German Shepherd Dog

Also known as: GSD, Alsatian, Vilkinis šuo, Berger Allemand, Alsatian wolf dog

Max von Stephanitz set out to standardize Germany's regional herding dogs into one breed in 1899, and the German Shepherd he shaped is still the template most people picture when they hear the word "shepherd." It was built for a full day's work on foot behind a flock, which is why an adult male can carry up to 40 kilograms of solid, athletic frame without looking bulky. The double coat sheds constantly rather than seasonally, so weekly brushing is less optional than most owners expect. Germany's police and military adopted the breed early, and that working history still shows in how quickly it reads a handler's mood. Left without a job, a Shepherd tends to invent one, often by herding the household cats. Hip and elbow health matter more here than in most breeds, so buying from a line with recent screening results is worth the extra homework. A well-raised one is steady with children and reserved rather than hostile with strangers. Life expectancy runs 9 to 13 years, on the shorter end for a dog its size.

Browse dog food sized right for this breed

German Shepherd Dog: how old in human years?

55–65 cmHeight
22–40 kgWeight
9–13 yrsLife expectancy

Australian Shepherd

FCI group: Sheepdogs and Cattledogs (except Swiss Cattledogs)
FCI section: Section 1: Sheepdogs
FCI: 166
Country of origin: Germany

Energy level

5/5
Trainability

5/5
Family friendly

4/5
Grooming need

3/5

At a glance

Height

Males 60–65 cm

Females 55–60 cm

Weight

Males 30–40 kg

Females 22–32 kg

Life expectancy

9–13 yrs

Coat

double coat, straight/wiry outer (medium-length)

Temperament & Family Life

German Shepherd Dog's average temperament and family-life score for this breed is high.

Family friendly 4/5
Good with children 4/5
Good with other dogs 3/5
Friendly with strangers 3/5
Intelligence 5/5
Trainability 5/5

Exercise, Energy & Space

German Shepherd Dog's energy and exercise needs are moderate.

Energy level 5/5
Exercise need 5/5
Apartment friendly 2/5
Prey drive 3/5
Hunting instinct 3/5

Guarding & Alertness

German Shepherd Dog's guarding and alertness traits are high.

Guarding instinct 4/5
Watchfulness 5/5
Barking level 3/5

Grooming & Care

German Shepherd Dog's grooming needs are moderate.

Shedding 4/5
Drooling 1/5
Grooming need 3/5

Living with the German Shepherd Dog

Your German Shepherd's day starts before yours does: he is already at the door, looking at you, then at the lead, then back at you. For this breed exercise isn't a nice extra but a daily need: a long morning walk, a run, a ball chased until your arm gives out, and another proper outing in the evening. A bored shepherd will find himself a job, and you are unlikely to approve of what he decides to dig up or chew. A small flat with no time for long outings will feel cramped to him.

Training one is a genuine pleasure. He learns fast, watches your face for the next task and values praise almost as much as a treat. His brain needs work as much as his legs do, so ten minutes of nose games or a new trick tires him out better than an extra kilometre. Just remember that a clever dog is learning all the time, not only in lessons: if barking at the dinner table once earned a slice of sausage, that lesson has been learned.

At home he attaches deeply and likes to be wherever you are, in the kitchen, in the study, even outside the bathroom door. He usually gets on well with children, especially ones he grows up with, though a big, bouncy dog can flatten a toddler purely by accident. With strangers he is reserved rather than hostile: he watches first and makes up his mind later. You will hear about every courier and every slammed door in the stairwell, because this natural watchman misses very little, and he will get along better with other dogs if he meets plenty of them calmly from puppyhood.

Grooming and coat

A shepherd wears two coats at once: straight, harsh guard hairs on top and a dense, soft undercoat beneath that keeps out the cold and the rain. That undercoat is about to become your vacuum cleaner's main employer. Hair comes out all year round, and in spring and autumn it rolls across the floor in tufts like tumbleweed in a western. Brush a few times a week and daily while the coat is blowing, ideally with a brush plus an undercoat rake. No clipping or shaving needed, since the double coat insulates against heat as well as cold, and a bath only when your dog has genuinely found something to roll in.

