall, East German dogs were kept secluded from West German dogs and because of that, they preserved their own different characteristics. Although they came from the same original stock before the war, the division prevented the mixing of bloodlines and they developed relatively differently. Nowadays German Shepherd dogs of pure East German Lines are pretty unusual and many lines are extinct.

True DDR bloodlines are limited to four decades of breeding in former East Germany, but their bloodlines may be found in the pedigrees of German Shepherds around the world today.

DDR dogs have a strong, solid, lean, muscular body, heavy bone construction and a large massive head. They have dark pigmentation and are not as angulated as West German show dogs. These dogs have a strong temperament, great working capacity and are well suited for Schutzhund, police work, search and rescue and many other tasks. Most importantly, DDR German Shepherds have a very low rate and severity of hip dysplasia.

Czechoslovakian Lines (Czech)

They were bred in communist Czechoslovakia as state working dogs. These dogs were usually developed from DDR lines and are essentially the same.

Czechoslovakia existed as a sovereign state from 1918 to 1992. In 1939 though, Czechoslovakia was forcefully subdivided and to some extent incorporated to Nazi Germany, and this lasted until 1945, when the Soviet Union took over the eastern part of Carpathian Ruthenia, which afterwards became part of the Slovak Republic. From 1939 to 1945 the state didn't really exist, although the Czechoslovakian government did continue to exist in exile. On January 1st 1993 Czechoslovakia peacefully separated into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Before the revolution in Czechoslovakia and the fall of their communist government in 1989, German Shepherds bred in Czechoslovakia were primarily working dogs used for the protection of their borders. What is extraordinary is that their breeding was done in just one kennel founded in 1955, which was owned by the Czechoslovakian Army's Border Patrol. The dogs used for breeding were chosen mostly from the East Germany (DDR) and the breeding program centered on solid nerves, working ability, strong bones and dark pigmentation.

The DDR and Czechoslovakia were members of the Soviet Bloc and they both produced working bloodlines to be used as help to border guards and as police protection dogs. Because of the intimate affiliation between the two, both lines are pretty much the same bloodline.

British Lines (Alsatians)

These lines are descendants of old lines that were imported into the British Isles before the post-war German lines.

Around 1908 the first German Shepherds showed up in Great Britain. In 1917, after America entered World War I, everything associated with Germany acquired a negative connotation. The American Kennel Club changed the name of the breed from the German Shepherd dog to the Shepherd Dog. On the other hand in England, the breed was renamed Alsatian, after the French-German border area of Alsace, Lorraine. The name Alsatian was never actually used anywhere else, except for England, and it was changed back to the German Shepherd dog in 1977.

These dogs developed a little differently than German Shepherds from other locations. They have heavier bone structure, a long body type, uniform shoulders and an even top line. They come in a number of colors, being black and tan, black and red, sable, bi color and black the most common.

English Lines German Shepherds have a soft temperament and they vary in drive. They make remarkable family companions, particularly for first time owners, but they also function well as service dogs, therapy dogs and guide dogs.

Nowadays, it's very hard to find German Shepherds of pure East German, Czechoslovakian or British Lines; in fact, even finding pictures of true representatives of these lines is difficult. To illustrate the fact that these lines have physical characteristics which visibly identify their origin, some of the pictures I've used in this article are from the mid to late nineteen hundreds, when these lines were unaltered. The German Shepherd dog breed has evolved in many diverse ways since it's creation and it will continue to; hopefully for the better.

The German Shepherd Dog Breed - DDR, Czech and British Lines - Family - Pets

These days, I have been gaining more visitors on this blog, which I have dedicated to the German Shepherd dog breed; something for which I'm appreciative. So thanks for coming back if you have already read one of my posts before and thanks for coming for the first time if that is the case.

In past posts I expressed that the German Shepherd dog breed has several varieties and types consistent with the standard of the breed and that in some scenarios it is possible to identify their place of origin by their physical features. In this article I will name a few I know of, just to demonstrate the point.

A couple of the most familiar ones are the German Shepherd dogs of German lines and the German Shepherd dogs of American lines. I have already explained the predominant differences in structure and temperament between these two lines on another post, so I will not bore you with their detailed description again. If you are interested, you can check my post from December 6th 2009; "The German Shepherd Dog Breed- Difference Between German Lines and American Lines".

A few other lines that fall in this category are:

East German Lines (DDR)

They were designed in the German Democratic Republic (Deutshe Demokratishe Republik) informally called East Germany, from those dogs that stayed in the East after World War II.

The DDR was a socialist state, which was founded in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany and in the portion of East Berlin which was occupied by the Allied forces. Geographically, it comprised of northeast Germany rather than all of eastern Germany. Its dissolution began with the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989 and ended in October 1990 with the German reunification. It has been 20 years since the reunification of Germany. However, even today a break down still exists between the German Shepherd bloodlines recovered after the World War II.

The DDR no longer exists today, but the DDR German Shepherd Dog still does, although in my viewpoint it's a "dying breed". Before the fall of the Berlin Wall, East German dogs were kept secluded from West German dogs and because of that, they preserved their own different characteristics. Although they came from the same original stock before the war, the division prevented the mixing of bloodlines and they developed relatively differently. Nowadays German Shepherd dogs of pure East German Lines are pretty unusual and many lines are extinct.

True DDR bloodlines are limited to four decades of breeding in former East Germany, but their bloodlines may be found in the pedigrees of German Shepherds around the world today.

DDR dogs have a strong, solid, lean, muscular body, heavy bone construction and a large massive head. They have dark pigmentation and are not as angulated as West German show dogs. These dogs have a strong temperament, great working capacity and are well suited for Schutzhund, police work, search and rescue and many other tasks. Most importantly, DDR German Shepherds have a very low rate and severity of hip dysplasia.

