Article Title: German Shepherd - The Facts Every Owner Of This
Dog Breed Should Know
Author: Robert Benjamin
Word Count: 506
Also known as the Alsatian, the German Shepherd is a 'young'
breed, having only been recognized as a distinct breed in the
last 90 years. The German Shepard can trace its roots back to a
range of shepherding dogs in Germany, and some groups tried to
informally breed this dog. This effort failed but in 1899, a new
group formed. Der Verein fur Deutsche Schaeferhunde was founded
by Max von Stephanitz, who wanted to breed an all purpose
working dog.
The German Shepherd came to the United Sates in 1908 with
soldiers impressed by the courage and abilities of this dog.
German Shepherds will reach an average height of 22 to 26
inches, weight of 77 to 85 pounds and live an average of 13
years. There are a wide variety of coats in this breed. Some
German Shepherds are longhaired and some are shorthaired. The
color is most often black and tan, but can also be sable, all
black, blue and liver and white.
The one thing all German Shepard coats have in common is that
they shed profusely, and shed worse during their shedding
season. Daily brushing usually helps combat the shedding, and
German Shepherds should only be bathed occasionally. Almost all
German Shepherds are described as self-confident and loyal.
German Shepherds are highly intelligent and often times used as
police dogs, rescue dogs and guide dogs. German Shepherds make
excellent guard dogs and are very loyal to their family. They
make excellent protectors, barking when someone unfamiliar is
approaching. German Shepherds do make good family pets and will
guard the children of 'their' family. They will tolerate the
poking and prodding children are prone to do. However, they are
sometimes unaware of their size and power relative to a small
child and may indiscriminately knock them over.
A German Shepherd and child should always be watched to avoid
this. German Shepherds can survive apartment living if given
enough exercise regularly and given enough activities. If left
alone too long or not stimulated enough, German Shepherds will
become bored and destructive. They enjoy being in the company of
their human family but not other pets. As a working dog that
likes to please, a German Shepherd will do very well with
obedience training. German Shepherds are prone to some genetic
disorders including hip and elbow dysplasia, blood disorders,
digestive problems, epilepsy, chronic eczema, keratitis
(inflammation of the cornea), dwarfism and flea allergies.
There is a website that has great information on German
Shepherds and most other breeds of dogs. It has details that
pertain to a dog breeds health, grooming, living conditions,
best food choices and more, the website is called: Dog And Cat
Facts, and can be found at this url:
http://www.dogandca
By Robert W. Benjamin
Copyright © 2007
You may publish this article in your ezine, newsletter, or on
your web site as long as it is reprinted in its entirety and
without modification except for formatting needs or grammar
corrections.
About The Author: Robert W. Benjamin has been in the software
business on the internet for over 5 years, and has been
producing low-cost software for the past 25+ years. Seasonal
Vacation Spots http://www.seasonal
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