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German shepherd

German Shepherd Dog Info:

The German Shepherd Dog, also called an Alsatian, is a strong and muscular dog that is often considered the world’s leading guard dog, police dog, and military dog.



That is because the German Shepherd Dog temperament is alert, direct, fearless, bold, and strong. The origin of the German Shepherd Dog breed dates back to the 1800s Europe, specifically Germany, where they were bred by local people to herd and protect sheep from predators. They are preferred as working dogs because they are loyal and obedient.



Other than a working dog, it’s also a family dog that grows quite fond of the family and especially children. And, they always stay cautious of strangers. The German Shepherd Dog has a strong jaw, medium-sized brown eyes that have a confident and intelligent look.



German Shepherd Dog has a light but strong bone structure. They have a fine nose and a keen sense of smell that can be used for the purposes of tracking, sniffing for drugs and mines. German Shepherd Dog breed is perhaps the only one that can carry out so many tasks single handedly as opposed to most breeds that specialize in only one task.

German Shepherd Dog training can be quite easy as these dogs are very intelligent and have great learning capabilities. They learn a task in just about five repetitions. But, the owner does need to be careful that he does not let the dog take charge and believe it is the leader of the family. Also, petting German Shepherd Dog needs dedication and time as the dog needs daily physical and mental exercise to be stable, and cannot be left alone for a long time. Also, the trainer and owners of German Shepherd Dogs need to be firm, calm, confident and powerful. If they have weak trainers or owners, they tend to become timid and bite people out of fear. A German Shepherd Dog needs to be taught to be obedient on early stages. Once they are taught to be obedient, they have to be told to do something just once.

German Shepherd Dogs health issues are mostly related to inbreeding needed at early stages. They have common ailments like hip and elbow dysplasia that may turn into arthritis at a later stage and become a painful experience for the dog. Their large and open ears also make them susceptible to ear infections. They also have high instances of von Willebrand Disease and Degenerative Myelopathy, a neurological disease.

 
  Submitted on May 7, 2010  
 
 
 

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