German Shepherd

What a German shepherd is like to live with

German shepherds are working dogs first. They are clever, loyal and quick to learn, and they want a job. Given one (training, tracking, agility, or just a structured day with plenty of walking), they are among the most rewarding dogs you can own. Without one, they tend to invent their own, and a bored shepherd can be noisy, destructive or anxious.

The Royal Kennel Club lists them as needing more than two hours of exercise a day. That means mental work as well as miles.

They are also naturally watchful and protective, and that needs managing from the start. In a VetCompass study of German shepherds under UK veterinary care, aggression was among the five most common problems vets recorded, in 4.8% of dogs, and it was more common in males than females. That is not a reason to avoid the breed. It is a reason to put real effort into socialisation with people, dogs and everyday noise in the first months, and to get help from a qualified behaviourist early if worrying behaviour starts rather than hoping it passes.

Origin

The breed was developed in Germany in the late nineteenth century, largely by Max von Stephanitz, as a herding dog. It was soon taken up by police and the armed forces, and German shepherds have since worked as guide dogs, search dogs and in every kind of obedience and tracking role.

Two quite different types

The Royal Kennel Club notes a marked division of type within the breed, which has developed over the last fifty years and is still argued about. In practice, working-line dogs tend to be straighter-backed and more intense, bred for drive and stamina. Some show lines have a more sloping back and more angled hind legs.

This matters for two reasons. The working lines need even more to do than the breed average. And how a dog is built affects how it moves as it ages. Ask to see both parents walking and trotting, and be wary of a dog that looks unsteady or crouched at the back.

There is also a long-coated variety, which the breed standard now recognises. It needs more brushing but is otherwise the same dog.

What UK vet records show

The VetCompass study gives a useful picture of German shepherds in ordinary UK practices. The median lifespan was 10.3 years. The most common problems recorded were:

• ear infections, in 7.9% of dogs
• osteoarthritis, in 5.5%
• diarrhoea, in 5.2%
• being overweight, in 5.2%
• aggression, in 4.8%

The most common causes of death were musculoskeletal disorders (16.3%) and inability to stand (14.9%). Put simply, the back end is where many shepherds' lives end. Hip and elbow disease, arthritis and degenerative myelopathy can all end in a dog that can no longer get up, and that is why the joint and spine tests below matter so much.

It also shapes the insurance decision. Mobility problems in an older large dog are long-running and expensive to manage, which is the case for lifetime cover rather than a policy that stops paying for a condition after a year.

Keeping the joints going

Keep your shepherd lean. The calorie calculator gives you a starting figure, and you should be able to feel the ribs easily. Build exercise up gradually in a growing puppy rather than running long distances from the start, and watch for early signs: stiffness after rest, reluctance on stairs or jumping into the car, or a change in the way the back legs move. Our guide to why a dog limps covers when to see a vet.

Grooming

A double coat that sheds all year and heavily twice a year. Brush several times a week, daily during a moult. No professional grooming needed, but expect hair everywhere.

Health tests to ask a breeder for

The Royal Kennel Club treats these as essential for German shepherd breeders:

• Hip score under the BVA/RKC Hip Dysplasia Scheme. Each hip is scored 0 to 53, and lower is better. The BVA advises breeding only from dogs scoring below or close to the breed median, so ask how the parents compare.
• Elbow grade under the BVA/RKC Elbow Dysplasia Scheme. Graded 0 to 3, and the BVA advises breeding only from grade 0.

It also recommends:

• A DNA test for degenerative myelopathy (DM), a progressive disease of the spinal cord that causes weakness in the back legs. The Royal Kennel Club explains that the test shows risk rather than a diagnosis: a dog with two copies of the mutation will not necessarily develop the disease, but a breeder should know which dogs carry it and pair them sensibly.
• An eye certificate under the BVA/RKC/ISDS Eye Scheme.

You can check registered dogs' results on the Royal Kennel Club's Health Test Results Finder.

Before you buy

Meet the mother, and the father if you can. Puppies take a lot from their parents' temperament, and a nervous or reactive mother is a warning sign however good the paperwork. Ask whether the lines are working or show, and be honest about how much time you have each day.

Insure from the day you collect the puppy, before any vet visit can record a pre-existing condition. Our UK pet insurance comparison explains lifetime cover, and the harness sizing tool helps with a big, strong adolescent.