The name of the German Shepherd reminds us of obedience, loyalty, and courage. However, they can be totally fun to be with and amusing as well. They are so lovely that you just can’t get enough of them! In this article on German Shepherd dog facts, we will tell you some amazing facts about this amazing breed and you will certainly fall in love with this breed.
German Shepherd Dog Facts: 1-8
1. German Shepherd is a breed that originated in Germany. They were the result of the crossing of several herding breeds in the late 1880s.
2. The breed had to go through a lot of crossing and breeding to reach the way we see them today.
3. Max Von Stephanitz was the person who is credited to shape the breed. He wanted a no-nonsense dog that would be intelligent and strong to learn anything that is taught to it and the one who is always willing to do the work.
4. According to Stephanitz, ‘utility is the true criterion of beauty!’ According to an author, the commendable traits of a German Shepherd are so many that the list of good traits would fill several books.
5. They were called ‘Alsatians’ in the United Kingdom to protect the breed from anti-German sentiments during World War I.
6. The American soldiers returning from World War I brought the German Shepherds to the United States of America.
7. Thanks to the movies like Rin Tin Tin and Strongheart, German Shepherds won over the hearts of the US folks.
8. By World War II, German Shepherds were the number one choice of military breed dogs.
German Shepherd Dog Facts: 9-16
9. Did you know that the first guide dogs were German Shepherd dogs? A female German Shepherd called Buddy was the first guide dog (seeing eye dog) to Morris Frank in the 1920s.
10. The success of Buddy led to the service-dog movement. There are millions of people availing service-dog facilities and if they have to thank anyone, it is none other than Buddy.
11. Service or police German Shepherds are not the only ones who are famous for protecting their ‘packs’. Normal German Shepherd pets with no basic training have time and again proved that they can give their lives for their owners.
12. Haus, a German Shepherd, took the bites of a rattlesnake when Haus was protecting his 7-year-old Molly.
13. Fortunately, Haus also survived but had to go through a lot of intensive veterinary care.
14. GSDs can practically do any and every trick. Be it yoga poses and backflips, or balancing on human shoulders, you name it and they will master it.
15. They are intelligent, protective, courageous, and have the will to work for long hours. These traits make them desirable for almost every work like service, guard, police, therapy dogs.
16. Working, protecting, and guarding has come down to them in a natural way as their ancestors spent almost the entire day working in every weather.
German Shepherd Dog Facts: 17-24
17. In 1900’s GSDs were called ‘Schutzhund’ in Germany. In English, Schutzhund means ‘protection dog’.
18. The ears of German Shepherd puppies are floppy but as they grow, they develop pointed ears.
19. German Shepherds were even part of the search and rescue team after the 9/11 attacks. They were searching for survivors under the ruins of the World Trade Center.
20. They are so energetic that they need some or the other form of exercising else they will destroy household stuff and may start barking without giving a break.
21. There are informally two types of German Shepherds – American type and German type. American type focuses on the looks of German Shepherds rather than the traits and talents of German Shepherds.
22. American German Shepherds are calmer than their German counterparts but they lost some of the traits and abilities that a German type German Shepherds have. American ones can develop separation anxiety or other behavioral problems when left alone for a long time.
23. They are infamous for the amount of shedding. They are generally called German shedders.
24. It is necessary to keep your GSD pups from running, jumping, or playing on hard surfaces as they may hurt their joints while playing.
German Shepherd Dog Facts: 25-32
25. Their inclination to becoming overweight or obese is less but they may become overweight if you are not careful enough.
26. These dogs are present in several coat colors like complete black, black and silver, black and tan, black and brown, white, gray, liver, sable, black and red, black and cream, etc.
27. AKC doesn’t recognize white GSDs as a breed.
28. This is the second most favorite breed for Americans according to American Kennel Club. It is ranked number one in areas like Nashville and Miami.
29. German Shepherds are the third most intelligent dog breed in the world. To top the dog’s intelligence charts, the breed must learn a new trick within 5 repetitions of the trick and they need to follow the first command that is given to them 95% of the time.
30. Though rare, some German Shepherds may suffer from dwarfism which makes them stay like puppies. It may look cute to see them that way but dwarfism invites several health problems.
31. In the mid-’80s, Whim Schipper, a Dutch director, directed a play that included 6 German Shepherds. He even sent them to drama school in Amsterdam. They gave treats as motivation.
32. The story of the play, ‘Going to the Dogs’ was simple – a daughter bringing home her boyfriend. This brings a lot of emotions like love, jealousy, worries for parents, etc.
German Shepherd Dog Facts: 33-40
33. The play was a flop. The manager of the theater also left early.
34. Duncan Lee, an American soldier, saved a GSD puppy from the battlefield and trained the dog. This dog acted in movies and got so big that whenever Warner Bros. ran into problems, they featured his movie. Can you guess his name? Yes, he is Rin Tin Tin.
35. It is speculated that Rin Tin Tin won the first Academy Awards that took place in 1929. But it was passed on to Emil Jannings.
36. German Shepherds are stars not only on the big screen but even on YouTube.
37. Filax of Lewanno saved 54 wounded soldiers in World War I. He was later honored in Westminster.
38. The bite force of a German Shepherd dog is a massive 238 pounds whereas the bite force of humans is just 86 pounds.
39. The official name of the German Shepherd dog includes the word ‘dog.‘
40. They are a bit aloof and are wary of strangers and extremely protective of their owners.
German Shepherd Dog Facts: 41-48
41. GSDs are also known by the name – Alsatian wolf dog, Deutscher Schäferhund, and Berger Allemand.
42. Nicknames of German Shepherd dogs are DSH, GSD, Alsatian, Shepherd, and Schäferhund.
43. The average weight of a male GSD is 30 to 40 kilograms whereas, for the females, it is 22 to 33 kilograms.
44. The average height of a male German Shepherd dog is 60 to 65 centimeters and a female German Shepherd dog measures 55 to 60 centimeters in length.
45. It has a lifespan of 9 to 13 years but as per AKC, the lifespan of a German Shepherd is just 8-10 years.
46. AKC and UKC put German Shepherd dogs under the herding group.
47. They behave well with children and other pets if they are raised with them from puppyhood.
48. They may be prone to diseases like hip dysplasia, gastric dilation volvulus, elbow dysplasia, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, etc.
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