Czechoslovakian Lines (Czech)

They were bred in communist Czechoslovakia as state working dogs. These dogs were usually developed from DDR lines and are essentially the same.

Czechoslovakia existed as a sovereign state from 1918 to 1992. In 1939 though, Czechoslovakia was forcefully subdivided and to some extent incorporated to Nazi Germany, and this lasted until 1945, when the Soviet Union took over the eastern part of Carpathian Ruthenia, which afterwards became part of the Slovak Republic. From 1939 to 1945 the state didn't really exist, although the Czechoslovakian government did continue to exist in exile. On January 1st 1993 Czechoslovakia peacefully separated into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Before the revolution in Czechoslovakia and the fall of their communist government in 1989, German Shepherds bred in Czechoslovakia were primarily working dogs used for the protection of their borders. What is extraordinary is that their breeding was done in just one kennel founded in 1955, which was owned by the Czechoslovakian Army's Border Patrol. The dogs used for breeding were chosen mostly from the East Germany (DDR) and the breeding program centered on solid nerves, working ability, strong bones and dark pigmentation.

The DDR and Czechoslovakia were members of the Soviet Bloc and they both produced working bloodlines to be used as help to border guards and as police protection dogs. Because of the intimate affiliation between the two, both lines are pretty much the same bloodline.

British Lines (Alsatians)

These lines are descendants of old lines that were imported into the British Isles before the post-war German lines.

Around 1908 the first German Shepherds showed up in Great Britain. In 1917, after America entered World War I, everything associated with Germany acquired a negative connotation. The American Kennel Club changed the name of the breed from the German Shepherd dog to the Shepherd Dog. On the other hand in England, the breed was renamed Alsatian, after the French-German border area of Alsace, Lorraine. The name Alsatian was never actually used anywhere else, except for England, and it was changed back to the German Shepherd dog in 1977.

These dogs developed a little differently than German Shepherds from other locations. They have heavier bone structure, a long body type, uniform shoulders and an even top line. They come in a number of colors, being black and tan, black and red, sable, bi color and black the most common.

English Lines German Shepherds have a soft temperament and they vary in drive. They make remarkable family companions, particularly for first time owners, but they also function well as service dogs, therapy dogs and guide dogs.

Nowadays, it's very hard to find German Shepherds of pure East German, Czechoslovakian or British Lines; in fact, even finding pictures of true representatives of these lines is difficult. To illustrate the fact that these lines have physical characteristics which visibly identify their origin, some of the pictures I've used in this article are from the mid to late nineteen hundreds, when these lines were unaltered. The German Shepherd dog breed has evolved in many diverse ways since it's creation and it will continue to; hopefully for the better.

The German Shepherd Dog Breed - DDR, Czech and British Lines - Family - Pets

These days, I have been gaining more visitors on this blog, which I have dedicated to the German Shepherd dog breed; something for which I'm appreciative. So thanks for coming back if you have already read one of my posts before and thanks for coming for the first time if that is the case.

In past posts I expressed that the German Shepherd dog breed has several varieties and types consistent with the standard of the breed and that in some scenarios it is possible to identify their place of origin by their physical features. In this article I will name a few I know of, just to demonstrate the point.

A couple of the most familiar ones are the German Shepherd dogs of German lines and the German Shepherd dogs of American lines. I have already explained the predominant differences in structure and temperament between these two lines on another post, so I will not bore you with their detailed description again. If you are interested, you can check my post from December 6th 2009; "The German Shepherd Dog Breed- Difference Between German Lines and American Lines".

A few other lines that fall in this category are:

East German Lines (DDR)

They were designed in the German Democratic Republic (Deutshe Demokratishe Republik) informally called East Germany, from those dogs that stayed in the East after World War II.

The DDR was a socialist state, which was founded in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany and in the portion of East Berlin which was occupied by the Allied forces. Geographically, it comprised of northeast Germany rather than all of eastern Germany. Its dissolution began with the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989 and ended in October 1990 with the German reunification. It has been 20 years since the reunification of Germany. However, even today a break down still exists between the German Shepherd bloodlines recovered after the World War II.

The DDR no longer exists today, but the DDR German Shepherd Dog still does, although in my viewpoint it's a "dying breed". Before the fall of the Berlin Wall, East German dogs were kept secluded from West German dogs and because of that, they preserved their own different characteristics. Although they came from the same original stock before the war, the division prevented the mixing of bloodlines and they developed relatively differently. Nowadays German Shepherd dogs of pure East German Lines are pretty unusual and many lines are extinct.

True DDR bloodlines are limited to four decades of breeding in former East Germany, but their bloodlines may be found in the pedigrees of German Shepherds around the world today.

DDR dogs have a strong, solid, lean, muscular body, heavy bone construction and a large massive head. They have dark pigmentation and are not as angulated as West German show dogs. These dogs have a strong temperament, great working capacity and are well suited for Schutzhund, police work, search and rescue and many other tasks. Most importantly, DDR German Shepherds have a very low rate and severity of hip dysplasia.

Czechoslovakian Lines (Czech)

They were bred in communist Czechoslovakia as state working dogs. These dogs were usually developed from DDR lines and are essentially the same.

