The site was last updated on

24 Aug 2000

The history of the breed;

For years, the German Shepherd Dog was referred to as a "Police Dog". There is no such breed as "Police Dog". Any dog of any breed is a police dog if it is trained to perform police work. It is not a matter of breed but of training. The American Kennel Club officially terms our breed German Shepherd dog, a literal translation of "Duetsche SchH? ferhund", which it is called in the country of its origin. While it is called the "Alsatian" in England, other languages keep to a translation of the original name. The German Shepherd is a German breed, the Schutzhund was built for this breed, it's a protective dog, these days it used for working and protection.

GSDs standard;

Size: The desired height for males at the top of the highest point of the shoulder blade is 24 to 26 inches (60 to 65 cm); and for bitches, 22 to 24 inches (55 to 60 cm).The German Shepherd Dog is longer than tall, with the most desirable proportion as 10 to 8.5. The length is measured from the point of the prosternum or preastbone to the rear edge of the pelvis, the ischial tuberosity. The desirable long proportion is not derived from a long back, but from overall length with relation to height, which is achieved by length of forequarter and length of withers and hindquarter, viewed from the side.

Head: The head is noble, cleanly chiseled, strong without coarseness, but above all not fine, and in proportion to the body. The head of the male is distinctly masculine, and that of the bitch distinctly feminine.

Eyes: The expression is keen, intelligent and composed. Eyes are medium size, almond shaped, set a little obliquely and not protruding. The color is as dark as possible.

Ears: Are moderately pointed, in proportion to the skull, open toward the front, and carried erect when at attention, the ideal carriage being one in which the center lines of the ears, viewed from the front, are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the ground. A dog with cropped or hanging ears must be disqualified.

Skull: slopes into the long, wedge-shaped muzzle without abrupt stop.

Muzzle: The muzzle is long and strong, and its topline is parallel to the topline of the skull. The nose must be black. A dog with a nose that is not predominantly black must be disqualified. The lips are firmly fitted.

Teeth: Jaws are strong developed. 42 in number- 20 upper and 22 lower- are strongly developed and meet in a scissors bite in which part of the inner surface of the upper incisors meet and engage part of the outer surface of the lower incisors. An overshot jaw or a level bite is undesirable. An undershot jaw is a disqualified fault. Complete dentition is to be preferred. Any missing teeth other than first premolars is a serious fault.

Neck: Is strong and muscular, clean-cut and relatively long, proportionate in size to the head and without loose folds of skin. When the dog is at attention or excited, the head is raised and the neck is carried high; otherwise typical carriage of the head is forward rather than up and but little higher than the top of the shoulders, particularly in motion.

Topline: The withers are higher than and sloping into the level back. The back is straight, very strongly developed without sag or roach, and relatively short. The whole structure of the body gives an impression of depth and solidity without bulkiness.

Chest: Commencing at the prosternum, it is well filled and carried well down between the legs. It is deep and capacious, never shallow, with ample room for lungs and heart, carried well forward, with the prosternum showing ahead of the shoulder in profile. Ribs well sprung and long, neither barrel-shaped nor too flat, and carried down to a sternum which reached to the elbows. Correct ribbing allows the elbows to move back freely when the dog is at the trot. Too round causes interference and throw the elbows out; too flat or short causes pinched elbows. Ribbing is carried well back so that the loin is relatively short. Abdomen firmly held and not paunchy. The bottom line is only moderately tucked up in the loin.

Coat: The ideal dog has a double coat of medium length. The outer coat should be as dense as possible, hair straight, harsh and lying close to the body. A slightly wavy outer coat, often of wiry texture, is permissible. The head, including the inner ear and foreface, and the legs and paws are covered with short hair, and the neck with longer and thicker hair. The rear of the forelegs and hind legs has somewhat longer hair extending to the pasterns and hock, respectively. Faults in the coat including soft, silky, too long outer coat, woolly, curly and open coat.

Color: The German Shepherd Dog varies in color, and most colors are permissible. Strong rich colors are preferred. Pale, washed-out colors and blues or livers are serious faults. A white dog must be disqualified. Today, most of the dogs are black-red or black-yellow. The black-red is more wanted.