Brushing is also the best moment to check everything else. Part the coat on the back, belly and between the toes and look for red, flaky or scratched skin. Those big upright ears get plenty of air but collect dust, so look inside once a week: they should be clean and not smell, and a damp cloth on the outer part is enough. The eyes should be clear and bright, with no reddish or dark patches in the corners. Trim the nails when you hear them clicking on the floor; an active dog wears some down on its own, but no amount of tarmac reaches the dewclaws.

How to do it:

By age:

Health and possible conditions

Strong legs, alert upright ears and a frame built to work from dawn to dusk: a German Shepherd looks like health walking on four paws. The breed still has its weak spots, and the joints, spine, digestion and eyes deserve a little more of your attention than in many dogs. Know what to look for and you will spot changes early, which is exactly when your vet can do the most.

This is general information, not veterinary advice. For your own dog's health, tests and treatment, see a vet.

Degenerative Myelopathy

A slowly progressing disease of the spinal cord that, in later life, gradually weakens the link between the brain and the hind legs. The first sign can be oddly ordinary: on a walk you hear the back paws scuffing their nails along the pavement, or you notice a slight sway when the dog turns. It is a condition tied to the breed, which is why careful breeders DNA-test the parents, and whether a change in gait comes from this or from something else is for your vet to work out.
Elbow and hip dysplasia

A developmental problem of the joints: as the puppy grows, the parts of the elbow or hip don't fit together quite as they should, so the joint moves less smoothly and wears over time. You might see your dog get up stiffly after a long nap, think twice before jumping into the car, or run with both hind legs pushing off together like a rabbit. For a big, athletic shepherd sound joints are almost everything, so ask the breeder about the parents' joint X-rays, and talk to your vet about how much exercise a growing puppy should get.
Cancer

Cancer is not one disease but a whole family of different tumours that can turn up in almost any organ. What you notice first is usually small: a new lump under your hand while stroking, weight drifting off for no clear reason, or a favourite ball that has suddenly stopped being interesting. As your shepherd gets older, don't put such signs down to age; a new lump or unexplained tiredness is worth showing to your vet rather than waiting for it to pass.
Bloat and Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus

The stomach fills with gas and can twist on itself, pinching off its own blood supply, which makes this one of the true emergencies in a dog's life. The dog turns restless, paces, tries to vomit with nothing coming up, and the belly looks swollen and drum-tight. Large, deep-chested dogs like the German Shepherd are known to be at risk, so keep the number of your nearest out-of-hours clinic handy: here minutes matter, and the vet takes it from there.
Allergies

An allergy is the immune system overreacting to things that are basically harmless, such as pollen, house dust mites, flea saliva or an ingredient in food. In dogs it tends to show up in the skin: licked paws, a face rubbed along the carpet, scratched ears and that endless thump-thump of a back leg in the evening. Under a thick shepherd coat red skin is easy to miss, so part the hair when you brush, and leave working out the trigger and what to do about it to your vet.
Heart Disease

An umbrella term for several conditions in which the heart muscle or valves stop working as well as they should, so the heart has to strain to move blood around the body. You may notice your dog lagging behind on walks, resting more than before, coughing, or breathing faster while fast asleep. In a dog this driven, a sudden loss of interest in moving is a signal, not laziness; at check-ups your vet listens to the heart and decides whether anything more is needed.
Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI)

When the pancreas doesn't make enough digestive enzymes, food passes through largely undigested, and the dog eats like two and still gets thinner. The picture is quite distinctive: a dog that is always hungry, hoovering up anything on the ground, with large, pale, greasy stools that smell worse than usual. The German Shepherd is one of the breeds this condition is linked with, so if a young, lively dog won't put on weight despite a hearty appetite, take him to your vet, who can test for it.
Pannus

Also called chronic superficial keratitis, this is an immune-driven inflammation of the cornea, the clear front window of the eye, in which pinkish and later darker tissue creeps in from the edge like cloud across glass. What owners tend to see first is a reddish or dark patch at the outer corner of the eye, or an eye that has lost its shine and looks slightly matte. It develops slowly and is usually not painful, which makes it easy to overlook; keeping an eye on your shepherd's eyes is a lifelong habit worth having, and only your vet can confirm it and follow its course.

Food for large breeds — cheapest per kg

This list is chosen by the breed's weight (40 kg) rather than the breed itself: shops label food by dog size, so every breed of the same size gets the same list. Prices are updated daily.

≈ 390 g of dry food a day, from €21,24 a month For a neutered, normally active 31 kg dog. Calculate for your dog