Czechoslovakia existed as a sovereign state from 1918 to 1992. In 1939 though, Czechoslovakia was forcefully subdivided and to some extent incorporated to Nazi Germany, and this lasted until 1945, when the Soviet Union took over the eastern part of Carpathian Ruthenia, which afterwards became part of the Slovak Republic. From 1939 to 1945 the state didn't really exist, although the Czechoslovakian government did continue to exist in exile. On January 1st 1993 Czechoslovakia peacefully separated into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Before the revolution in Czechoslovakia and the fall of their communist government in 1989, German Shepherds bred in Czechoslovakia were primarily working dogs used for the protection of their borders. What is extraordinary is that their breeding was done in just one kennel founded in 1955, which was owned by the Czechoslovakian Army's Border Patrol. The dogs used for breeding were chosen mostly from the East Germany (DDR) and the breeding program centered on solid nerves, working ability, strong bones and dark pigmentation.

The DDR and Czechoslovakia were members of the Soviet Bloc and they both produced working bloodlines to be used as help to border guards and as police protection dogs. Because of the intimate affiliation between the two, both lines are pretty much the same bloodline.

British Lines (Alsatians)

These lines are descendants of old lines that were imported into the British Isles before the post-war German lines.

Around 1908 the first German Shepherds showed up in Great Britain. In 1917, after America entered World War I, everything associated with Germany acquired a negative connotation. The American Kennel Club changed the name of the breed from the German Shepherd dog to the Shepherd Dog. On the other hand in England, the breed was renamed Alsatian, after the French-German border area of Alsace, Lorraine. The name Alsatian was never actually used anywhere else, except for England, and it was changed back to the German Shepherd dog in 1977.

These dogs developed a little differently than German Shepherds from other locations. They have heavier bone structure, a long body type, uniform shoulders and an even top line. They come in a number of colors, being black and tan, black and red, sable, bi color and black the most common.

English Lines German Shepherds have a soft temperament and they vary in drive. They make remarkable family companions, particularly for first time owners, but they also function well as service dogs, therapy dogs and guide dogs.

Nowadays, it's very hard to find German Shepherds of pure East German, Czechoslovakian or British Lines; in fact, even finding pictures of true representatives of these lines is difficult. To illustrate the fact that these lines have physical characteristics which visibly identify their origin, some of the pictures I've used in this article are from the mid to late nineteen hundreds, when these lines were unaltered. The German Shepherd dog breed has evolved in many diverse ways since it's creation and it will continue to; hopefully for the better.

The German Shepherd Dog Breed - DDR, Czech and British Lines - Family - Pets

These days, I have been gaining more visitors on this blog, which I have dedicated to the German Shepherd dog breed; something for which I'm appreciative. So thanks for coming back if you have already read one of my posts before and thanks for coming for the first time if that is the case.

In past posts I expressed that the German Shepherd dog breed has several varieties and types consistent with the standard of the breed and that in some scenarios it is possible to identify their place of origin by their physical features. In this article I will name a few I know of, just to demonstrate the point.

A couple of the most familiar ones are the German Shepherd dogs of German lines and the German Shepherd dogs of American lines. I have already explained the predominant differences in structure and temperament between these two lines on another post, so I will not bore you with their detailed description again. If you are interested, you can check my post from December 6th 2009; "The German Shepherd Dog Breed- Difference Between German Lines and American Lines".

A few other lines that fall in this category are:

East German Lines (DDR)

They were designed in the German Democratic Republic (Deutshe Demokratishe Republik) informally called East Germany, from those dogs that stayed in the East after World War II.

The DDR was a socialist state, which was founded in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany and in the portion of East Berlin which was occupied by the Allied forces. Geographically, it comprised of northeast Germany rather than all of eastern Germany. Its dissolution began with the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989 and ended in October 1990 with the German reunification. It has been 20 years since the reunification of Germany. However, even today a break down still exists between the German Shepherd bloodlines recovered after the World War II.

The DDR no longer exists today, but the DDR German Shepherd Dog still does, although in my viewpoint it's a "dying breed". Before the fall of the Berlin Wall, East German dogs were kept secluded from West German dogs and because of that, they preserved their own different characteristics. Although they came from the same original stock before the war, the division prevented the mixing of bloodlines and they developed relatively differently. Nowadays German Shepherd dogs of pure East German Lines are pretty unusual and many lines are extinct.

True DDR bloodlines are limited to four decades of breeding in former East Germany, but their bloodlines may be found in the pedigrees of German Shepherds around the world today.

DDR dogs have a strong, solid, lean, muscular body, heavy bone construction and a large massive head. They have dark pigmentation and are not as angulated as West German show dogs. These dogs have a strong temperament, great working capacity and are well suited for Schutzhund, police work, search and rescue and many other tasks. Most importantly, DDR German Shepherds have a very low rate and severity of hip dysplasia.

Czechoslovakian Lines (Czech)

They were bred in communist Czechoslovakia as state working dogs. These dogs were usually developed from DDR lines and are essentially the same.

Czechoslovakia existed as a sovereign state from 1918 to 1992. In 1939 though, Czechoslovakia was forcefully subdivided and to some extent incorporated to Nazi Germany, and this lasted until 1945, when the Soviet Union took over the eastern part of Carpathian Ruthenia, which afterwards became part of the Slovak Republic. From 1939 to 1945 the state didn't really exist, although the Czechoslovakian government did continue to exist in exile. On January 1st 1993 Czechoslovakia peacefully separated into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Before the revolution in Czechoslovakia and the fall of their communist government in 1989, German Shepherds bred in Czechoslovakia were primarily working dogs used for the protection of their borders. What is extraordinary is that their breeding was done in just one kennel founded in 1955, which was owned by the Czechoslovakian Army's Border Patrol. The dogs used for breeding were chosen mostly from the East Germany (DDR) and the breeding program centered on solid nerves, working ability, strong bones and dark pigmentation.

The DDR and Czechoslovakia were members of the Soviet Bloc and they both produced working bloodlines to be used as help to border guards and as police protection dogs. Because of the intimate affiliation between the two, both lines are pretty much the same bloodline.

