German Shepherd
The German shepherd is a dog breed, known as a wolf dog in everyday life. It is used as a guard dog and as a shepherd. Due to its power, it is used by the police worldwide.
History
The German Shepherd is the result of a mixture of three different types of the 19th century German Shepherds:
a. the shepherd of the northern tribe,b. the shepherd of the southern tribe and finallyc. the Thuringian shepherd.
The latter also played the most important role in the final creation of the first wolf dog. It is a relatively new breed, with its roots going back to 1899.
The popular name "wolf dog" or sometimes even "wolf" came from an experimental mix between a wolf and a dog made by scientists in 1920. But the first dogs of this mix were so wild that they could not become domestic. Today's "wolf dog" has been created by selective breeding of the most "calm" dogs.
Characteristics
Character
The German Shepherd is very intelligent and loyal, obedient, brave, and protective. It is known for its courage, but it is not at all rival or aggressive. It´s a devoted dog and ideal for a companion, but also for a guard and because it can adapt to many different lifestyles.
The German Shepherd is a dominant dog, which makes him a breed that is unlikely to run away from a fight. It is not particularly friendly to strangers and will stop unwanted visitors. The German Shepherd gets well along children and other animals when provided the proper socialization, although it doesn´t prefer the company of other dogs.
Body type
The German shepherd has the following dimensions:
tallness: male 60-65 cm / female 53-60 cm (at the withers, near the neck)
length: greater by 10-17% of its height
weight: male 30-40 kg / female 22-32 kgaverage lifespan: 9,7 - 10 years
It is necessary that the dog runs 3 kilometers a day, otherwise there are serious consequences for its character.
Its fur colors are black with auburn, sometimes completely black, even black with white or white. The care for its fur, depending on the hair type, is time consuming. Its ears are always up (never down).
Family member
The dog can live within a family, since it is easily integrated and quickly becomes a full member of it. It has a very good relationship with children. The German shepherd has the ability to sense the mood of its owner.
Faithful, honest, smart and observant. As mentioned above, it is easily trained and is considered one of the most intelligent dog breeds. Also, due to its abilities, it is one of the most popular breeds in the world.
Abilities
The German Shepherd has perceptiveness, flexibility (in proportion to its weight), but also speed of hits (bites), in combination with crossed teeth (scissors) that lead to an extremely strong bite. In addition, it is easily trained for a wide range of activities, while it has a very high intelligence and is officially considered the third smartest dog breed.
For these reasons, the German Shepherd was widely used during World War I and II, and is also used today by the army and police all over the world (in stadiums, drug and explosives detection, guarding dog, locating dog, etc.). In addition, it can serve as a guide and companion for blind people.
Systematic classification
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Family: | Canidae |
