GSD Info
The German Shepherd is a widely loved and cherished breed, recognised world-wide for their
remarkable courage, loyalty and ability to work in any situation with intelligence and
eagerness to please. Along with these attributes, the breed’s temperament should show
steadiness of nerves, calm self-assurance, alertness and tractability, these traits are all
necessary for the breed’s versatility, over-aggression, nervousness, and shyness are all serious
faults! The breed requires a lot of time and effort particularly in the first years of its life.
Daily training, exercise, handling and socialization with all types of dogs and people are
mandatory! In today’s society it is also essential to have your shepherd accustomed to today’s
traffic, they need to be comfortable with everything from cyclists, buses, cars, trucks to fast
traffic moving just a few feet away from them etc. However, shepherds make excellent companions,
competitors and family pets for those who have the time and effort to devote to their dog!
Characteristics Of The German Shepherd
Anatomy Of The German Shepherd
1. NECK
2. WITHERS
3. BACK
4. LION
5. CROUP
6. TAIL SET
7. THIGH
8. HOCK
9. METATARUS
10. KNEE
11. BRISKET
12. PASTERN
13. PAW
14. FOREARM
15. ELBOW
16. UPPER ARM
17. SHOULDER
18. UNDER JAW
19. MUZZLE
20. STOP
21. SKULL
The perfect example of the head, expressive and the look of intelligence
The Head
The head should be in proportion to the body, never to big or too slight.
The ears should be medium size firm and erect, the bridge between them should
never be to far or close together. A flopped/dropped ear is a serious fault .
The eye is medium size almond shaped. There is no standard for the colour of the
eye although darker is preferred light eyes are accepted if they do not take
from the expression and harmony of the head
Dentition
The German shepherd has 42 teeth 20 in the upper jaw and 22 in the lower,
It has a scissor like bite, overshot undershot or level bite are a fault
as are gaps too wide and missing teeth, the dentition must healthy.
The jaws must be strongly developed so that the teeth may be deeply rooted.
Standard Size
The standard size for a female 22-24 inches (55-61cm) preferred medium size 57/58cm
The standard size for a male 24-26 inches (60-66cm) preferred medium size 63/64cm
They are measure from a level floor to the hight of the wither as show above
Movement
Gait:
The German Shepherd Dog is a trotter, In the gait he should show
length of stride, power and suspension. His head is at about 45 degrees, not straining up or down,
while his neckline flows down through long, strong, medium high withers, over a short, straight, level
backline with no arching or dipping, and down over a gently sloping croup. Because of the sloping withers
and croup, there is the appearance of a slight slope to the topline, even though the spine is level.
He shows a 45 degree reach with a well opened shoulder. In the rear, he under-reaches to his centre
of gravity with only the toes touching down, not the hocks. When driving back, he shows a 45 degree,
snapping rear follow-through with straightened hocks, tight Achilles tendon and a gaskin that is not
parallel to the ground. There is no flipping up of the pasterns, or dragging of the rear toes
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