General Information

German Shepherd is a breed of working dog developed in Germany from traditional herding and farm dogs
It is a medium-to-large dog that stands 22 to 26 inches tall and weighs 75 to 95 pounds
The breed is known for its intelligence, obedience, loyalty, courage, and guarding instincts
German Shepherds have a dense coat consisting of coarse, medium-long, straight or slightly wavy outer hair and soft short inner hair
They were originally bred as herding dogs for sheep
German Shepherds are used as guard dogs, police dogs, military dogs, guide dogs for the blind, and search and rescue dogs

History

The breed was founded by Max von Stephanitz in 1899 using various traditional German herding dogs
He admired the intelligence, strength and ability of Germany’s native sheepdogs, but could not find any one single breed that satisfied him as the perfect working dog
He was shown a dog named Hektor Linksrhein at a dog show and was impressed by his appearance and temperament
He bought the dog and renamed him Horand von Grafrath, who became the first registered German Shepherd
He formed the Verein für Deutsche Schäferhunde (Society for the German Shepherd Dog) and used Horand as the foundation sire for the breed
He also crossbred Horand with other herding dogs to create a uniform type of working dog with desirable traits
He promoted the breed as a versatile service dog for various fields of work

German Shepherds shed heavily throughout the year and need regular brushing to remove loose hair and dirt
They also need occasional bathing, nail trimming, ear cleaning and dental care

German Shepherds need a high-quality diet that meets their energy and nutritional needs
They should be fed according to their age, size, activity level and health condition
They should not be overfed or given table scraps as they can become obese or develop digestive problems