101 German Shepherd Dogs

Size and weight

Medium-sized, the adult male German Shepherd Dog measures 24-26″  at the withers and weighs 70-90 lbs. Females measure 22-24″ and weigh a more delicate 60-70 lbs. 

Head

Their heads are in proportion to their body size and have moderate breadth between the ears. Their foreheads are only slightly arched and will have at most a slightly defined furrow. They have a long wedge-shaped muzzle with strongly developed upper and lower jaws. The bridge of their nose is straight and runs in line with the plane of the forehead. Their lips are firm, dry and close tightly.

Dentition

German Shepherd Dogs have strong jaws with 42 deeply rooted teeth in total, 20 in the upper jaw and 22 in the lower jaw. They have a scissors bite, e.g. the incisors must meet each other in a scissor-like fashion with the outer surface of the lower incisors sliding next to the inner surface of the upper incisors.

Incisors – located in the front of the mouth, these teeth are used for scraping. Dogs use them to remove debris from their coat.

Canines – the most prominent teeth, these are used to grip objects allowing dogs to keep food and toys in place.

Premolars – assist in chewing with their sharp edges to tear food apart.

Molars – located in the back of the mouth, these teeth break down the hardest items.

Ears

Their ears are medium-sized, wide at the base and set high. They taper to a point and are carried facing forward and vertically (erect with the tips not inclined towards one another). 

Eyes

Their eyes are medium-sized, almond-shaped and somewhat slanting. They do not protrude. Eye color is dark and blends with coat color. 

Neck

The neck of a German Shepherd Dog is strong with well-developed muscles carried at an angle of about 45 deg to the horizontal (higher when excited, lower when trotting). Their necks do not have loose throat skin (called dewlaps). 

Body

Their body length exceeds their height at the withers by 110-117%. They have deep chests but not too wide with ribs that are well formed (neither barrel-shaped nor to flat). Their under chest is long and pronounced. The rib cage extends far back so that the wide, strong and well-muscled loins are relatively short. Their abdomen is moderately tucked up. Their back, including the loins, is straight and strongly developed with high, long withers sloping slightly from front to rear.  The rump or croup is long and slightly angled at approximately 23 deg.

Tail

The average German Shepherd Dog’s tail length varies up to around 22″ depending on the dog’s overall structure.  The length should make it to the hock joint at least. The tail is bushy, long and curls slightly at the end. It is not held above the top of the back but rather slopes smoothly down from the croup. A stock coat dog has a tail with hairs that are around an inch long. A long coat’s tail has hair that can be two inches or more in length.

Forequarters

German Shepherd Dogs have strong, well-muscled forequarters. Their shoulder blades are long with an oblique placement (angled at 45 deg) and lie flat against the body. Their upper arm joins the shoulder blade at approximately a right angle. The forearm is straight, elbows straight (neither turned in or out) and the length of their leg bones exceeds the depth of the chest.

Hindquarters

Their thighs are broad and well-muscled with the upper tight bone only slightly longer than the lower. Their joints are strong and firm, capable of carrying their bodies effortlessly forward during motion.

Feet

Their feet are relatively round, short, tightly formed and arched with short, strong, dark nails and hard pads.

Color

The German Shepherd Dogs I breed are black with red-brown, brown and yellow to light yellow marks. These dogs also come in black and grey (bi-color) and unicolored. Their noses are black regardless of coat color. Their undercoat or base hair is always light gray (with the exception of fully black dogs). 

Coat Texture and Length

You will see different discussions of coat texture and length but at the highest level there are really two categories and this is the way you will see me refer to my dogs. This is also the way coats are described in the FCI standard.

1.  Stock coat  – the outer coat is thick with individual hairs being straight, coarse and lying flat against the body. The coat is short on the dog’s head, inclusive of the ears and also on the front of the legs, feet and toes. It is longer and thicker on the neck. Longer hair is also found on the back of the fore and hind legs as far down as the pastern and hock joint. Moderate length hair is found on the thighs. The coat on these dogs is relatively weatherproof.
2. Long coat – The coat is longest inside and behind the ears, on the back of the forearm and usually in the loin area. . It is generally very soft and forms a parting along the back. The fur on their thighs is long and thick. Tails are bushy with slight feathering underneath. They may have an undercoat in the loin region but most long coated German Shepherd Dogs do not have an undercoat. The long, smooth coated German Shepherd Dogs are not as weatherproof as their medium-coated cousins. 

