Liver German Shepherd Diet
As with any dog, the type of food a Liver German Shepherd needs to eat throughout their life will change depending on age and circumstances. Generally speaking, large dogs need more food and calories, which is very true for these dogs!
Its all about providing a high-protein and low-carb diet. These dogs love meat for both the taste and nutritional value. The protein helps them to gain lean muscle mass, which supports their large bones and joints. Your vet might recommend food supplements such as glucosamine for their joint health as they age.
As Liver German Shepherds can be prone to dental problems, kibble is great for supporting oral hygiene. These dogs also love liver treats!
These dogs also need to drink a lot of water around 1.5 liters a day! If you live in a warm climate or if you have a particularly energetic dog, then it will require more water to support its health.
A Service And War Dog
Not surprisingly, Von Stephanitz used Horand extensively at stud, linebreeding intensely on him to fix the traits that he found so valuable. Thanks to the success of some of those offspring in particular his three grandsons Heinz von Starkenburg, Beowolf and Pilot Horands blood flows through the veins of virtually every German Shepherd alive today.
Though the German Shepherd was being developed just as the storm clouds of the Great War were gathering, the German military hadnt yet fully appreciated the value of war dogs. Von Stephanitz relentlessly and successfully promoted his nascent breed as a peerless service dog, and mourned the fact that Horand had never had the opportunity to prove himself in that respect.
What could not have become of such a dog, he asked rhetorically, if we only had at that time military or police service training?
American fanciers met Von Stephanitz in person in 1930, when he was invited to judge at the famous Morris & Essex Kennel Club Show by the impossibly wealthy Geraldine Rockefeller Dodge, the shows benefactress and a German Shepherd breeder herself. So many Shepherds were entered that Von Stephanitz was forced to judge both sexes over two days and, in the European tradition, wrote a critique on each.
1949 Ch. Nyx of Longworth, dam of the famed D litter of six champions.
Modern Utilization Of The German Shepherd
German Shepherds are seen as working dogs everywhere. The breed is well known for its police work, mostly used for narcotics detection, tracking criminals, and other types of detection. The ability to handle these tasks also make the breed a good candidate for the military. German Shepherds in the military detect items such as mines and explosives.
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History Of Liver German Shepherds
As the name suggests, German Shepherds originated in Germany in the late 1800s. The aim was to breed dogs that could herd sheep and protect flocks. Shepherds in Germany worked to create breeds that had the characteristics of intelligence, strength, speed, and a high sense of smell.
A society was formed in Germany called the Phylax Society, which was formed to promote and create standardized breeds. Due to conflicts in the society, it only lasted 3 years. In 1899, however, the first bred German Shepherd was discovered at a dog show by an ex-member of the Phylax Society Max von Stephanitz.
The breeding of this dog became the starting point for the popularity of German Shepherds as their physique and characteristics were ideal for protecting and herding sheep.
German Shepherds have since become one of the most popular breeds of dogs across the world. They have developed other kinds of coat colors, including white, black, blue, panda, and liver.
German Shepherds Can Run Fast
A German Shepherd at his prime can run close to 50 kilometers per hour. Even though they are not the fastest dog runner, it is still very impressive in par with its weight. With this in mind, the fastest dog breed is the Greyhound which can run up to 72 kilometers per hour. Meanwhile, Usain Bolt, the fastest human on earth, can run up to 43 kilometers per hour.
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Liver German Shepherd Temperament
The only difference between a regular German Shepherd and a Liver German Shepherd is the color difference. Other than that, the B Locus gene does not affect the dogs temperament.
German Shepherds are known for their intelligence, strength, and speed as they were originally bred to be working dogs. They are energetic dogs that love to exercise and play regardless of their age.
Aside from their energetic nature, all kinds of the German Shepherd breed are loyal, affectionate, and protective dogs. They are great family dogs due to their protective nature, as they will grow particularly fond of children.
An unknown characteristic of all German Shepherds is that they can be quite anxious and shy dogs. They need to get used to new faces before they develop an undetachable loyalty to them. Once this attachment is developed, it will protect you for life. However, this also means that they can have separation anxiety issues if they are left for long periods.
It is worth saying that all dogs will have varying degrees of anxiety issues, so it all depends on how you train and treat your dog. Not all Liver German Shepherds will cling to you with shaking legs and worried faces, as long as you train and socialize them properly.
The Beginnings Of Standardisation
Stephanitz purchased property near Grafrath in the 1890s where he began experimenting with dog breeding. He used many of the techniques utilised by English dog breeders of the period. He was primarily interested in improving the German shepherding dogs because they were local and were the working dogs of his time. Stephanitz enjoyed attending dog shows and observed that there were many different types of shepherding dogs in use in Germany but there was no breed standardisation. He greatly admired those dogs with a wolf-like appearance and prick ears who also were intelligent, had sharp senses and willingness to work and believed that he could create a better working dog that could then be used throughout Germany.