British Lines (Alsatians)

These lines are descendants of old lines that were imported into the British Isles before the post-war German lines.

Around 1908 the first German Shepherds showed up in Great Britain. In 1917, after America entered World War I, everything associated with Germany acquired a negative connotation. The American Kennel Club changed the name of the breed from the German Shepherd dog to the Shepherd Dog. On the other hand in England, the breed was renamed Alsatian, after the French-German border area of Alsace, Lorraine. The name Alsatian was never actually used anywhere else, except for England, and it was changed back to the German Shepherd dog in 1977.

These dogs developed a little differently than German Shepherds from other locations. They have heavier bone structure, a long body type, uniform shoulders and an even top line. They come in a number of colors, being black and tan, black and red, sable, bi color and black the most common.

English Lines German Shepherds have a soft temperament and they vary in drive. They make remarkable family companions, particularly for first time owners, but they also function well as service dogs, therapy dogs and guide dogs.

Nowadays, it's very hard to find German Shepherds of pure East German, Czechoslovakian or British Lines; in fact, even finding pictures of true representatives of these lines is difficult. To illustrate the fact that these lines have physical characteristics which visibly identify their origin, some of the pictures I've used in this article are from the mid to late nineteen hundreds, when these lines were unaltered. The German Shepherd dog breed has evolved in many diverse ways since it's creation and it will continue to; hopefully for the better.

Facts You Need To Know About German Shepherd Dogs - Family - Pets

For active families who are looking for a versatile pet, German shepherd dogs must be on top of your choices. They can be a house pet and at the same time they can also be a working dog as guard or police dog. It is known to all that German shepherd dogs are popular police dogs and rescuers. However, their gentle character is one of the reasons why they can be great pets to kids, too. With the right training, they can blend well with people in a household and even perform the duties of a guard dog at the same time.

This is quite contrary to the common impression that German shepherds are fierce dogs. The characters of a German shepherd dog would generally say that this breed is extremely intelligent, quick to learn, and loyal to his master. If you are well-versed about this breed, you can maximize this dogs potentials to your benefit. Choosing a German shepherd as your family pet may depend on the type of lifestyle that you live and your purpose of getting a pet. They need ample of daily exercise to release their energies. If they are not given enough time to exercise outdoors, they tend to be overexcited and restless.

Thus, you need to ensure that you have the time to accompany your pet outdoors. They need special attention for trainings and exercise that is why owners of this breed must be aware of their obligations. Otherwise, having this pet may just be a pain in the head. These important facts about German shepherds you have to know prior to owning one. Do not be an irresponsible owner because you might cause problems not only to your household but to other people as well. Training a German shepherd is not too complicated since their breed is basically easily trainable. They are quick learners and smart, so dont worry about their capacity to cope with the training.

However, you need to at least have enough knowledge in training this particular dog breed if you intend to handle the training yourself. Training must start while the dog is still young. If its too late, there is a greater tendency that German shepherd dogs will be difficult to handle. A Guide to German shepherds would often recommend that you need to implement a firm training on this breed. It is important that they learn proper behavior while they are young so that they can be easily handled when they mature. Like training any other dog breed, positive reinforcement through compliments and rewards are highly recommended for German shepherd dogs, too.

Having a healthy and well-trained dog could bring in a lot of joy and pride to you and your family. They are considered to be as one of the best dogs in the world to own. If you plan to own this type of breed, then stuff yourself with enough information on raising German shepherd dogs. It may not be too easy at first but as you dedicate more time and effort to raising this breed, it would be more rewarding.

Facts You Need To Know About German Shepherd Dogs - Family - Pets

For active families who are looking for a versatile pet, German shepherd dogs must be on top of your choices. They can be a house pet and at the same time they can also be a working dog as guard or police dog. It is known to all that German shepherd dogs are popular police dogs and rescuers. However, their gentle character is one of the reasons why they can be great pets to kids, too. With the right training, they can blend well with people in a household and even perform the duties of a guard dog at the same time.

This is quite contrary to the common impression that German shepherds are fierce dogs. The characters of a German shepherd dog would generally say that this breed is extremely intelligent, quick to learn, and loyal to his master. If you are well-versed about this breed, you can maximize this dogs potentials to your benefit. Choosing a German shepherd as your family pet may depend on the type of lifestyle that you live and your purpose of getting a pet. They need ample of daily exercise to release their energies. If they are not given enough time to exercise outdoors, they tend to be overexcited and restless.

Thus, you need to ensure that you have the time to accompany your pet outdoors. They need special attention for trainings and exercise that is why owners of this breed must be aware of their obligations. Otherwise, having this pet may just be a pain in the head. These important facts about German shepherds you have to know prior to owning one. Do not be an irresponsible owner because you might cause problems not only to your household but to other people as well. Training a German shepherd is not too complicated since their breed is basically easily trainable. They are quick learners and smart, so dont worry about their capacity to cope with the training.

However, you need to at least have enough knowledge in training this particular dog breed if you intend to handle the training yourself. Training must start while the dog is still young. If its too late, there is a greater tendency that German shepherd dogs will be difficult to handle. A Guide to German shepherds would often recommend that you need to implement a firm training on this breed. It is important that they learn proper behavior while they are young so that they can be easily handled when they mature. Like training any other dog breed, positive reinforcement through compliments and rewards are highly recommended for German shepherd dogs, too.

Having a healthy and well-trained dog could bring in a lot of joy and pride to you and your family. They are considered to be as one of the best dogs in the world to own. If you plan to own this type of breed, then stuff yourself with enough information on raising German shepherd dogs. It may not be too easy at first but as you dedicate more time and effort to raising this breed, it would be more rewarding.

