The German Shepherd Dog
The German Shepherd, the most important single breed amongst dogs! He is without doubt the most versatile working dog in The World . This adaptable and reliable breed is used for a wide variety of working tasks from Guide Dog for the blind through to search and rescue dog .
From this point it is easy to see when judging, exhibiting and breeding that the emphasis be placed firmly on the ability to do WORK! The skill of the Judges in pointing the direction and the skill of the breeders in producing dogs of great uniformity with the ability to work is paramount. To achieve this end the German Shepherd must be of a certain temperament , size , construction and build to be able to maintain his usefulness as a working dog . In the first instance he was designed as a herding and guarding dog but over the years his adaptability and flexability has made him the icon of all working dogs.
Each part of the German Shepherd is designed specifically for a purpose , his build must be one where he can achieve the best performance with the least expenditure of energy. To this end he must have perfect symetry of construction . He should be medium sized with balanced angulation and no exaggeration of chest depth or weight.
The German Shepherd is designed to WORK. Therefore fashionable trends and exaggerations should be avoided at all costs.When Judging The German Shepherd it is most important in the first instance to gain an overall view. Masculinity , (femininity) , type , size , strength , colour , character , expression , proportions and condition.
The German Shepherd is a medium sized breed ,standing between 60 and 65 cm (males) and 55 to 60 cm(females).In each case it is desirable to be in the middle of these measurements , although it has to be said that it is more important in males than in females due to the unequal amount of progeny a male can sire .The measurement should be taken when the dog is standing evenly on all fours with the measuring stick resting firmly on the withers and hanging vertically down touching the back of the elbow joint and following through to stand just behind the front legs. Measurements should be taken on an even surface and an average of 3 measurements should suffice.
It must be remembered that correctly proportioned oversized dogs are normally too heavy ,the average weight of a male being 80 to 90 pounds , a female between 65 to 70 pounds , the extra weight affects the way they work , they tire more quickly and lose their agility . If an oversized dog is the correct weight then some other part of the anatomy will suffer ie narrowness and straight angulations . This will affect the heart lung space in the chest cavity and lead to less endurance and vitality .
On the other hand an undersized dog will have more agility , less endurance and finer bones. A small dog of the correct weight will have a large chest and shorter bones which will impede movement and endurance .
Therefore it is vital for The German Shepherd to be of medium size for it' s intended purpose.
Unfortunately The English Kennel Club Standard is not specific enough in dealing with the faults and virtues of The G.S.D.

Copyright Sean Kinsella