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Other Names of The German Shepherd Dog:  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 don’t 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 organization’s 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 breed’s name.

More about the dog

The Anatolian Shepherd Dog is a flock guardian dog breed that hails from Turkey. Like many other livestock guardian dog breeds the Anatolian Shepherd dog has been bred for thousands of years in its native country of Turkey. As a livestock protection dog the Anatolian Shepherd in the past would have had to protect its wards against formidable foes such as lions, wolves and bears. Thus by necessity the Anatolian Shepherd dog had to be large in size and fleet of foot in order to be able to patrol a large flock of sheep covering a sizable area especially when the alarm was sounded.The precise origins of the Anatolian Shepherd dog are not properly known but it is believed that this large dog breed is descended from a cross mix of Roman mollosian war dogs, mastiffs and the indigent flock guardians that were native to Turkey. Since as far back as 7000 B.C. man has owned domestic animals thus flock guardians are some of the oldest of all dog breeds.Anatolian Shepherd Dog TemperamentLike most flock guardian dog breeds the Anatolian Shepherd is a large and independent minded dog. In other words the Anatolian Shepherd is not the type of dog that will eagerly participate in frivolous pursuits such as playing fetch and indulging the whims of its human companions. If you try to engage the Anatolian Shepherd in such activities the dog is more likely than not to give you a look that says “you’re plain crazy” before relocating itself elsewhere.Over the span of many thousand of years this dog has been selectively bred to accomplish one task and that is to protect livestock from all manner of predators be they large or small. For sure, the setting in which the Anatolian Shepherd Dog finds itself in the modern world may have changed and the flock it watches over today may be two-legged as opposed to four but the hardwiring innate to the dog remains the same!The Anatolian Shepherd takes its duty as a protector and guardian very seriously no matter the nature of ward it is entrusted to look after. In fact it is not unusual for nursing female Anatolian Shepherd Dogs to suckle the lambs that they are entrusted to protect; that is the measure of how passionately these dogs bonds. So it should come as little surprise that these dogs get along well with children although the child may find it lacking as play mate since it is just not in the Anatolian’s nature to indulge in frivolous pursuits. This innate good nature of the Anatolian Shepherd is probably as a result of Turkish Shepherds dispassionately dispatching of any dog that showed untoward aggression towards either livestock or people.However as with all dogs any interaction with children, especially small children, should be carefully monitored. Also be aware that though the Anatolian Shepherd dog may be very compliant and trustworthy around kids within the family the same may not apply for friends because as far as the dog is concerned they are not part of its flock. Keeping this distinction in mind is very important especially since the dog may not be able to differentiate between rough kid play and a real threat!The Anatolian Shepherd is not recommended for the first time dog owner or for apartment life.Form And Function Of The Anatolian Shepherd DogThe Anatolian Shepherd falls within the category of the working group of dogs and as such is a dog of exceptional endurance and ability required of tough and rugged work. If the Anatolian Shepherd Dog were a vehicle it would be a serious off-roader SUV designed to tackle the toughest of terrain (think back to the old square-shaped Landrovers or today’s or yesterday’s Landcruiser) and not some pretentious wannabe SUV that is all athletic looks but no muscle! In other words any potential owner of the Anatolian Shepherd should make no mistake and understand this dog comes from hardcore working stock and is not just a delightful oversized pet like the Great Dane.The Anatolian Shepherd Dog is an independent thinker that was often expected to use its own powers of insight and initiative to guide and keep the flock of sheep safe. In fact it was not uncommon for the Anatolian Shepherd dogs to be left alone days on end tending to the livestock without any contact from the shepherd who’d return to the comfort of the village and only check in on the animals from time to time. During such sabbaticals the dogs would often take turns to watch the flock while others hunted for game. Such was this dog breeds loyalty that even when extremely hungry the dogs never attacked their wards.Considering that wolves and stray dogs constituted a good portion of the predators that the Anatolian Shepherd had to keep at bay unsurprisingly the Anatolian Shepherd is not dog friendly. Thus it is extremely important that this large dog be timely and optimally socialized with other dogs and animals if “terminal accidents” are not to happen in the urban setting. Accidents that could result in a hefty fine for the dog’s owner and possibly resulting with the shepherd dog being put down.The Anatolian Shepherd is most certainly a large dog breed but not in the sense of barrel-chested massive. The body form of the Anatolian Shepherd is athletic in type befitting a dog that has to be fast and versatile on its feet. In Turkey to this very day the best flock guardian dogs are expected to be excellent wrestlers and quite often competitive matches are held each year. In fact it is said that a capable dog can leap in the air at a full run and turn round and land on top of its target. In essence the body structure of the Anatolian Shepherd promotes power and grace in one perfectly designed package.Anatolian Shepherd Dog Breed ControversyIn Turkey the Anatolian Shepherd finds itself in the unique but somewhat unenviable position of being a Turkish dog breed that happens not to be recognized in its very own country. In fact if you were to quiz the average Turkish person about their national dog the Anatolian Shepherd they probably respond with a “huh” and a blank stare! To this very day what began as an innocuous skirmish over a name has now escalated into a full scale war of words characterized by salvos of accusations ricocheting across west to east and vice-versa.In all likelihood this ongoing exchange arose from the misinterpretation of the meaning of the phrase Coban Kopegi by western fanciers of the dog breed. Coban Kopegi is a Turkish word that in English translates as “shepherd’s dog.” Western admirers of the Turkish livestock guardians probably corrupted this term to mean “shepherd dog,” hence the name Anatolian Shepherd dog. However the misinterpretation of the phrase Coban Kopegi probably in and of itself wasn’t enough to have escalated this verbal onslaught to the point it eventually attained, what truly got the Turkish people’s ire was what to all intents and purposes looked like another country(s) usurping a good potion its canine heritage. However when is all said and done all sides love the Anatolian Shepherd dog so perhaps the best approach is to celebrate the dog, bury the hatchet and agree to disagree!Anatolian Shepherd Dog CharacteristicsHEIGHT:Male: 29 inches and upwardsFemale: 27 inches and upwardsWEIGHT:Male: 110 – 150 lbsFemale: 80 – 120 lbs

COLOR: All colors are allowed although nowadays the fawn with black mask is the most prevalent.

HEALTH & LIFESPANMajor Health Issues: CHDMinor Health Issues: EntropionRecommended Tests: Hip & EyeLifespan: 10 – 13 yearsOther Health Issues: The Anatolian Shepherd Dog is extremely sensitive to barbiturate anesthesia and you should pass this information on to your vet if ever your dog requires surgery.

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