The German Shepherd Dog Breed - DDR, Czech and British Lines - Family - Pets

These days, I have been gaining more visitors on this blog, which I have dedicated to the German Shepherd dog breed; something for which I'm appreciative. So thanks for coming back if you have already read one of my posts before and thanks for coming for the first time if that is the case.

In past posts I expressed that the German Shepherd dog breed has several varieties and types consistent with the standard of the breed and that in some scenarios it is possible to identify their place of origin by their physical features. In this article I will name a few I know of, just to demonstrate the point.

A couple of the most familiar ones are the German Shepherd dogs of German lines and the German Shepherd dogs of American lines. I have already explained the predominant differences in structure and temperament between these two lines on another post, so I will not bore you with their detailed description again. If you are interested, you can check my post from December 6th 2009; "The German Shepherd Dog Breed- Difference Between German Lines and American Lines".

A few other lines that fall in this category are:

East German Lines (DDR)

They were designed in the German Democratic Republic (Deutshe Demokratishe Republik) informally called East Germany, from those dogs that stayed in the East after World War II.

The DDR was a socialist state, which was founded in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany and in the portion of East Berlin which was occupied by the Allied forces. Geographically, it comprised of northeast Germany rather than all of eastern Germany. Its dissolution began with the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989 and ended in October 1990 with the German reunification. It has been 20 years since the reunification of Germany. However, even today a break down still exists between the German Shepherd bloodlines recovered after the World War II.

The DDR no longer exists today, but the DDR German Shepherd Dog still does, although in my viewpoint it's a "dying breed". Before the fall of the Berlin Wall, East German dogs were kept secluded from West German dogs and because of that, they preserved their own different characteristics. Although they came from the same original stock before the war, the division prevented the mixing of bloodlines and they developed relatively differently. Nowadays German Shepherd dogs of pure East German Lines are pretty unusual and many lines are extinct.

True DDR bloodlines are limited to four decades of breeding in former East Germany, but their bloodlines may be found in the pedigrees of German Shepherds around the world today.

DDR dogs have a strong, solid, lean, muscular body, heavy bone construction and a large massive head. They have dark pigmentation and are not as angulated as West German show dogs. These dogs have a strong temperament, great working capacity and are well suited for Schutzhund, police work, search and rescue and many other tasks. Most importantly, DDR German Shepherds have a very low rate and severity of hip dysplasia.

Czechoslovakian Lines (Czech)

They were bred in communist Czechoslovakia as state working dogs. These dogs were usually developed from DDR lines and are essentially the same.

Czechoslovakia existed as a sovereign state from 1918 to 1992. In 1939 though, Czechoslovakia was forcefully subdivided and to some extent incorporated to Nazi Germany, and this lasted until 1945, when the Soviet Union took over the eastern part of Carpathian Ruthenia, which afterwards became part of the Slovak Republic. From 1939 to 1945 the state didn't really exist, although the Czechoslovakian government did continue to exist in exile. On January 1st 1993 Czechoslovakia peacefully separated into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Before the revolution in Czechoslovakia and the fall of their communist government in 1989, German Shepherds bred in Czechoslovakia were primarily working dogs used for the protection of their borders. What is extraordinary is that their breeding was done in just one kennel founded in 1955, which was owned by the Czechoslovakian Army's Border Patrol. The dogs used for breeding were chosen mostly from the East Germany (DDR) and the breeding program centered on solid nerves, working ability, strong bones and dark pigmentation.

The DDR and Czechoslovakia were members of the Soviet Bloc and they both produced working bloodlines to be used as help to border guards and as police protection dogs. Because of the intimate affiliation between the two, both lines are pretty much the same bloodline.

British Lines (Alsatians)

These lines are descendants of old lines that were imported into the British Isles before the post-war German lines.

Around 1908 the first German Shepherds showed up in Great Britain. In 1917, after America entered World War I, everything associated with Germany acquired a negative connotation. The American Kennel Club changed the name of the breed from the German Shepherd dog to the Shepherd Dog. On the other hand in England, the breed was renamed Alsatian, after the French-German border area of Alsace, Lorraine. The name Alsatian was never actually used anywhere else, except for England, and it was changed back to the German Shepherd dog in 1977.

These dogs developed a little differently than German Shepherds from other locations. They have heavier bone structure, a long body type, uniform shoulders and an even top line. They come in a number of colors, being black and tan, black and red, sable, bi color and black the most common.

English Lines German Shepherds have a soft temperament and they vary in drive. They make remarkable family companions, particularly for first time owners, but they also function well as service dogs, therapy dogs and guide dogs.

Nowadays, it's very hard to find German Shepherds of pure East German, Czechoslovakian or British Lines; in fact, even finding pictures of true representatives of these lines is difficult. To illustrate the fact that these lines have physical characteristics which visibly identify their origin, some of the pictures I've used in this article are from the mid to late nineteen hundreds, when these lines were unaltered. The German Shepherd dog breed has evolved in many diverse ways since it's creation and it will continue to; hopefully for the better.

The German Shepherd Dog Breed - DDR, Czech and British Lines - Family - Pets

These days, I have been gaining more visitors on this blog, which I have dedicated to the German Shepherd dog breed; something for which I'm appreciative. So thanks for coming back if you have already read one of my posts before and thanks for coming for the first time if that is the case.

In past posts I expressed that the German Shepherd dog breed has several varieties and types consistent with the standard of the breed and that in some scenarios it is possible to identify their place of origin by their physical features. In this article I will name a few I know of, just to demonstrate the point.

