Monday, April 21, 2008

AKC Standards For German Shepherds

The body that establishes standards of dog breeds in the United States is the American Kennel Club (AKC). The American Kennel Club decides what qualities make a dog a show quality German Shepherd. German Shepherds in dog shows are judged against these standards, and the dog that comes the closest to matching all the standards of the breed wins the dog show. German Shepherds that win certain prizes in American Kennel Club dog shows can earn the rank of American Kennel Club champion, a designation that appears on a dog's pedigree.

The categories that make up the standard of the German Shepherd breed include: appearance, temperament, size and proportion, coat and color and gait, the way the dog moves. A German Shepherd who meets the appearance standard of the breed gives the impression of a strong animal, alert and full of life. A good German Shepherd looks substantial and muscular, with an expression of nobility and quality breeding. The standard of the German Shepherd breed calls for a confident personality, slow to make friends. German Shepherds are alert and eager, ready to be report for duty as guide dogs, guard dogs, police dogs, herding dogs or loyal family companions.
American Kennel Club standards require German Shepherd males to stand twenty four to twenty six inches tall at the shoulder. Females should stand twenty two to twenty four inches tall at the shoulder. A strong appearance of nobility marks the German Shepherd head. The appearance of the head should communicate the sex of the animal, masculine for males and feminine for females. The head must be proportional to the body. The eyes should be almond shaped and dark, American Kennel Club judges score the most points for the darkest possible eye color. The ears should be moderately pointed and the muzzle long, strong, and pronounced. The nose must be predominantly black. The standard for the German Shepherd's neck is long and strong, with the head held high and proud. The rib cage is deep, with long ribs, a firm underbelly and a full tail held high in the air. The shoulders and forearms show muscular strength, with short, compact feet carrying the German Shepherd in its signature trotting gait. The upper thigh should run parallel to the shoulder blade and the lower thigh should run parallel to the upper arm are parallel. Hindquarters should be broad, with dewclaws absent from the back legs.
German Shepherds that win American Kennel Club championships have double coats that are short with a very thick coat on the outside, covering most of the body, and shorter hair on the head, legs and paws. Faults of the coat that lead to disqualification in a dog show include a soft, silky, wooly and curly coat. Surprisingly, a variety of color combinations are permitted. White dogs, however, are instantly disqualified. Judges prefer rich colors; virtually any combination of black and tan is favored. Faults of the gate are grounds for disqualification, and for good cause. A dog with a faulty gait may have a skeletal disorder that could be passed on to its puppies, and an American Kennel Club champion will inevitably be used for breeding. A German Shepherd that meets the standard trots smoothly, with seemingly little effort, covering territory with ease.

If you are looking for a loving canine companion who will offer unsurpassed loyalty and love, then a German Shepherd is for you, whether it meets these standards are not. These are standards of the breed that are used in dog shows. These qualities are optimal but not required for a pet.

American Kennel Club standards for a German Shepherd cover a dog's appearance and temperament. Maintaining high standards requires breeders to follow practices that promote healthy German Shepherds. Breeders are always looking for German Shepherd information that will help them maintain the standards of this noble breed. To talk to a breeder or see German Shepherds that meet the standards, go to a dog show and see these dogs first hand.

Monday, April 14, 2008

All About Life With German Shepherd Dogs As Pets

When anyone says the word dog, the image that pops up in most people's mind is that of the German Shepherd. Also known as Alsatians (from the province in France where the breed was developed), the German Shepherd is one of the most popular dogs in the world. With their distinctive look, incredible intelligence and remarkable personalities, you would think the German Shepherd would be the perfect dog.