He purchased his first dog Hektor Linksrhein in 1899 and changed his name to Horand von Grafrath. Horand was used as the primary breeding stud by Stephanitz and other breeders and is the foundation of the German Shepherd breed as we know it. Stephanitz used the knowledge he had acquired during his years at the Veterinary College and “…established a grand design he wanted breeders to aim for with judging based on angle of bones, proportions and overall measurements.” Horand’s son Hektor v. Schwaben and his grandsons Heinz v. Starkenburg, Beowolf and Pilot were also instrumental in standardizing the breed. Dogs from other areas of Germany such as Franconia, Württemberg and Thuringia were also used as breeders.
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Are There Different Types Of German Shepherds
Officially there’s only the one breed. But I explained in the Temperament section that there are different lines of German Shepherds with different temperaments. Those lines can also LOOK very different from each other.
Show lines
Those of us who admired the strong, noble look of German Shepherds from decades ago are saddened at what has been done to the appearance of modern show dogs.
If you go to a German Shepherd specialty show in the United States or Canada, you’ll see tall narrow bodies, long narrow heads, and such excessive curvature of the rear legs that the dog’s back slopes downward from shoulders to tail. You could roll a ball down that back.
In my opinion, these are misshapen caricatures of a German Shepherd. To make matters worse, show lines produce more than their share of spooky and low-intelligence dogs, which is what happens when you over-focus on appearance rather than temperament and trainability.
In contrast, the West German show line has a more normal shape. Best of all, German Shepherds in West Germany cannot win show ring ribbons or be bred without passing a temperament/trainability test.
There are many West German bloodlines in the United States. So if you’re interested, you can look for show breeders who emphasize West German lines instead of American/Canadian.
Just be aware that these dogs aren’t couch potatoes: they do have plenty of energy and some working drives that will need to be exercised.
Working/protection lines
Pet lines?
American Vs European German Shepherds
The American German Shepherd and the European German Shepherd are the same breed, but with different backgrounds. Is there really that much difference between these two? Let’s take a closer look.
The European German Shepherd
Not surprisingly, European German Shepherds are bred mainly in Europe. Although these dogs are usually brought over to the United States from Europe, there are some German Shepherd Breeders in America who breed European lines. A few things to know:
- Regulation: European German Shepherds are regulated under the SV , which gives each and every registered dog the seal of approval.
- Physical Characteristics: Physically, European German Shepherds have bigger heads, a straighter line on their hind legs, and a shorter and wider backline.
- Traits: European German Shepherds are believed to be better suited as working dogs than their American counterparts. Because of this, it’s also believed that they make better guard dogs. The majority of police dogs are from European lines. This may be due to the fact that the SV has worked hard at preserving the working temperament of German Shepherds for many years.
The American German Shepherd
American German Shepherd Dogs are bred and raised in the United States. Here are a few things that distinguish them from the German Shepherds that are breed across the Atlantic:
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German Shepherds Can Live Up To Over 13 Years With Proper Care
In general, the lifespan of a German Shepherd is around 9 to 13 years. However, the longest a German Shepherd has ever lived is 18 years. There are many ways to enhance the health of the German Shepherd such as regular veterinary care, weight maintenance, high quality of food, dog supplements, exercise, and good oral hygiene.
How Many Types Of German Shepherd Dogs Are There
These cute yet ferocious little bodyguards are categorized into two breeding types, the working line and Show Line. You would be surprised to know that there are 5 different types of show line German Shepherd dogs that you can find. The most popular distinction that separates them among their different types is the color of their coats.
German Shepherd is also sometimes differentiated by the length of their hair and coat, but that is generally done only for purebred German Shepherds. Apart from being characterized based on their looks, they are also differentiated based on their personality and health, which is known as working lines.
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Facts You Didnt Know About German Shepherds
Majestic, noble, loyal, courageous, intelligent, willing: German Shepherds.
These gentle souls are not often described as cute and cuddly, but rarely will you find a friend as fiercely dedicated to you and as ferociously devoted to fending off your foes. German shepherds are as beautiful as they are smart and as faithful as they are defensive. These gorgeous guardians are partners to those who protect and serve, companions for the lonely, vigilantes of the home, and helpers to the handicapped. These committed K-9s are a thing to be marveled. Here are five things you may not know about German shepherds.
