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.

The Working German Shepherd | Olewo USA

           Storm, 8 yrs old                           Allie, 10 yrs old                         Cala, 12 yrs old     

The Working German Shepherd – a wonder to behold. Here a quote from the man who is considered the Founder of the Breed, Captain Max Von Stephanitz: “Take this trouble for me: Make sure my shepherd dog remains a working dog, for I have struggled all my life long for that aim.” Captain Max von Stephanitz saw no beauty in a non-functional dog and was ruthless in discarding what he considered weak. Tireless and determined, he laid the foundations of the GSD history that we were later to make the breed the greatest all-round working dog in the world.

My Love & Fascination of the GSD

I began my fascination and love of the GSD in 1989 when I began working and learning from this noble breed.  It was then when I started training the Police K9.  Having since trained numerous Police K9′s for single and dual purpose street work, the term dual purpose refers to patrol and detection capability to include, cadaver, explosive and drug detection.  Not limited to these, but this is my forte.  From there I began to participate in the German Dog Sport called Schutzhund (meaning protection dog).

Schutzhund Training

In Schutzhund the dog is trained much like a triathlete since it is broken down into 3 phases which starts on a competition day with Tracking, Obedience, then off to Protection.  This is standard for a VPG or Schutzhund title of which there are differing ones and varying degrees.  An FH and advanced tracking degree consists of a minimum of 3 hours aged; a minimum of 1200 meters in length; a cross track at 20 minutes after the laying of the track which crosses at 2 points, both by strangers, with 5 articles placed on the track and 7 turns with a change of cover and/or road crossing.  Obviously not a simple walk in the park!.

DVG Bundessieger

I was lucky enough to compete in the DVG Bundesieger with my Bitch and what an honor it was!  The Bundesieger is the German National Schutzhund Competition, and you must qualify to be there. To say that my nerves were a bit more tense is an understatement, but like all dog work, it comes down to trusting your dog and your training.  And I would NOT hesitate to go back to compete again if invited. Funny, how after working street K9′s looking for men who had committed murder, shooting or a robbery, I still had butterflies when I stepped on the field – the goal was to get them to fly in formation

Bloodines

For the working German Shepherd we deal mostly with European lines, some are bred here in the USA but will trace their lines back to various European Countries.  Not intending to rile anyone’s feathers, but when was the last time you saw a German Shepherd actually working, tending sheep or herding, or anything outside of police work?

In Europe the dogs are still bred for form to follow function. Without the lower rears, cowhocks and sloped backs, these dogs are bred to work, hence you see a square looking dog and a powerful rear end enabling them to work for hours and jump with little chance of injuring themselves.  Captain Max von Stephanitz said that “Beauty is what serves a Utilitarian purpose” and “The breeding of shepherd dogs is the breeding of working dogs; and this must always be the aim, or we shall cease to produce shepherd dogs.” Who better to take advice from on breeding and training than from the man who is considered to be the founder of the breed.  It is with this in mind that I make my training, breeding and working goals.

Here a nice old film showing the German Shepherd Working Dog in Germany 1936: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsBi0PehfAM&feature=related

Today the German Shepherd Dog can be found on the front lines of America’s Military Elite Special Forces, serving as therapy dogs, and not only detecting bed bugs, but also cancer cells. Thank You Max, for such a wonderful breed!  In closing a quote from an Unknown Source….“He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog.  You are his life, his love, his leader.  He will be yours faithful and true to the last beat of his heart.  You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion” – anonymous … Nothing more can or needs to be said.

Scott White

Additionally, I would like to comment on the Olewo Carrots. I have traveled throughout the United States with multiple dogs and have taken one to Germany, and have always used the Olewo Carrots as a preventative against parasitic infections, and have never had to use any type of worming meds on any of my dogs.  I also use it for pups as soon as they begin the weaning stage to prevent loose stools, and I send some Olewo Carrots with the pup to each new home to help lessen the stress caused by the separation of the pack and the new environment – it effectively stops the loose stool and dog diarrhea. I wholeheartedly recommend this product to everyone based on my experiences with it.  It works not only as a preventative and to promote good overall health, but with the coat luster also.