Also known as the Alsatian, the German Shepherd is a large dog weighing between 77 and 85 pounds. The dog will measure 24 to 26 at the withers, and the bitch 22 to 24 . German Shepherds are agile and muscular dogs and well suited to all forms of energetic work. Three kinds of coat may be found on these dogs: straight-haired coarse (the most common kind), long straight-haired coarse, and long-haired wavy. The usual coat colours are tan and black or all black. Less seen colours are liver, blue, or white. History: During the 19th century in Germany, breeders began to develop a specialized dog from local sheep herding dogs. Led by Captain Max von Stephanitz, the effort to produce a highly intelligent and trainable dog resulted in what we know today as the German Shepherd. It is believed by some that wolves were bred, either deliberately or accidentally, to area dogs to help form the breed. The German Shepherd was well established in Germany by 1899 and had made its way to America by 1907.

Temperament: The German Shepherd is well loved for its loyalty and attached to its owner and family. It is one of the most popular breeds in America. They are very protective of those they love. German Shepherds are good with children, especially when properly socialized. This is a brave and cheerful dog that enjoys being around its human family.

The German Shepherd is sometimes considered to be an aggressive dog. However, it should be emphasized that any large dog that is untrained and unsupervised can be characterized as such. This is a very active dog that wants to work, German Shepherds need something to do. Training for this dog should begin, in a positive manner, as soon as the puppy is brought home.

Health Issues: The most frightening and life-threatening condition these dogs may experience is bloat, or stomach torsion. Any dog that becomes extremely sick with this must be taken to a veterinarian immediately. As a large breed, German Shepherds can suffer from hip dysplasia and problems with the elbow. Because these dogs have been selectively bred to have a sloping back, spinal problems can develop. As a good deal of inbreeding was necessary to refine the breed, Von Willebrand's Disease, a type of haemophilia, can occur. Carriers of this disorder can be detected by a blood test.

Grooming: Although the German Shepherd will shed year round, minimal grooming is required. Brushing the dog's coat several times a week will keep it in good condition and keep shedding under control.

Living Conditions: Evolving as it did from rough-living farm and shepherding dogs, the German Shepherd is certainly able to be kept outdoors year round. However, as this dog becomes very attached to its human friends, it is better kept in the house. The German Shepherd can live in an apartment as long as it is given plenty of exercise. This dog has a high energy level and this must be burned off daily to maintain the dog's mental and physical health.

The German Shepherd Dog also called the Alsatian comes literally from the German Deutscher Schäferhund. The Alsatian is a relatively new breed of large-sized dog that dates from the late 19th century. Originally a herding dog, particularly for sheep.

Often employed by the military and police for their obedience and intelligence. The German Shepherd is nearly always one of the top five global breeds. The original dog was called Hektor Linksrhein. He so impressed Von Stephanitz that he bought it and renamed him to Horand von Grafrath and founded German Shepherd Dog Society.

Horand von Grafrath became the hub of the Alsatian breeding programs and was mated with many other society member dogs.
The German Shepherds popularity has increased rapidly through the 20th Century, though it had some problems in popularity in the early days due to genetic health issues from poor inbreeding and after the world wars with anti German sentiment. To such an extent that the UK Kennel Club renamed it to “Alsatian Wolf Dog”, a while later the wolf dog addition was removed and in 1977, the German Shepherd Dog was back as the official name, though it is still often known as the Alsatian. The German Shepherd popularity was fuelled by animal actors such as Rin Tin Tin and Strongheart. Now it is in most countries the third most popular dog breed.

They are a large dog of around sixty centimetres (around 24 inches) at the withers and weigh around 30 kilograms (60 lb).

The German Shepherd's face has a long square cut muzzle, a doomed forehead, a long neck, powerful jaws, big erect ears (that are often pulled back when on the move), black nose and brown, medium-sized eyes. With a bushy tail.

Alsatians come in a variety of colours, the normal versions are the tan/black and red/black versions with black saddles and masks. Rarer versions include the sable, all-black, all-white, liver and blue types, which may not fit country breed standards. German Shepherds have a double coat. A thick close dense outer coat, which is shed all year round and a thick undercoat. The long-hair variety is rarer.
The Alsatian, like many working dogs is very intelligent, and are ranked as the third most intelligent breed of dog by Stanley Coren in his reference study and book “The Intelligence of Dogs”. This attribute combined with their power makes the breed sought after as guard, police, search and rescue dogs, being able to quickly learn various tasks and interpret instructions better than other large breeds.
German Shepherds have a reputation for aggression and have been restricted in areas as a result. Statistically, in the USA, they are responsible for more random bites than any other breed, and have a reputation to attack smaller breeds of dogs.

Additionally studies have shown that German Shepherds are the breed third most likely to attack a person and in a different study, Alsatians accounted for nearly half of the dog bites that needed medical attention, versus a more typical twenty of bites needing medical attention, not a surprise with their powerful jaws and sharp canine teeth.

The problem is not with the dog, but the owners. As with all intelligent lively dog (or person), if they are not regularly active and kept occupied, they can become difficult. Good dog training and dog socialisation are crucial for a dog like the Alsatian. Unlike the collie, which a lot of its aggressiveness has been breed out from show strains, the Alsatian does not seem to have lost this character.

They can bond very well with their family, however they can become over-protective of their family and territory. This can give them an aloof personality.

Alsatians learn well and are very obedient and not easily distracted, but due to their tough personality, you must be very forceful with them. The German Shepherd must have two good walks a day. They are not a dog for a busy family who cannot give them the time and attention. For this reason, busy couples often ask professional dog walkers such as London dog walking to help out by walking them for several hours a day.
Poor breeding has led to common genetic health issues, hip and elbow joint problems (dysplasia) which is painful for the dog and often causes arthritis. The German Shepherd also suffers from monorchidism (one testicle), weakness of temperament, and missing teeth, as well as folded or bent ears which never fully turn up when reaching adulthood. Due to the large and open nature of their ears, Shepherds also are prone to ear infections.

German Shepherds, like many large bodied dogs are sensitive to bloat, this is a very dangerous and often rapidly fatal problem, so if you think this may be a problem, go straight to the veterinary. This is a build up of gas in the stomach, caused for varying reasons. The symptoms of distress for no apparent reason, a firm distension of the abdomen, general weakness, depression, problems breathing, hypersalivation, and retching without vomiting. A high rate of dogs with bloat have cardiac arrhythmias (around 40 percent), loss of appetite, vomiting and weight loss.

The German Shepherd also suffers from Degenerative Myelopathy, or DM is a neurological disease and are predisposed to Von Willebrand Disease, a common generic bleeding disorder, which shows in variable degrees of bleeding tendency, commonly in the form of easy bruising, nosebleeds and bleeding gums. .

In spite of these problems, the Alsatian is sturdy with simple dog care and the average lifespan of a German Shepherd is seven to ten years, which is typical for a dog of this size.

The Alsatian has a great nose so is one of the most widely-used breeds in a wide variety of scent-work roles, including search and rescue, cadaver searching, narcotics detection, explosives detection, accelerant detection, and mine detection dog, amongst others.

So the German Shepherd is a wonderful intelligent breed that will bond well with you, if you have the time and energy for him. Not advised for busy working families.