Ever since Rin Tin Tin became a famous television personality, the German Shepherd has gone from an already popular dog breed to one of the most well known breeds on earth. This versatile dog breed seems to be everywhere that a dog can be of help, from war torn countries to areas where natural disasters [...]

The breed is only just over 100 years ago, the deliberate product of a breeding program began by ‘The Father of the German Shepherd’, Rittmeister Max von Stephanitz. First gaining fame as working dogs in the German Army during WWI, the breed became truly famous with the introduction of Rin Tin Tin in the movies [...]

German Shepherds were bred over 100 years ago specifically to work at herding sheep. They’ve been earning their keep ever since. Shepherds have served as guide dogs, bomb or drug sniffing dogs and more. They’re the very image of a police dog. They’ve proven themselves in these roles and many more.
Training begins early in life. [...]

German Shepherds are often said to be intelligent, loyal and hard working. And that’s all true. But they’re often believed to be that way on the basis of temperament, which some claim is all inbred. That’s where the controversy begins.
It’s undoubtedly true that certain features of a dog’s personality, as with humans, derives from genetics. [...]

Socialization involves getting your dog familiar and comfortable with other dogs, pets and people in their environment. As natural pack animals it’s often easy to do, and sometimes even harder to keep them from interacting at inappropriate times.
Most dogs benefit from socialization. The people around them do too. But German Shepherds and a few other [...]

Within dog lover circles there is an ongoing controversy about whether it’s better to acquire a pure bred German Shepherd or one of mixed ancestry. The issue may never be settled to everyone’s satisfaction. But where you stand may depend heavily on the reason you acquired your dog.
For show dogs, police dogs and other specialized [...]

As with any breed, individual behavior will vary. But, also as with any breed, there are common characteristics that are typically shared by all members. Among German Shepherds those behaviors revolve around their ‘instinctive’ patterns, patterns that reveal a dual personality.
Bred at the end of the 19th century to serve, as the name suggests, to [...]

German Shepherds, like all dogs, are primarily carnivores. Their digestive systems are relatively straight and some parts are shorter than even other large breeds. That makes digesting vegetable or plant matter more difficult. As a result, the German Shepherd’s diet should be chiefly meat-based.
That doesn’t mean German Shepherds have to be fed nothing but raw, [...]

The German Shepherd breed was developed over 100 years ago, as the name suggests, for herding sheep. That activity is less common in the world today, but the basic skills are still much in demand.
GSDs, as they’re sometimes known, will patrol a border for hours, keeping strangers at bay and protecting those within. Seeing some [...]

Depending on where your German Shepherd walks the most, nail care may be needed often or only very rarely. Long walks on city sidewalks can slowly wear down a dog’s nails to an acceptable level. But if you live in the country, or the dog spends almost all its time in the house or the [...]