Black German Shepherd - Intelligent, Active, Friendly Dogs

German Shepherds are terrific dogs to own. Just ask anyone who owns one now or has owned one in the past. They make for excellent companions and also serve a lot of useful functions for many government agencies and other non-profits. But honestly what do you know about them? Do you know their history?

The whole principle behind the reason why German Shepherds were bred was to serve as a working dog. Many who own one now may have a deviated version of the original breed and as such may own a dog that may suffer from some health issues. As these dogs became popular to own, as pets, some of the original breeders started to complain as they were breeding their German Shepherds with other dogs and not keeping the breed pure.

While this dog is popular now, during the First World War and the Second World War this breed was decidedly unpopular due to its origin and name. Many people did not want to be associated with having anything that could be related to the Nazi German culture at that time. During these wars,  this breed of dog was used as a fighter and bomb detector as well this dog helped find enemy soldiers who were hiding.

Since this is a relatively new breed of dog, having originated in 1899, there is not a lot of history so the health and longevity of the dog is still being studied. You may also know this dog as the Alsatian Wolf Dog and as you can imagine this was first bred in Germany. As well the original thought of breeding this dog was to help sheep herders with their flocks, as well as to protect their owners from the wild wolves in the area.

There have been many popular dogs that have achieved fame during its brief lifespan. One such dog was known as Rin Tin Tin, and at that time this dog was the most well known actor in the whole of Hollywood. You may not know this, but two German Shepherds have stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Rin Tin Tin, and Strongheart. No other breed has that same honor.

The versatility of this dog is unquestioned; many times you will see German Shepherds taking on the roles of law enforcement as well as a house pet. Since this dog is a working dog, it can be difficult for this dog to stop working all the time and just relax. Training your dog to know the difference between play and work is vital in order to keep your dog sane and your household safe.

While some German Shepherds may look alike, they actually can vary in appearance. That is because when they originally were bred they were bred to the region or locality, so there is a wide variance in their appearance, but they still have the same abilities as all of the others.

Typically, however, a German Shepherd will have a brown or blonde coat with a dark nose. You may be able to see an entirely black version of this dog. There is very few tan or blond German Shepherds but that color certainly is possible.

Currently it is believed that this breed is third of all the known breeds of dogs for intelligence. So caring for one can be an ordeal if you have to always keep up with your dog. Some owners have complained about their dogs always getting out of their cages or out of their pens. Keeping your dog mentally stimulated while you are away will help prevent any of this from happening.

While these dogs are protective, they can be overly so when it comes to protecting their family. That is why you should socialize your dog early on, so it knows the difference between a friendly stranger and one that is meant to bring harm to your family. Using one as a guard dog in your own home is tricky as you don’t want other family members to be injured by this dog, even if it is just a mistake.

There are some health issues related to this breed such as hip and other joint problems. Mostly this is due to how this dog has deviated from the original breed as well as some other genetic anomalies. One such a problem for many owners to look out for is called Degenerative Myelopathy and only recently a genetic test was invented.

Some breeders have been known to sell their German Shepherds for over 100 thousand dollars. Typically a dog that is that expensive has been trained in a lot of skills and is fully capable of protecting your family. Only the super rich would be able to afford a dog such as that. But you can also obtain other highly trained German Shepherds that can act in one role or another that cost a lot less.

The size of this dog does not vary too much. Typically you can expect your dog to be roughly 80 to 100 pounds and 2 feet in length. If you choose to breed your dog, the typical litter size will be roughly anywhere from 5 to 10 puppies. It can cost a lot to breed with a show dog, but the result can be a highly sought after puppy litter as well the dogs traits can be helped with the right breeding.

There are several societies and other groups that are designed to bring dog breeders together to help this type of dog prosper. Since there are some genetic problems breeders, are encouraged to try and get rid of these problems with the right combination of mates for their dogs.