The German Shepherd Dog

The German shepherd dog is a great dog breed that has been used over the years for various roles that require intelligent dogs.

The breed has been successfully used for policing and it has been one of the most coveted breeds for this purpose. The breed is also referred with the name Alsatian.

German shepherd dog is a large breed of dog that weighs approximately 77 to 85 pounds. The male German shepherd dog will measure 24 to 26 inches at the level of the withers, while the female will measure 22 to 24 inches at the withers level. From this physical dimension description, this is a large breed of dog which has been the most intelligent large dog.

German Shepherds are always alert with high activity levels. It is rare to have a German shepherd dog that is inactive; they have a lot of energy and power making them wonderful guard dogs. There are three types of coat seen in this breed of dog that include: straight-haired coarse (the most prevalent breed coat), long straight-haired coarse, and long-haired wavy. The typical coat colors are tan and black or all black.

Regardless of the fact that this breed is usually bred for guarding purposes, they also make the most devoted pets and easily fit in the house environment despite them being huge dogs. A point to note about GSDs is that they have unpredictable temperament that is dependent on the training they received when they were puppies. Make sure you train the dog early to socialize them into the environment.

German shepherd dogs are great pets but as most breeders will point out, they are very prone to a number of health conditions that make them a breed that requires a lot of attention when it comes to the veterinary care. German shepherds are very prone to development of a condition that is called gastric torsion which is a very fatal condition that kills the dog suddenly.

The German shepherd usually live up a few years with no serious health conditions but as they grow older, they are predisposed to develop of a lameness condition that occurs in the hind legs referred to as hip dysplasia. This condition is a common breed predisposition and it can be diagnosed early and prevented through specialized treatment.

The modern day pet care has evolved to see dog health insurance policies that cover conditions such as hip dysplasia in the GSD. This can be a good investment for your GSD since treating this condition can be very costly when it occurs later in life of the dog.

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Do that and you'll be well on your way to a happy, obedient and healthy dog.