A relatively new breed, German shepherds were bred to herd flocks all day. In the late 1880s, Captain Max von Stephanitz crossbred working sheep dogs in rural Germany in order to create a herding dog that could trot for long periods of time. Through cross breeding, the German Shepherd Dog was created.
When German shepherds were first created, they were given the name Deutsche Schäferhunde, which translates to German Shepherd Dog. In 1914, when World War I began for Britain, all things German took on a negative association. Because of this, the name of the breed was changed to the Alsatian. Later, after World War II, the name was changed again to the Alsatian Wolf Dog, to remove the Hitler Germany connection.
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Ddr Gsd As Protection Dogs
Since the unification of Germany in 1990, DDR German shepherds became rare for many reasons. These reasons include being:
- Put down,
- Abandoned, and
- Sold.
Fortunately, some of them were sold as protection dogs, and for a high price to boot. As a result, there was an increase in DDR German shepherd breeders that continued breeding East German shepherds the old-fashioned way.
So if there are those who want to continue the bloodline, there are also breeders that want to profit from these rare protection dogs.
With that said, DDR dogs are still the protective dog they were during the World Wars, with the suitable temperament and appearance:
- They are naturally a protective dog, loyal to its master and anyone within their owners house.
- Being a protection dog in the past, East German shepherds are likely to be wary of any threat they recognize
- They are also bred to be stronger than most, with heads larger than that of a standard GSD and more muscular build.
These characteristics tell us that it would be most suitable to consider DDR GSD as protection dogs.
However, the need for such a specialized dog is not as prevalent today. Families tend to prefer dogs that are loving and gentle. Rather, DDR German shepherds are more popular to those looking forward to Schutzhund training.
Grooming: Do German Shepherds Shed A Lot Are They Easy To Groom
About shedding….
I have good news and bad news.
The good news is that German Shepherds have only one shedding period a year.
The bad news is…. their shedding period lasts for 365 days. In other words, German Shepherds shed constantly.
How is this different from most breeds?
Most breeds shed a few hairs here and there throughout the year. But the vast bulk of their shedding occurs only twice a year for three weeks in the spring as their thicker winter coat switches over to a cooler summer coat, and for three weeks in the fall as the summer coat switches over to a winter coat.
Not German Shepherds. They shed a TON during those spring and fall coat-switching seasons. Plus they shed moderately the rest of the year.
So year-round, you’ll find hair on your clothing, on your carpets, and under your refrigerator. Frequent vaccuming will become a way of life.
You might be wondering, “How can a shorthaired dog shed so much?” The answer is that German Shepherds have a double coat. They have a short outer coat , plus a woolly undercoat . Breeds with a double coat always shed more than breeds who simply have an outer coat but no undercoat.
German Shepherds come in a long coat, as well as a short coat. Both coats shed heavily.
Now, about grooming….
How much grooming is required depends on whether a German Shepherd is shorthaired or longhaired.
Longhaired dogs need trimming
Along with brushing and combing, longhaired German Shepherds need trimming every few months.
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Major Bloodlines Of The German Shepherd Dog
There is probably more variety among the various bloodlines of the German Shepherd Dog than any other breed. There are obvious differences in body structure and aesthetics. But the largest difference is the temperament.
Some will disagree with the following statements and thats ok. The article is an attempt to give insight for those who are seriously interested in the German Shepherd. It is written by a 30-year student of the breed who has bred and trained GSDs for nearly that long as well. As with most any breed, breeding is everything. The dogs pedigree shapes the dog. So heres a frank look at some bloodlines within the breed. Yes, there are good breeders and good dogs within each bloodline.
AmericanLine
Shepherds from Americanbreeding are typically taller and longer than those from Germany. Although there is a breed standard from theparent club, there is little-to-no oversight as what dogs can be bred. As long as they are fully registered, theycan breed. Few American GSDs meet theAmerican standard, especially the temperament section. As a result, the almighty dollar and the showring has created a German Shepherd that is different from those in the restof the world . Health problems plaque these bloodlines aswell, more so than quality European lines. The American shepherd is not required to pass a temperament test, anykind of endurance testing, and is not required to be free of dysplasia.
WestGerman Show Line
WestGerman Working Line
EastGerman DDR
Final Thoughts On Ddr German Shepherds
DDR German shepherds are not your ordinary German shepherd. They are special, in more ways than one.
Theyve done their duty to their own nation, people just need to go back to where these dogs came from. They are strong, alert, and their immunity to health issues is top-notch. Other mixed breeds may have replaced them, but they will always be unique.
But sometimes, dogs need some time off from work. Theyre not bred only for police work. They can also serve as great family dogs. Hopefully, there will come a time when theyll finally be rewarded with what they deserve.
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