German Shepard Dog​ - Herding Group

German Shepherd

Breed Group: Herding Group

Size Group: Large Dog Breeds

Origin: Germany

Height: 24”-26” (male) 22”-24” (female)

Weight: 65-90 lbs (male) 50-70 lbs (female)

Color: Black, Black & cream, Black & red, Black & silver, Black & tan, Blue, Gray, Liver, Sable, White, Bi-color

Lifespan: 7-10 years

Temperament: Loyal, brave, confident

 

Overview

Originally bred to be herding dogs in Germany, the German Shepherd has become the jack-of-all-trades work dog worldwide. Need someone to bust criminals? German shepherd. Need someone to assist the visually impaired? German shepherd. Need someone to star in a movie that saves an entire company from bankruptcy? German shepherd.

At home, German shepherds need a decent amount of grooming and lots of snuggles and love from family. They are wary of strangers and have a high tendency to bark so be assured no one will approach your home without warning.

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Celebrity Owners

Reese Witherspoon, Miley Cyrus, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner, Jennifer Aniston, Enrique Iglesias, Shania Twain, Ben Affleck, Bo Derek, Michael Jackson, Tom Hanks, Tyler Perry, Elvis Presley, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, Claudia Schiffer, Liam Hemsworth, Rob Lowe, Diane Keaton, John Stamos, James Belushi, James DentonBurt Reynolds, Lauren Graham, George Foreman

Fun Facts

There is a German shepherd named Arrow that skydives to apprehend poachers in South Africa.

german shepherd dog breed

Health

German shepherds are relatively healthy dogs. Some issues to be aware of include hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, elbow hygroma, bloat, degenerative myelopathy, congenital heart defect, panosteitis, pannus, perianal fistulas, hemophilia, von Willebrand’s disease, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency.

While you always hope your pet will live a long and healthy life, it is always a good idea to invest in pet health insurance.

Keeping your dog’s mouth clean and problem free goes a long way to your pup’s overall health. Dental hygiene can be the cause or can be the byproduct of other serious health issues.

Visual inspections can be performed to keep track of the signs of potentially waning oral health. These signs can be anything from bad breath to abnormal chewing to loss of appetite.

Keeping ahead of these warning signs can pay dividends. A preventative approach can delay and stop many of the common dental problems from arising.

Oral health can be tackled in five basic steps:

  1. Brushing your dog’s teeth to prevent an undesirable buildup of plaque
  2. Feed your dog a diet where the high quality dog food has dental benefits
  3. Regularly give your dog dental toys and treats
  4. Use mouthwash, to help where brushing misses
  5. At the sign of any abnormalities, consult a vet. You can even do it virtually, from the convenience of your home.

Dogs are just like humans in that they can experience anxiety. The degree to which they are susceptible to anxiety and how they deal with anxiety is breed specific. Left unchecked, initial signs of anxiety could give way to an anxiety disorder. The symptoms of anxiety disorders can lead to a myriad of behavior issues.

Knowing the signs and symptoms will best equip you to keep ahead of it and to nip it in the bud at the earliest signs. There are options available to help with anxiety.

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German shepherd puppy

Grooming

With a German shepherd expect to brush your dog several times per week. This will help remove dead hair and somewhat contain the fur around your home. Do not bathe your pup more than once a month, which will pull away naturally occurring oils and harm the coat. This breed goes through two seasonal sheds where daily brushing is required. As with all dogs, keep your dog’s eyes and ears clean and clear of debris. Keep your dog’s nails trimmed regularly and brush your dog’s teeth several times per week.

Cost

$1,000

Exercise

German shepherds need at least an hour of exercise per day. You can tell from their muscular frame that a simple walk will not suffice. These dogs need to run and make wonderful jogging partners. This robust pup is not suited for apartment living. Having a large fenced in area is a great safe spot to play fetch and burn off steam. Always keep your dog on a leash when outside your home, calls to return are often out matched by instincts to run. Like most dogs, German shepherds will become destructive if they are not given an outlet for their energy.

Nutrition

Your full-sized German shepherd will eat around 3 cups of food per day over 2 meals. This breed is prone to bloat which is an immediately life-threatening condition where the stomach overfills and flips in the torso. You can help avoid this situation by monitoring the rate at which your pup eats. The exact amount of food your dog will need will vary depending on age and activity level.

 

We’ve taken a look at some premium dog foods, high in nutrition here.

Are You Feeding Your Dog The Best Food?

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Training

As with all dogs, early socialization with humans and other dogs is essential. German shepherds must be trained. Without proper training this breed will become aggressive and anxious. Your dog’s personality largely depends on how it is raised. This breed is eager to train and responds best to positive reward-based training. You will need to focus on a strong recall command and quiet commands to counteract your dog’s natural tendencies.

Proper training is essential to ensuring the safety of your dog and those around you. Having your dog come when they should, and in general having them listen is something you want to address early in your pup’s life, as it will pay dividends down the line. There are many tried and true training programs to accomplish this training – faster and better than you might think!

Unless you’re living on a farm, or have the space, a yipping dog, or one that barks all day when you are gone could be an issue with the neighbors and/or landlord. Historically, dogs would bark to communicate with the rest of the pack when hunting and bark as a warning shot to predators eyeing up their flock. Barking is deep rooted in dogs and manifests itself in many ways and for a variety of reasons.

Just like any habit or instinct, there are effective ways you can train this issue away.

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Supplements

A solid Glucosamine Supplement for hips and joints will go a long way to helping your furry friend.

Other helpful supplements include full-spectrum hemp oil or CBD oil. Fish oil skin and coat supplement.

Ensuring a comprehensive preventative vitamin and mineral plan is essential to keeping your dog healthy. Truth is, there are vitamins and minerals that your dog needs, but doesn’t produce naturally. While many of these vitamins and minerals can be found in your dog’s current diet and dog food, the question becomes, are there enough vitamins to ensure they aren’t deficient.

Poor nutrition can lead to some of the most common health issues, such as weak joints, compromised immunity, increased allergies, and low energy.

Vitamins play a vital role in your pet’s health and overall life expectancy. Here are some multivitamin and joint relief options.

As regulations around marijuana have eased, the emergence of CBD oils for humans and dogs have sprung up.

Just to begin to dispel the negative stigma, CBD extract comes from Hemp, marijuana’s cousin. Unlike its cousin, there are no psychoactive qualities in CBD oil. An emerging number of clinical and institutional studies have shown the wide variety of healing qualities in CBD, including pain management, and the containment of seizures and epileptic episodes.

Explore this remedy further to see all the health benefits that have transformed the lives of so many dogs to date.

Have You Tried CBD For You Dog's Health?

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Annual Vet Bills: $1,500+

Be Prepared for the unexpected.