German Shepherd
A German Shepherd is a large, intelligent working dog developed in Germany to herd sheep, and now known for police, guide and service work. It's loyal, confident and steady, reserved with strangers and closely bonded to its people. It needs more than two hours of exercise a day and real work for its mind.
| Origin | Germany, late 1800s |
|---|---|
| Size | Large; 55–65 cm and 22–40 kg |
| Life expectancy | 12–14 years |
| Exercise | More than two hours a day |
| Temperament | Steady, self-assured, attentive |
| With strangers | Reserved; a strong watchdog |
What is a German Shepherd like?
Clever, loyal and serious about its people. The Dogs Australia breed standard asks for a dog that is “steady of nerves, self assured”, and “good natured as well as attentive and easy to train”. The AKC sums it up as loyal, confident, courageous and steady.
The breed is younger than its reputation. Until the late 1800s, German herding dogs varied from district to district. A cavalry officer, Captain Max von Stephanitz, set out to make the ideal herder, and in 1899 he and Artur Meyer bought a dog named Horand von Grafrath, who became the breed’s foundation dog.
As herding declined, von Stephanitz promoted his dogs for police work. The AKC notes that the breed’s famous qualities were shaped in the sheep pasture, not the police academy. In Britain it was long called the Alsatian.
How much exercise does a German Shepherd need?
More than two hours a day, by the Royal Kennel Club’s measure, and the body is only half of it.
The AKC calls the German Shepherd “a very active and athletic breed” that needs lots of exercise for both physical and mental well-being, and warns that a dog without enough of it will become frustrated and likely to develop unwanted behaviour. The AKC rates the breed’s need for mental stimulation at the top of its scale.
Good outlets, per the AKC, include agility, herding, tracking and dock diving. Training counts too. The breed is highly intelligent, and the AKC recommends consistent, positive, reward-based training. A Shepherd that has walked, sniffed and worked something out tends to be much easier company than one that has only walked.
Why is a German Shepherd always on watch?
Because watching is part of the job description. Dogs Australia describes the breed as a “versatile utility, herding, guard and service dog”, and the AKC rates its watchdog and protective nature at the top of its scale.
The AKC also says German Shepherds are reserved with people they don’t know but friendly to those they’ve met before. Expect a measured hello rather than a flop onto a stranger’s feet.
Sleep follows the same pattern. In its piece on why dogs sleep so much, the AKC notes that dogs bred for tasks like protecting property have to stay awake for them, while dogs not bred for a task will lie around most of the day. A Shepherd is firmly in the first group, which is the instinct behind its habit line in the app.
Is a German Shepherd a good dog to work beside?
Yes, for someone who can give it a real day. The AKC says the breed is extremely bonded to its people and happiest living as part of the family’s activities. Your Shepherd will want to be in the room, and it will notice everything that happens outside it.
That makes for loyal company and a reliable doorbell. It also means a day of back-to-back calls with no walk and nothing to think about won’t suit it.
Plan exercise before work, keep a training game for a break, and expect hair. The Royal Kennel Club lists grooming more than once a week, and the AKC rates the breed’s shedding high.
The German Shepherd in Doggydoro
The app’s German Shepherd has this habit line: “On watch for six minutes before giving in.” It’s the longest hold-out in the kennel, a minute past the Labrador Retriever, the Shiba Inu and the Miniature Schnauzer.
It’s one of the eight breeds free users can start with. Pro adds the Brindle Greyhound and the Bull Arab, and the others can be earned with bones. See them all with the other breeds.
Every dog is named by you, and the card at the end of a session says when yours dozed off: “25 minutes. Biscuit dozed off around minute 6.”
More of the dogs
- Dachshund: Burrowed in and asleep by minute 3.
- Greyhound: Asleep by minute 2. Flat out.
- Brindle Greyhound: Asleep by minute 2. Flat out.
- All ten breeds