A couple of the most familiar ones are the German Shepherd dogs of German lines and the German Shepherd dogs of American lines. I have already explained the predominant differences in structure and temperament between these two lines on another post, so I will not bore you with their detailed description again. If you are interested, you can check my post from December 6th 2009; "The German Shepherd Dog Breed- Difference Between German Lines and American Lines".

A few other lines that fall in this category are:

East German Lines (DDR)

They were designed in the German Democratic Republic (Deutshe Demokratishe Republik) informally called East Germany, from those dogs that stayed in the East after World War II.

The DDR was a socialist state, which was founded in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany and in the portion of East Berlin which was occupied by the Allied forces. Geographically, it comprised of northeast Germany rather than all of eastern Germany. Its dissolution began with the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989 and ended in October 1990 with the German reunification. It has been 20 years since the reunification of Germany. However, even today a break down still exists between the German Shepherd bloodlines recovered after the World War II.

The DDR no longer exists today, but the DDR German Shepherd Dog still does, although in my viewpoint it's a "dying breed". Before the fall of the Berlin Wall, East German dogs were kept secluded from West German dogs and because of that, they preserved their own different characteristics. Although they came from the same original stock before the war, the division prevented the mixing of bloodlines and they developed relatively differently. Nowadays German Shepherd dogs of pure East German Lines are pretty unusual and many lines are extinct.

True DDR bloodlines are limited to four decades of breeding in former East Germany, but their bloodlines may be found in the pedigrees of German Shepherds around the world today.

DDR dogs have a strong, solid, lean, muscular body, heavy bone construction and a large massive head. They have dark pigmentation and are not as angulated as West German show dogs. These dogs have a strong temperament, great working capacity and are well suited for Schutzhund, police work, search and rescue and many other tasks. Most importantly, DDR German Shepherds have a very low rate and severity of hip dysplasia.

Czechoslovakian Lines (Czech)

They were bred in communist Czechoslovakia as state working dogs. These dogs were usually developed from DDR lines and are essentially the same.

Czechoslovakia existed as a sovereign state from 1918 to 1992. In 1939 though, Czechoslovakia was forcefully subdivided and to some extent incorporated to Nazi Germany, and this lasted until 1945, when the Soviet Union took over the eastern part of Carpathian Ruthenia, which afterwards became part of the Slovak Republic. From 1939 to 1945 the state didn't really exist, although the Czechoslovakian government did continue to exist in exile. On January 1st 1993 Czechoslovakia peacefully separated into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Before the revolution in Czechoslovakia and the fall of their communist government in 1989, German Shepherds bred in Czechoslovakia were primarily working dogs used for the protection of their borders. What is extraordinary is that their breeding was done in just one kennel founded in 1955, which was owned by the Czechoslovakian Army's Border Patrol. The dogs used for breeding were chosen mostly from the East Germany (DDR) and the breeding program centered on solid nerves, working ability, strong bones and dark pigmentation.

The DDR and Czechoslovakia were members of the Soviet Bloc and they both produced working bloodlines to be used as help to border guards and as police protection dogs. Because of the intimate affiliation between the two, both lines are pretty much the same bloodline.

British Lines (Alsatians)

These lines are descendants of old lines that were imported into the British Isles before the post-war German lines.

Around 1908 the first German Shepherds showed up in Great Britain. In 1917, after America entered World War I, everything associated with Germany acquired a negative connotation. The American Kennel Club changed the name of the breed from the German Shepherd dog to the Shepherd Dog. On the other hand in England, the breed was renamed Alsatian, after the French-German border area of Alsace, Lorraine. The name Alsatian was never actually used anywhere else, except for England, and it was changed back to the German Shepherd dog in 1977.

These dogs developed a little differently than German Shepherds from other locations. They have heavier bone structure, a long body type, uniform shoulders and an even top line. They come in a number of colors, being black and tan, black and red, sable, bi color and black the most common.

English Lines German Shepherds have a soft temperament and they vary in drive. They make remarkable family companions, particularly for first time owners, but they also function well as service dogs, therapy dogs and guide dogs.

Nowadays, it's very hard to find German Shepherds of pure East German, Czechoslovakian or British Lines; in fact, even finding pictures of true representatives of these lines is difficult. To illustrate the fact that these lines have physical characteristics which visibly identify their origin, some of the pictures I've used in this article are from the mid to late nineteen hundreds, when these lines were unaltered. The German Shepherd dog breed has evolved in many diverse ways since it's creation and it will continue to; hopefully for the better.

German Shepherds - The Family Watch Dog - Family - Pets

There's a lot of different breeds of dogs, but among the world's most popular dog breeds there are a few that have been singled out as the most loyal, hard-working and intelligent. German Shepherds have long been valued for these qualities and more.

The German Shepherd is a newer breed. It originated in 1899 in Germany and was used for herding sheep. The breed was created when German ex-military member and veterinary student Max von Stephanitz saw a dog with admirable working qualities. The dog was strong and intelligent, with a superior sense of smell and fierce loyalty.

Von Stephanitz purchased the dog and bred it with his own working dogs. Eventually, he created the breed we now know as German Shepherds. Every German Shepherd today can be traced back to von Stephanitz and his breeding efforts.

The name of the breed has been a source of several controversies since its inception in 1899. The original name given to the breed by Max von Stephanitz translated literally to "German Shepherd Dog." In the 1940's, the Kennel Club officially changed the breed's name to Alsation Wolf Dog. The change was due to the fear that the breed would become unpopular because of widespread anti-German sentiments during WW2.

Not long after this name change, the general public began to fear that Alsation Wolf Dogs were actually wild and aggressive half wolves. While this was not true, the public's fear was enough to prompt the Kennel Club to change the name again, this time to simply Alsation.

Dog lovers in various countries pressured kennel clubs for another name change in 1977. This time, they asked that the breed revert to its original name. Since then, the official name of the breed has been German Shepherd Dog.

