From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The German Shepherd or Alsatian is a German breed of working dog of medium to large size. The breed was developed by Max von Stephanitz using various traditional German herding dogs from 1899.
| German Shepherd
|
| Adult male
|
| Other names
|
- Alsatian
- Alsatian Wolf Dog
- Berger Allemand
- Deutscher Schäferhund
- Altdeutsche Schäferhunde
|
| Origin
|
Germany
|
| Traits
|
| Height
|
Dogs
|
60–65 cm (24–26 in)
|
|
|
Bitches
|
55–60 cm (22–24 in)
|
| Weight
|
Dogs
|
30–40 kg (66–88 lb)
|
|
|
Bitches
|
22–32 kg (49–71 lb)
|
| Coat
|
Double coat
|
| Colour
|
Tan with black saddle, sable, solid black or bi-colour
|
| Litter size
|
4–9
|
| Life span
|
9–13
|
|
|
|
| Dog (domestic dog)
|
It was originally bred as a herding dog, for herding sheep. It has since been used in many other types of work, including disability assistance, search-and-rescue, police work, and warfare. It is commonly kept as a companion dog, and according to the Fédération Cynologique Internationale had the second-highest number of annual registrations in 2013.
