Standards Of The German Shepherd Breed
Date: Sunday, December 30 @ 01:27:28 MST
Topic: Pets
The American Kennel Club (AKC) establishes the standard of every dog breed recognized in the United States. The standards of the German Shepherd breed specify what makes a German Shepherd a competition grade German Shepherd. The closer a dog comes to matching the standards of any particular breed, the greater chance that dog has of winning a dog show or becoming an American Kennel Club champion.
The standards of the German Shepherd breed include these categories: General appearance, temperament, size and proportion, coat and color and gait. The general appearance standard of a good German Shepherd calls for an agile, alert animal with a look of quality and nobility. A German Shepherd's size and proportion requires that it should be longer than it is tall, and the dog should look solid and fit.
The breed is self confident and direct and friendship with a German Shepherd must be earned. German Shepherds are eager and alert, ready to serve at a moment's notice as a watchdog, guide dog, herding dog or companion.
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.
The German Shepherd standard of the breed calls for a short, double coat with an extremely dense outer coat on the main body and a short coat on the head, legs and paws. German Shepherds with soft, silky, wooly and curly coats are disqualified. Variations in color are permissible, although a white dog must always be disqualified. Rich colors are preferred, and a tan face with black body is a commonly accepted color combination. A good German Shepherd, according to the American Kennel Club, trots without effort while smoothly covering territory with minimal effort. Faults of the gait are serious and can lead to disqualification.
These are the American Kennel Club standards of the German Shepherd breed against which show dogs are judged. Many of these traits have no bearing whatsoever on what kind of pet a German Shepherd will make. Usually, German Shepherds who don't meet American Kennel Club standards make excellent pets and working dogs.
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Jan Ryan is a dog show enthusiast who lives with two German Shepherds, Hilda and Shultz. 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 this particular breed that meet the standards, go to a dog show and see these dogs first hand.
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