The original German Shepherd Dogs were used to herd and protect sheep on working farms in Germany. Since then, German Shepherds have been used in a variety of working capacities. Perhaps most well-known is their use as police and military working dogs. In rural settings, German Shepherds are extremely useful for search and rescue missions. Their keen sense of smell and dedication to pleasing their masters make them diligent workers.

In a more urban environment, German Shepherd Dogs are extremely useful for locating drugs, explosives and fleeing suspects. The strength of the dogs makes them ideal for taking down dangerous or running suspects. They are often used in airports and mail processing facilities to sniff out contraband in luggage and packages.

In recent years, some concerns have been raised about the safety of German Shepherd Dogs. There have been some reported cases of the dogs turning violent or attacking people. However, most of these cases are based on anecdotal evidence. Dogs tend to react aggressively when mistreated or threatened, or when protecting their masters. This has been the cause for many of the so-called German Shepherd 'attacks'.

Overall, German Shepherd Dogs are very safe to have around. In fact, they make outstanding guard dogs. They are protective of their owners and will often put themselves in danger to save their masters. They are currently the third most popular dog breed in the United States and enjoy popularity all over the world.

In Spain and the Balearic Islands especially, dog lovers appreciate the loyalty and beauty of this regal breed. According to licensing records, in fact, the German Shepherd Dog is the most popular dog breed in Menorca - the popular holiday island has a reputation of being extremely safe. That reputation is thanks, in part, to these gentle working dogs. They are always on the job, protecting their adoptive families and keeping watch for any signs of trouble such as housebreakers.

The German Shepherd Dog Breed - DDR, Czech and British Lines - Family - Pets

These days, I have been gaining more visitors on this blog, which I have dedicated to the German Shepherd dog breed; something for which I'm appreciative. So thanks for coming back if you have already read one of my posts before and thanks for coming for the first time if that is the case.

In past posts I expressed that the German Shepherd dog breed has several varieties and types consistent with the standard of the breed and that in some scenarios it is possible to identify their place of origin by their physical features. In this article I will name a few I know of, just to demonstrate the point.

A couple of the most familiar ones are the German Shepherd dogs of German lines and the German Shepherd dogs of American lines. I have already explained the predominant differences in structure and temperament between these two lines on another post, so I will not bore you with their detailed description again. If you are interested, you can check my post from December 6th 2009; "The German Shepherd Dog Breed- Difference Between German Lines and American Lines".

A few other lines that fall in this category are:

East German Lines (DDR)

They were designed in the German Democratic Republic (Deutshe Demokratishe Republik) informally called East Germany, from those dogs that stayed in the East after World War II.

The DDR was a socialist state, which was founded in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany and in the portion of East Berlin which was occupied by the Allied forces. Geographically, it comprised of northeast Germany rather than all of eastern Germany. Its dissolution began with the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989 and ended in October 1990 with the German reunification. It has been 20 years since the reunification of Germany. However, even today a break down still exists between the German Shepherd bloodlines recovered after the World War II.

The DDR no longer exists today, but the DDR German Shepherd Dog still does, although in my viewpoint it's a "dying breed". Before the fall of the Berlin Wall, East German dogs were kept secluded from West German dogs and because of that, they preserved their own different characteristics. Although they came from the same original stock before the war, the division prevented the mixing of bloodlines and they developed relatively differently. Nowadays German Shepherd dogs of pure East German Lines are pretty unusual and many lines are extinct.

True DDR bloodlines are limited to four decades of breeding in former East Germany, but their bloodlines may be found in the pedigrees of German Shepherds around the world today.

DDR dogs have a strong, solid, lean, muscular body, heavy bone construction and a large massive head. They have dark pigmentation and are not as angulated as West German show dogs. These dogs have a strong temperament, great working capacity and are well suited for Schutzhund, police work, search and rescue and many other tasks. Most importantly, DDR German Shepherds have a very low rate and severity of hip dysplasia.

Czechoslovakian Lines (Czech)

They were bred in communist Czechoslovakia as state working dogs. These dogs were usually developed from DDR lines and are essentially the same.

Czechoslovakia existed as a sovereign state from 1918 to 1992. In 1939 though, Czechoslovakia was forcefully subdivided and to some extent incorporated to Nazi Germany, and this lasted until 1945, when the Soviet Union took over the eastern part of Carpathian Ruthenia, which afterwards became part of the Slovak Republic. From 1939 to 1945 the state didn't really exist, although the Czechoslovakian government did continue to exist in exile. On January 1st 1993 Czechoslovakia peacefully separated into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Before the revolution in Czechoslovakia and the fall of their communist government in 1989, German Shepherds bred in Czechoslovakia were primarily working dogs used for the protection of their borders. What is extraordinary is that their breeding was done in just one kennel founded in 1955, which was owned by the Czechoslovakian Army's Border Patrol. The dogs used for breeding were chosen mostly from the East Germany (DDR) and the breeding program centered on solid nerves, working ability, strong bones and dark pigmentation.

The DDR and Czechoslovakia were members of the Soviet Bloc and they both produced working bloodlines to be used as help to border guards and as police protection dogs. Because of the intimate affiliation between the two, both lines are pretty much the same bloodline.

British Lines (Alsatians)

These lines are descendants of old lines that were imported into the British Isles before the post-war German lines.

Around 1908 the first German Shepherds showed up in Great Britain. In 1917, after America entered World War I, everything associated with Germany acquired a negative connotation. The American Kennel Club changed the name of the breed from the German Shepherd dog to the Shepherd Dog. On the other hand in England, the breed was renamed Alsatian, after the French-German border area of Alsace, Lorraine. The name Alsatian was never actually used anywhere else, except for England, and it was changed back to the German Shepherd dog in 1977.

