Is a German Shepherd right for you?
When people tell me they want a German Shepherd, I always ask them, "Why?" This might sound surprising coming from someone who lives with a pack of German Shepherds 24 hours a day and wouldn't have it any other way. However, the truth is that most people know very little about the breed, and what they do know often comes from childhood memories of characters like Rin Tin Tin. In fact, the film industry has done a great disservice to domestic dogs with their anthropomorphic portrayals of characters such as Rin Tin Tin, Lassie, Old Yeller, and even cartoons like Lady and the Tramp and Scooby-Doo. The reality is that dogs are not furry, four-legged humans and should not be expected to behave like one. When you think about it, it's truly remarkable—and a testament to the adaptability of canines—that they integrate so well into human lifestyles.
By and large, pet dogs are well-behaved and tolerate our abuses and unrealistic social requirements amazingly well. Unable to understand our motivation, dogs are willing to accept the boundaries and behavior parameters we arbitrarily establish for them. Certainly, most of the time our dogs behave predictably according to our wishes; however, this often leads to the false belief that dogs perceive their environment just as we do, and that spells trouble. Too often dog owners become complacent because Fido is such a good boy and fail to take appropriate precautions to protect both the dog and other people and/or property.
An adult German Shepherd is a large, strong, and intelligent animal with canine drives and behaviors that can make it dangerous if not properly trained and socialized. Before you purchase a German Shepherd, you must learn about the breed and honestly evaluate whether you can put in the time and effort required to own one. Keep in mind that a German Shepherd will become stronger and more agile than most adult men. They are not weak-willed dogs and will often challenge authority unless properly trained. Controlling a German Shepherd with fear and a heavy hand will alienate the dog and cause it to react with shyness or increased aggression. Likewise, being too soft and inconsistent will quickly establish the dog as alpha and relegate the owner to a subordinate position. More than any other breed, a German Shepherd needs to establish a strong bond with its owner. This bond is made up of love, trust, and respect, which must be earned through patience, consistency, and affection. That is what controls and builds the bond between the dog and owner, making it want to please, obey, and live harmoniously within the human pack.
In my opinion, parenting is the most difficult job we have, and in a perfect world, there would be education requirements for prospective parents. It's often said that a dog has the reasoning capacity of a two-year-old child. So educate yourself about this amazing breed: understand the difference between show lines, working lines, and the combination of the two. In our experience at WindRidge, we have found that by combining select dogs from both show lines and working lines, we can produce a well-balanced, healthy puppy.
Understand the history and genetic makeup of German Shepherds before you bring one into your family. For the next 10 to 15 years, you'll be responsible for raising, socializing, training, and loving the most incredible breed of dog I've ever had the pleasure of sharing my life with. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I reiterate that it's a huge responsibility and should never, for even a moment, be forgotten or taken lightly.
Now, if you are ready to own a German Shepherd, let me tell you about WindRidge: If you are looking for a family companion and guardian that is healthy, loyal, intelligent, and beautiful, you've found what you are looking for. We do not breed specifically for show, personal protection, IPO, or herding, although our dogs have done well in all those venues. Our goal is to breed German Shepherds that will become cherished companions, babysitters, protectors, athletes, and couch potatoes rolled into one. In other words, a dog your family can depend on in any situation. Widely recognized for their versatility, German Shepherds are the breed of choice for many families; however, when people look for a healthy, sound puppy, they quickly realize too many shortsighted breeders have exploited the breed for profit and ego gratification. Such breeders bred many generations of German Shepherds for a single goal with little regard for overall health and soundness.
Whether the breeder's goal was show, IPO, personal protection, or profit, their tunnel vision failed to consider the breed's welfare. It produced German Shepherds riddled with health problems, temperament problems (spooks, overly aggressive, or hyperactive), and structural extremes. In fact, inbreeding and linebreeding have reached a point where the German Shepherd Dog breed is in danger.
