German Shepherd

This page is educational reference material for preparing questions. A licensed veterinarian examines the animal, makes the diagnosis, and sets the treatment.

Affiliate links may earn a commission. Affiliate disclosure.

They are still a herding dog

Max von Stephanitz wanted a working sheepdog, and the dogs that came out of that project still scan, pace, and attach hard to one person. Confident and smart matches the quick facts. So does the 22- to 26-inch frame and the 50- to 90-pound weight. Lifespan sits around 9 to 13 years, and the shorter end of that range shows up when hips, spine, or bloat get there first.

A German Shepherd without a job will guard the hallway, bark at the mailman, and herd the children. Give the job on purpose: obedience, scent, a flirt pole used with rules, tracking in a park. An hour or two a day is the exercise floor, not a stretch goal.

Fence, teeth, and the other dogs

Same-sex tension is common. Introduce dogs slowly and do not assume a dog park will socialize a shepherd. Many shepherds are polite with known dogs and stiff with strangers. Children do well when the dog is taught to settle and the kids are taught not to run screaming in the dog's face.

Use a 6-foot fence that actually closes. These dogs can open latches and they take boundaries seriously once they decide the sidewalk is theirs. Trainability is excellent if you are consistent. It is terrible if everyone in the house uses a different word for "off."

Hips, spine, stomach

Buy from people who show you hip and elbow scores, not a paragraph about "family raised." Degenerative myelopathy is worth a SOD1 test on breeding dogs; pet owners should know what a knuckling hind foot looks like in a senior. Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, perianal fistulas, and gastric dilatation-volvulus also cluster in the breed. A restlessness, unproductive retching, and a tight abdomen is a drive-now emergency, not a morning appointment.

The coat is the easy part and the messy part. It sheds year-round. Do not shave it; the undercoat is the dog's heat management. The AKC breed pages describe the standard. Orthopedic details belong with your veterinarian and, when you want the textbook version, the Merck Veterinary Manual.

Cost and fit

Food, routine vet care, and a real training class often total about $2,200 to $5,800 a year. A puppy from health-tested working or show stock often costs $2,000 to $4,000. Figure a crate, a tether for door manners, and a plan for boarding that can handle a large, vocal dog.

Apartments can work on a middle floor with a person who runs or bikes the dog daily. They fail when the dog is alone ten hours and the neighbors share a wall. If the hind end looks off or the dog vomits repeatedly, start with the checker and the vomiting symptom page so you are not guessing in the parking lot.

German Shepherd decisions people postpone

Are German Shepherds good with kids?

They can be, after real socialization and supervision. They are large, herding-minded, and easily pushed into chasing or nipping when play gets loud. Socialization has to be practiced, not assumed from a puppy photo.

How much do they shed?

Almost constantly, with heavier blows twice a year. A double coat on a 50- to 90-pound dog will cover a house. Brushing several times a week keeps it in a bin instead of on the sofa.

What is degenerative myelopathy?

A progressive spinal cord disease, linked in this breed to a SOD1 variant, that starts as hind-end wobbling in older dogs and has no cure. A DNA test tells you status. It does not replace hip and elbow screening.

Can a first-time owner handle one?

A first-time owner who will take a class, exercise the dog hard, and live with barking and shedding can. A first-time owner who wants a guard dog that also sleeps all day will get a frustrated, mouthy adolescent.