The stock (shorter)-hair gene is dominant in German Shepherd Dogs making this group most common in the population. Long-haired German Shepherd Dogs are often prized for their more exotic appearance and comparative uniqueness.

Angulation and Movement

The German Shepherd Dog is a trotter. Their gait shows a diagonal movement, i.e. the hind foot and the fore foot on the opposite site move simultaneously. When the dog has the correct physical proportions this movement results in a ground-eating gait that is low to the ground and seems to have an effortless progression.

Temperament, Character and Abilities

Attentive and very resilient physically and mentally, alert, secure and self-confident, highly trainable, watchful and loyal as well as courageous with a fighting drive are hallmark characteristics of the purebred German Shepherd Dog¹. These traits make for a superior working dog who is also a companion, protector and working dog. German Shepherds are used in livestock herding. Include their ample scenting abilities and their conformation as a trotter and these dogs can accurately work out a track with their noses close to the ground without bodily strain. They are highly useful as a multipurpose track and search dogs as well as being used by police and U.S. Border Patrol.

¹ In Schutzhund competitions, the dog’s courage, physical strength and agility are tested. From Wikipedia,

Schutzhund (/’ʃʊtshʊnt/, German for “protection dog”[c]), currently known competitively as IGP[b] and previously as IPO,[a] is a dog sport that tests a dog’s tracking, obedience, and protection skills, and evaluates if a dog has the appropriate traits and characteristics of a good working dog. It was developed in Germany in the early 1900s as a suitability test for German Shepherds, but soon became the model for training and evaluating all five of the German protection breeds, which included Boxer, Dobermann, Riesenschnauzer, and Rottweiler. Though any breed of dog can participate, today the sport is dominated by German Shepherds and the Belgian Malinois breed.

This photo is of my dog, Fergi, during the protection phase of one of these competitions. This is the final test of courage where the dog is sent after a decoy who is threatening the dog with a stick and charging at the handler. All grips during the protection phase are expected to be firmly placed on the padded sleeve and stopped on command and/or when the decoy discontinues the fight. 

Health and Grooming

German Shepherd Dogs are generally healthy and robust with life spans of 10 to 14 years.

These dogs require minimal grooming attention. They do well with the occasional bath and brushing. GSDs do shed and the one thing every owner will tell you is to invest in a good vacuum cleaner! You can cut down on the shedding thru a regular brushing routine with a de-shedding tool which can reach the undercoat and remove loose hair easily and safely.

It is wise to bathe any dog early on to get them used to the experience. Beyond that, once or twice a year is sufficient unless happy romps outdoors necessitate some mud removal. Bathing German Shepherd Dogs too often strips their coat and skin of natural oils and that can lead to skin issues.

You should never shave or cut your German Shepherd Dog’s hair. Their coat acts as an insulating layer, keeping them cool in the summer and warm in the winter. 

The frequency of nail trimming for these dogs depends on their environment and activities. For dogs who routinely walk on pavement, their nails can wear down naturally. For others, consider nail trimming at least monthly.

German Shepherd Dogs have tall, alert ears that stand fully erect generally around 4 months of age. These ears can be prone to infections if they are not watched carefully. Regular cleaning with the products recommended by your vet and monitoring for infections is important.

Dental care is important for any dog and helpful products are commercially available, Brushing with dog-friendly (never human varieties) toothpaste is beneficial, consult with your veterinarian about which dental hygiene routine is best. 

Puppies

German Shepherd puppies are small, primarily black, balls of fluff that are constantly curious, playful and have a great affinity for shoe laces if you happen to walk by them. The transition to their adult colorations starts at around 4 months of age. Their final color is only determined when the outer coat completely develops. 

You’ll see these adorable animals walk at 2-4 weeks of age and after that point, they spend all their time playing, every day, all day. Phenomenally quick learners, they crave attention and affection and want to be bonded with their humans.