About the German Shepherd
The AKC describes the German Shepherd as "Generally considered dogkind's finest all-purpose worker. The German Shepherd Dog is a large, agile, muscular dog of noble character and high intelligence. Loyal, confident, courageous, and steady, the German Shepherd is truly a dog lover's delight. German Shepherd Dogs can stand as high as 26 inches at the shoulder and, in outline, present a picture of smooth, graceful curves rather than angles. The natural gait is a free-and-easy trot, but they can turn it up a notch or two and reach great speeds. Many reasons explain why German Shepherds rank at the top of canine royalty. Still, experts say their defining attribute is character: loyalty, courage, confidence, the ability to learn commands for many tasks, and the willingness to put their lives on the line to defend loved ones. German Shepherds will be gentle family pets and steadfast guardians, but the breed standard says there's a 'certain aloofness that does not lend itself to immediate and indiscriminate friendships."
German Shepherd history
The German Shepherd Dog, also known as the Deutscher Schäferhund, Alsatian, or Altdeutsche Schäferhunde, originates from a family of German herding dogs that varied in type depending on their region of origin until the late 19th century. In the late 1800s, a German cavalry officer named Captain Max von Stephanitz dedicated himself to developing the ideal German herder. Von Stephanitz, along with other like-minded breeders, crossed various strains from central and northern Germany to create the ancestors of today’s German Shepherd Dog (GSD).
Von Stephanitz co-founded the world’s first club dedicated to GSDs and spent 35 years promoting and refining the breed. Today, the GSD’s versatility is so well-utilized in performing a wide range of tasks that it’s easy to forget it was originally bred to herd sheep. The qualities that the breed is now famous for—intelligence, agility, speed, stealth, and a commanding presence—were honed not in the police academy, but in the sheep pastures.
In the early 1900s, GSDs gained popularity in the United States, partly due to the adventures of canine movie stars Rin-Tin-Tin and Strongheart. This breed, among others from Germany, faced challenges due to anti-German sentiment during and after the world wars. During World War I in Britain, the breed was referred to as the Alsatian, a name that many British dog lovers still prefer.
As modern livestock management practices emerged and the demand for herding dogs declined, von Stephanitz wisely promoted the GSD as an ideal working dog. Today, the German Shepherd is the preferred choice for police and military units around the world.
Coats, Colors and Size
The German Shepherd comes in many colors such as black, black and tan, black and red, sable, and bi-colored. Most colors are permissible and can be registered by the AKC. Strong, rich colors are preferred. Pale, washed-out colors and blues, whites, livers, or other colors are considered serious faults by the AKC and are often associated with health problems.
The German Shepherd is available in four different coats: short with an undercoat (stock coat), medium with an undercoat (plush coat), long with an undercoat (long coat), and long with a thick undercoat (plush long coat).
When fully grown, the average German Shepherd male stands 24-26 inches tall at the shoulder and weighs 65-90 pounds. Females stand 22-24 inches tall at the shoulder and typically weigh 50-75 pounds. German Shepherds usually stop growing between 18 and 24 months old.
What is hip and elbow dysplasia?
Hip Dysplasia is a malformation of the ball-and-socket joint of the hip, and likewise, elbow dysplasia is a malformation of the ball-and-socket joint of the elbow. A dog may or may not become lame because of the disease, depending upon its severity. Although no breeder can guarantee that a puppy will not develop hip or elbow dysplasia, we make every effort to avoid it by using only stock that has received X-ray views and is prelim or final rated by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals.
Below is a chart of different hip dysplasia registries. If you look at the chart, you can clearly see that Germany's Fast Normal is the US standard of borderline. In the US, borderline is considered unsatisfactory for breeding, and it is finalized at 2 years old. Germany, however, breeds dogs with Fast Normal, and they assign the grade at 1 year; they are very seldom retested. At WindRidge, we prefer to use OFA ratings and often retest any dogs we have imported or bought that only have SV or FCI ratings so that we can produce happy, healthy puppies.