These dogs developed a little differently than German Shepherds from other locations. They have heavier bone structure, a long body type, uniform shoulders and an even top line. They come in a number of colors, being black and tan, black and red, sable, bi color and black the most common.

English Lines German Shepherds have a soft temperament and they vary in drive. They make remarkable family companions, particularly for first time owners, but they also function well as service dogs, therapy dogs and guide dogs.

Nowadays, it's very hard to find German Shepherds of pure East German, Czechoslovakian or British Lines; in fact, even finding pictures of true representatives of these lines is difficult. To illustrate the fact that these lines have physical characteristics which visibly identify their origin, some of the pictures I've used in this article are from the mid to late nineteen hundreds, when these lines were unaltered. The German Shepherd dog breed has evolved in many diverse ways since it's creation and it will continue to; hopefully for the better.

German Shepherd Dog - Family - Pets

The German Shepherd Dog Is Also Known By These Other Names: Alsatian, Deutscher Schaferhund, GSD.

German Shepherd Dog Temperament

The German Shepherd dog is amongst the most intelligent of dogs and its versatility and excellence in performing all manner of activities has secured its eternal position in the hall of fame when it comes to policing duties, search and rescue, military functions such as bomb sniffing and even as sight-seeing dogs for people who are blind or those with impaired eyesight. The German Shepherd is a quick study and due to their innate high intelligence are very easy to train.

These dogs are active, alert and like many other animals of a high intelligence and active nature the German Shepherd needs to be constantly challenged and stimulated both physically and mentally to avoid becoming a nuisance. That said, this dog breed makes a great companion and is both brave and loyal. Though some dogs tend to be somewhat aloof and wary by and large this dog breed makes for a great family pet and they generally get on well with children. Occasionally certain dogs may become a tad domineering with children which may manifest in the form of the German Shepherd trying to herd them about; in keeping with its breeding pedigree.

German Shepherd dogs have excellent watchdog ability and are typically wary of both strangers and other dogs. Early socialization is a must if your dog is going to be around other animals. As far as climate tolerance is concerned these dogs adapt fairly well to moderate cold as well as moderate heat, though extremes in either direction dont go down well.

German Shepherd Dog Grooming & Exercise Requirements

The German Shepherd boasts a high energy level and thus this dog breed requires plenty of exercise on a daily basis. Its grooming requirements however are not quite as demanding and its coat only requires brushing once or twice a week. The German Shepherd is a moderate to heavy shedder and thus is perhaps not the best choice of dog for allergy sufferers.

German Shepherd Dog Appearance

The body of the German Shepherd dog is typically longer than it is tall and in the modern variant when the animal is standing the body slopes downwards as though the dog is poised to spring off of its hind legs. This was not always the case, the early variant of the German Shepherd dog having a squarer body and less slanting haunches. The tail is usually bushy and hangs with a slight curve.

This dog breed boasts an athletic build and erect ears atop a head with a pointed snout which enhances the alert appearance of the dog. Coat color may vary and includes the following: black, black and tan and sable. From a show dog perspective white-coated dogs are not allowed although of recent there is a movement for such specimens to be represented in their own sub-category.

This dog breed has a double coat with a thick outer coat comprised of close lying medium-length hair that may be straight or slightly wavy.

Weight: Males: 75 100 pounds Females: 60 80 pounds

Height: Males: 24 26 inches Females: 22 24 inches

German Shepherd Dog Health Issues/Life Expectancy

This dog breed on average has a lifespan of 10 12 years. Due to rather intense in breeding over the years the German Shepherd dog suffers from a number of genetic disorders which include the following:

Major Concerns:

CHD

Elbow Dysplasia

Minor Concerns: Panosteitis; vWD; Degenerative Myelopathy; Cauda Equina; Skin Allergies; Hot Spots; Neoplasms; Pannus; Cataract; Gastric Torsion; Perianal Fistulas; Cardiomyopathy; Hemangiosarcoma

German Shepherd dogs are also extremely susceptible to a potentially fatal systemic infection from the fungus Aspergillus.

German Shepherd Dog History

The modern German Shepherd dog is the end result of a concerted effort in the late 19th century to breed the perfect German sheep herding dog. Up until that time each district boasted its own distinct herding dog. To achieve the perfect herding dog various dog breeds from the north were crossbred with those from the central district ultimately resulting with the forbearer of the modern German Shepherd.

The goal of the German Shepherd dog breeding program was to produce a dog that could watch out for and control straying sheep from the rest of the flock without spooking the entire flock. Thus unlike cattle herding dogs it was undesirable for the German Shepherd dog to exhibit leg nipping and neither could it control its wards by barking at them because either one of those attributes would more than likely cause the entire flock to panic!

In essence the German Shepherd dog breeding program had to come up with an extremely intelligent, versatile, swift and independent thinking breed of dog that executed its duties in a precise, swift, calm and steady manner.

Between 1899 and 1901 a specialist breed club was established and was originally headquartered in Stuttgart before moving to Munich and then finally ending up in Berlin. This club was known as Der Verein Fur Schaferhunde (SV for short), and this organizations primary goal and purpose was to oversee the continued positive development of the German Shepherd dog breed.

Within a decade of its breeding the German Shepherd dog had soon become one of the most popular dog breeds in the world. Its rising star in popularity was slightly marred by the occurrence of the two world wars, when it was considered prudent in both Britain and France to refer to the dog breed as either an Alsatian or simple the Shepherd Dog to avoid the inevitable backlash at the time associated with the word German incorporated in the dog breeds name.

Click Here For More About The Dog