German Shepherd Dog

Height: 22 to 26 inches at shoulder

Weight: 75 to 95 pounds

Coat: medium-length and dense

Life span: 10 to 14 years

The German Shepherd Dog comes from Germany and was bred originally for herding and guarding sheep .
It's origins can be dated back to the 700's. The German Shepherd Dog is also known by the other names of Alsatian and Deutscher Schaferhund. The advent of the two World Wars influenced the history of this dog. The association with Germany was unpopular following the wars and the breed was therefore given the name of the Alsatian Wolf Dog after the German-French border area of Alsace-Lorraine. The term 'Wolf Dog' was then dropped as it was believed that this would also prove to be unpopular. Finally, in 1977, the breed name was changed back to the German Shepherd Dog. This dog is classified as one of the Herding Dog Group which we go on to describe in detail in the section at the bottom of this page. The German Shepherd Dog was first Registered by the AKC (American Kennel Club) in 1908. Name Facts and Dog Names: This dog's name is often mis-spelt as the German Shepard Dog.