But a German Shepherd is not the dog for everyone. Their large size, their exuberant nature, their coats and sometimes health problems leave many thousands of German Shepherd Dogs to be abandoned every year. The Humane Society of the United States estimates that a quarter of all strays are purebreds, including purebred German Shepherds. Knowing basic German Shepherd information can help teach you what to expect from them as pets will help you decide if a German Shepherd is right for you and your family.
Daily life with a German Shepherd should include a lot of interaction and fuss with your family and your dog. They love to be in the center of the action and are strong enough to force their way to the center of the action if not supervised. Keeping the dog exercised, including games and playing in the yard will help to keep his or her energy levels down. German Shepherds are not vicious by nature, but they can play rough, just like puppies do.

You will need to brush your German Shepherd every day to keep out tangles and to keep shedding to a minimum. Most German Shepherds have thick, double layer coats, although there are many with single layer coats. Bathing the German Shepherd Dog too often can result in shedding and dandruff production beyond belief so only bathe when absolutely necessary. Train your dog to be still when brushed and do it after exercise.
German Shepherd dogs are highly trainable, providing they get regular exercise and aren't overfed. Too much food for a German Shepherd is like giving too much sugar and caffeine to a child – they can't help being a bit hyper afterwards. They are also more trainable and calmer is you have them spayed or neutered. This also cuts down in incidences of wandering, aggression and cancers of the reproductive organs. Leave the breeding of German Shepherds to the experts.

Another point not usually touted in German Shepherd information from the AKC is that they often have health problems. The German Shepherd Rescue of North Carolina has estimated that care of a German Shepherd Dog costs about three thousand dollars per year, and German Shepherds live into their teens. If you take on a German Shepherd be committed to taking care of them financially as well as with affection, proper grooming, diligent training and proper nutrition.

Many people love collecting anything and everything having to do with German Shepherd dogs. Writing a book on dog care for newbies, including a large section on German Shepherd information could sell a million copies.

Monday, April 7, 2008

German Shepherds 101: Their Personalities

What qualities would you look for in a friend? You would hope they would stick by your side through good times and bad. You pray that they will never betray your secrets. You wish that they would help you out when you needed help. You can find all of these qualities in a German Shepherd dog. And, as added benefit, they won’t sue you, either.

You need to do your part in this friendship, as well, in order for it to work out. You have to be patient, have a sense of humor and learn all you can about the German Shepherd breed. You have to be committed to exercising your German Shepherd dog every day, with a walk and play. They need to be active, or else they get a bit hyperactive. They also need regular trips to the vet for inoculations and check ups. Purebred German Shepherds are more inclined to have genetically caused problems than many other breeds of dog. You must be willing to pay any and all medical costs for your friend.
German Shepherds are indeed powerful dogs that can take quite a large chunk out of you – when they are given the command to. They will also attack if they think anyone in their family is being threatened. There are some German Shepherds that, in the presence of an intruder, will run and hide rather than attack, but they don't get much press. They have to be trained to attack before they would ever attack another human being.

Since German Shepherd dogs are so large (they average about 75 pounds), they often do not know their own strength. Ever watch puppies playing? They wrestle quite fiercely and often bite softly. German Shepherd dogs will think you want to play like a puppy – very roughly. This can cause unintentional (but still painful) injury. It is important that your German Shepherd be trained and regularly exercised in order to prevent any accidental injuries.
A German Shepherd dog looks to you as a worshipper looks to God. Don't abuse this trust and devotion. You don't like it when God rains bad situations down on you through no fault of your own. This sadly happens to many German Shepherds who are abandoned because their owners did not take the time to learn basic German Shepherd information about their care, needs and personalities.

German Shepherd dogs are very hard to distinguish from human beings in terms of their needs and personalities. They need attention, want to know when they've good job and need a reason for being alive. In their world, they want the good to be rewarded and the bad to be punished. If they are taught to do something bad, they think they are doing well by obeying and will have a hard time understanding why they are being punished. They are capable of being retrained, if you have the guts to stick with your best friend.

This author hopes that one day humans will act as good as German Shepherd dogs. New dog owners should know basic German Shepherd information before bringing home a German Shepherd rescue dog.

German Shepherd