German Shepherd Dog
| Size at withers | 55–65 cm |
|---|---|
| Weight range | 22–40 kg |
| Life expectancy | 9–13 years |
| Size class | Large (25–40 kg) |
| Normal resting vitals | Heart rate 60–110 bpm · Respiration 10–30/min · Temperature 38.3–39.2 °C |
| Coat | Dense double coat, medium or long |
| Temperament | Confident, courageous, high biddability; strong protective instinct; requires firm and consistent handling |
| Common health issues | Hip and elbow dysplasia (severe in show-line); degenerative myelopathy; bloat; exocrine pancreatic insufficiency; skin allergies |
| Exercise needs | Very high — 90+ min/day; mental stimulation as important as physical |
| Climate & housing suitability | Very adaptable and excellent when correctly trained. Show-line dogs can have structural welfare concerns (extreme angulation). |
| Owner notes | Prefer working-line breeders over show-line for both health and temperament. Under-exercised GSDs are among the most common behavioural referrals in veterinary practice. |
Origin and purpose
Herding (AKC); working. Origin: Germany, late 19th century (Max von Stephanitz).
Prefer working-line breeders over show-line for both health and temperament. Under-exercised GSDs are among the most common behavioural referrals in veterinary practice.
What a breed was built to do explains most of what it will do in your home. A dog selected for hundreds of years to run, guard, herd, or hunt does not stop wanting to because it now lives in an apartment — the drive is the breed, and the owner's job is to give it somewhere to go.
Temperament and training
Stated temperament: Confident, courageous, high biddability; strong protective instinct; requires firm and consistent handling
A guarding breed: it is naturally suspicious of strangers, and that is what it was bred for. Early, broad, positive socialisation — many people, many places, many situations, before sixteen weeks — is not optional for this breed; it is the difference between a discriminating guardian and a dangerous liability. A guarding dog that has not been socialised is a problem you have created, not a temperament you have discovered.
Conditions this breed is predisposed to
Gastric dilatation and volvulus (GDV, 'bloat')
Degenerative myelopathy
Atopic dermatitis (canine atopy)
Elbow dysplasia
Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI)
Health screening — what to test, and when
| Screen for | Test | When |
|---|---|---|
| Atopic dermatitis (canine atopy) | No screening test; allergy testing once disease is established | On recurrent itching, ear disease, or paw licking |
| Degenerative myelopathy | SOD1 DNA test | Once, any age |
| Elbow dysplasia | Radiographic elbow evaluation | Once at 12–24 months |
| Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) | TLI blood test | On chronic weight loss with a huge appetite and pale, greasy stool |
| Gastric dilatation and volvulus (GDV, 'bloat') | No screening test. Discuss preventive gastropexy with your vet in deep-chested breeds | At neutering, if the vet agrees it is indicated |
Every dog, every breed: an annual health examination (twice yearly from seven years), body-condition scoring at each visit, dental assessment, year-round parasite control, and the core vaccinations.
For breeders — test before you mate
- Atopic dermatitis (canine atopy) — No screening test; allergy testing once disease is established
- Degenerative myelopathy — SOD1 DNA test
- Elbow dysplasia — Radiographic elbow evaluation
- Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) — TLI blood test
- Gastric dilatation and volvulus (GDV, 'bloat') — No screening test. Discuss preventive gastropexy with your vet in deep-chested breeds
Feeding
Growth is the thing that matters. Large-breed puppies must be fed a diet formulated for large-breed growth and must NOT be overfed or supplemented with calcium — growing too fast is a direct route to the joint disease this size of dog is already prone to. A lean puppy is a healthy puppy. As an adult, two measured meals a day, and keep the dog lean for life: excess weight is the single biggest accelerator of hip and elbow disease and arthritis.
Exercise and enrichment
Stated requirement: Very high — 90+ min/day; mental stimulation as important as physical
This is a genuinely high-energy dog and the commonest reason such dogs are rehomed is that their owners underestimated this. It needs hard daily physical exercise AND a job to think about; a walk around the block is not exercise for this breed. An under-exercised dog of this type becomes destructive, noisy, and anxious — behaviour problems that are, correctly understood, an exercise deficit.
Coat and grooming
Dense double coat, medium or long. Brush 3–4× weekly; daily in moult. Sheds prodigiously all year. Never shave it.
Climate and living conditions
Stated suitability: Very adaptable and excellent when correctly trained. Show-line dogs can have structural welfare concerns (extreme angulation).
Ageing and senior care
Life expectancy: 9–13 years. This dog is a senior from around 7 years, at which point wellness examinations should move to twice a year and senior blood and urine screening begins. Large dogs age faster than small ones. Arthritis and cancer are the dominant concerns; do not dismiss a limp in an older large dog as 'just age' — bone cancer presents exactly that way. Senior care →
Before you take one home
- Ask the breeder for the health-test results listed above — for BOTH parents, on paper, before you pay a deposit. A breeder who has done the tests will be proud to show you; one who deflects, or who tells you the tests are unnecessary in this line, is telling you what you need to know.
- Consider adoption. Shelters and rescues have dogs of every kind, including purebreds, and the local native or landrace dog is often healthier, better adapted to its climate, and more in need of a home than almost anything you can buy. See Part XII.
