Michael Bryan

Written by Michael Bryan

Modified & Updated: 30 Dec 2023

Sherman Smith

Reviewed by Sherman Smith

The German Shepherd Dog is a medium to large-sized breed commonly used for scouting and security. However, there’s more to the lovable animals than that. Take a closer look at your resident K-9 with these German Shepherd facts.

  1. German Shepherds can grow from 55cm-65cm.
  2. The average lifespan of a German shepherd is 9-13 years.
  3. German Shepherds originated from Germany in the year 1899.
  4. German Shepherds weigh 22kg-40kg.
  5. Humans use working dogs such as this breed to perform practical tasks.
  1. A trained German Shepherd can herd livestock on a farm.
  2. Because of their agile nature, they are the best dogs to patrol the streets.
  3. German Shepherds are very intelligent and vigorous.
  4. This breed has a double coat made up of a thick undercoat and a dense outer coat.
  5. A German Shepherd’s fur can be a little wavy or straight.
  6. German Shepherds are one of the best guard dog breeds.
  7. This breed was used during the first and second World Wars.
  8. Although German Shepherds may look intimidating, they are sweet and loving towards their owners.
  9. Some German Shepherds can be affected by pituitary dwarfism.
  10. A German Shepherd almost won the first-ever Oscar Best Actor award.
  1. Black and white German Shepherds exist.
  2. German Shepherds were used to find 9/11 survivors.
  3. This breed is also known as the Alsatian. The British prefer “Alsatian” rather than “German.”
  4. The term German Shepherd became widely accepted by 1977.
  5. German Shepherds make great watchdogs.
Table of Contents

German Shepherd Facts Infographics

German Shepherd Facts Infographics

Von Stephanitz named this breed, 'Deutscher Schäferhund.'

Max von Stephanitz, a dog breeder from Germany, gave the name Deutscher Schäferhund to this breed. The phrase literally means ‘German Shepherd Dog’ in English.

Max von Stephanitz set the standard of the German Shepherd breed.

The credit went to Max von Stephanitz for developing the German Shepherd Dog breed and he set the guidelines for its standard. He became the first president of  ‘Verein für Deutsche Schäferhunde’ or ‘German Shepherd Association.’

The U.S. military prefers the German Shepherds on their roster.

Due to its aggressiveness, athleticism, loyalty, and intelligence, the U.S. military prefers the German Shepherd breeds on their roster. This unique combination of dog traits is suitable for military duties. The Belgian Malinois and the Dutch Shepherd breeds are the best options as well after the German Shepherd.

The German Shepherds can join the military from a parachute.

During the World Wars, the military trained the German Shepherds on how to parachute from an aircraft – the dogs work as an anti-tank weapon, messengers, tracker, explosive detection, patrolling, and search and rescue.

German Shepherds have a variety of colors.

Aside from its traditional color which is brown and black, this breed has a variety of colors such as grey, red & black, black & silver, and black & tan. The liver-colored German Shepherd is the rarest color of this breed.

German Shepherds has five varieties.

Since it was first bred in Germany in 1899, the 5 varieties of German Shepherds are: the Saddle coat German Shepherd, Black German Shepherd, Sable German Shepherd, Panda German Shepherd, and White German Shepherd.

The Shepadoodle is a German Shepherd-Poodle mix.

The Shepadoodle is the mix breed of German Shepherd and Poodle. Classified as mildly rare, this breed can both be used as a companion and a working/service dog. The Shepadoodle can weigh from 40 up to 70 pounds (31 kg).

A German Shepherd with a short coat is also known as the 'short-haired German Shepherd.'

Compared to the medium and long-haired German Shepherds, its hair is approximately 1 inch in length, whereas a typical German Shepherd has longer than 2 inches.

German Shepherds can live up to over 13 years with proper care.

In general, the lifespan of a German Shepherd is around 9 to 13 years. However, the longest a German Shepherd has ever lived is 18 years. There are many ways to enhance the health of the German Shepherd such as regular veterinary care, weight maintenance, high quality of food, dog supplements, exercise, and good oral hygiene.

German Shepherds can have floppy ears while teething.

During the “teething stage” of the German Shepherds, their ears can become floppy. Their floppy ears usually last between 16 and 20 weeks, and by then, the cartilage in the ears will soon become hard enough to achieve its signature look – ears stand permanently.

The average price of a German Shepherd is $800.

Buying a German Shepherd can be quite expensive. In the United States, the cost ranges from $500-$1,500. With an average price of $800, one of the main reasons why it has a hefty price tag is because raising the German Shepherd puppies is not cheap.

The German Shepherds can learn new things for as low as 5 repetitions.

German Shepherds are easy to train. However, they can be hard to train if trained in the wrong way. Although an adult German Shepherd can be trained faster compare to the younger ones, the best age to train the German Shepreds or even any kind of dog is, “as soon as possible.”

man, dog, german shepherd facts
Photo from Pixabay

German Shepherds can run fast.

A German Shepherd at his prime can run close to 50 kilometers per hour. Even though they are not the fastest dog runner, it is still very impressive in par with its weight. With this in mind, the fastest dog breed is the Greyhound which can run up to 72 kilometers per hour. Meanwhile, Usain Bolt, the fastest human on earth, can run up to 43 kilometers per hour.

A German Shepherd too "light" as a puppy, but too "heavy" as an adult.

A German Shepherd puppy weighs a little over 500 grams at birth. When they grow adults, they can reach a heavyweight of up to 90 lbs for the males and 70 lbs for the females.

german shepherd facts, puppy
Photo from Pixabay

'Shepsky' is the mixed breed of German Shepherd and Siberian Husky.

A cross between the German Shepherd and Siberian Husky is the Shepsky. It is a medium in sized crossbreed. Inheriting both of their parent’s genes, they are also vigorous and loyal. They are classified as working dogs and also often called as the Gerberian Shepsky.

These are the most common names for the German Shepherd.

Naming dogs is important because they recognize and respond to it. The most popular names for German Shepherds are: Dollar, Ace, Barney, Caramel, and Doughnut.

The German Shepherds is the second-most registered breed by the American Kennel Club.

The American Kennel Club is a registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the U.S.  After the Labrador Retriever, the German Shepherds is the second-most registered breed by the American Kennel Club.

German Shepherds can be aggressive or passive depending on their environment.

When it comes to aggression, the German Shepherd breed is among the worst breeds. Moreover, they dislike strangers, thus making them good guard dogs. However, a German Shepherd that has not been trained as a guard dog would often show compatibility with children.

German Shepherds can be over-aggressive if not socially exposed.

To avoid the aggressive and overprotective behavior of the German Shepherds, they should be trained on how to socialized from an early age. It is ideal that the German Shepherds must be in the presence of the family and simultaneously be exposed under the owner’s house rules, towards other pets in the house, and to the neighborhood.

German Shepherds' bites are one of the strongest dog bites.

A German Shepherd’s bite has a force of over 1,060 newtons or 238 lbf or pound-force. In other words, this dog’s bite is much heavier than its actual weight which is 90 lbs. The German Shepherd’s bite can be brutal and inflict severe injuries that will require medical care or even surgery.

german shepherd facts
Photo from Pixabay

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