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Purebred
dogs are measured against a breed standard of perfection, a written description
of what the ideal specimen should look like. Each dog-registering organization
has its own set of standards, one for each of the breeds it recognizes; however,
these standards may vary, in the way they are worded, from registry to registry
and from country to country.
THE RIGHT TEMPERAMENT
Without question, the German Shepherd Dog's temperament and intelligence has
earned it an international fan club. Its affable, easy-going nature gives
way to a strong protective instinct when provoked. People close to the breed
frequently claim that German Shepherds know right from wrong and that a
well-trained GSD is the best roommate you could ask for.
Characterized
by a direct and fearless expression, the German Shepherd never appears hostile,
but instead appears self-confident, with a certain aloofness. While maintaining
this aloofness, the German Shepherd must be approachable, quietly standing his
ground and showing confidence and willingness to meet overtures without making
them himself.
The traits of keen intelligence and trainability have made the German
Shepherd arguably the most versatile breed in history. In addition to their
traditional roles as police and herding dogs,
the breed has encountered success in many areas including
watchdog, leader of the blind, tracking, rescue, scent identification, agility,
obedience, guardian, and of course companion.
He is poised and calm, but when the occasion presents itself he can be alert and
startling.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE GSD The AKC breed standard is
eloquent and detailed in its description of the ideal dog. It reflects the
German Shepherd's utility as a guardian and a working dog. An
ideal German Shepherd Dog is lively and alert; his body is well-muscled, agile,
and powerful. This well-balanced dog is usually longer than he is tall and
deep-bodied. He looks substantial and not spindly, giving the impression of
muscular fitness whether at rest or in motion. He also appears nimble and never
clumsy or flabby. Although difficult to define, the German Shepherds’ look of
nobility is unmistakable when present.
Dogs measure 24 to 26 inches tall at the shoulder, bitches measure between
22 and 24 inches. The correct proportion is 10-to-8 ˝ (length-to-height),
forming a body that is "slightly elongated, strong and well-muscled.
The bone is clean and general construction firm."
The whole body gives the impression of depth and solidity without bulkiness.
The AKC standard defines the German Shepherd chest as deep and capacious,
never shallow, with ample room for lungs and heart."
The rib cage is "well-sprung and long, neither barrel-shaped nor too
flat." The correct rib layout allows the dog's elbows to move freely
when the dog trots. The loin is relatively short with only a slight tuck up,
and the stomach is flat and firm.
As with any working breed, the shoulder blades are long and well-laid-back.
The shoulder blade and the upper arm are well-muscled, leading to straight
forelegs. The front legs from all sides are straight and strong with oval
rather than round bone. The pasterns are strong and springy, angulated at 25
degrees from the vertical. The GSD feet are short and compact, with
well-arched toes; thick, firm foot pads; and short, dark nails.
Strong without coarseness, the head is noble and
cleanly chiseled. The muzzle is long and strong with the lips firmly fitted; the
forehead is only moderately arched, and the skull slopes into the long,
wedge-shaped muzzle without abrupt stop.
The GSD muzzle is straight in profile, with a predominantly
black nose. A clean scissor bite is vital to a German Shepherd, allowing its
teeth to be strongly embedded. The strongly developed jaw should carry 42
teeth, 20 upper and 22 lower. The eyes are medium-sized and
almond-shaped, set a little obliquely and not protruding. The darkness of the
eyes gives the breed a keen and intelligent expression.
The medium-sized ears taper to a moderate point and are carried erect unless
the dog is moving or in repose. The ears should be as straight as possible,
with the ideal ears, viewed from the front, showing parallel straight
centerlines that are perpendicular to the ground.
From the head, the GSD standard calls for a strong, relatively long neck
that ties into the topline of the back at the dog's withers, which are
higher than the back. The withers slope down in a smooth line to a straight
back, with neither a sag nor roach in profile, and into a long, gradually
sloping croup (buttocks).
The topline ends in a gently curved tail. The German Shepherd's bushy tail
reaches at least to the dog's hocks, hanging in a gentle curve. Even when in
motion, the tail is never to be held above horizontal, but it may curl more
tightly.
The dog's back and topline are vital to the smooth trotting ability and
strength of the German Shepherd. The standard emphasizes, "The typical
smooth, flowing gait is maintained with great strength and firmness of back.
The whole effort of the hindquarter is transmitted to the forequarter
through the loin, back and withers. At full trot, the back must remain firm
and level without sway, roll, whip or roach…the shoulder should open to
its full extent. The forelegs should reach out close to the ground in a long
stride in harmony with that of the hindquarters."
Because German Shepherds were intended to cover lots of ground, gait and its
way of going are important. The AKC standard devotes more attention to this
area than to any other. "The gait is out-reaching, elastic, seemingly
without effort, smooth and rhythmic, covering the maximum amount of ground
with a minimum of steps. At a walk, it covers a great deal of ground, with
long stride of both hind legs and forelegs. At a trot, the dog covers still
more ground with even longer stride ... the gait appears to be the steady
motion of a well-lubricated machine."
All the German Shepherd's power to run, jump and climb comes from its
hindquarters, which makes them vitally important to the dog's conformation.
The hindquarters deliver, through the back, a powerful forward thrust that
slightly lifts the whole animal and drives the body forward. Reaching far
under, and passing the imprint left by the front foot, the hind foot takes
hold of the ground; then hock, stifle and upper thigh come into play and
sweep back, the stroke of the hind leg finishing with the foot still close
to the ground in a smooth follow-through."
The angulation of the dog's hind limbs, therefore, directly affects the
quality of its gait. The broad upper and lower thighs should be strong and
well-muscled, forming as nearly as possible a right angle.
COAT AND COLORS
The ideal German Shepherd Dog has a double coat of medium length. The top
coat is dense and harsh, covering a light gray undercoat, which should not
be visible through the top coat. The dog's hair is slightly longer and
coarser on its neck and the back- sides of its legs.
The German Shepherd Dog varies in color, and mostly
rich colors are preferred.
Acceptable colors
include, black and tan, black and red, black and cream, solid black, sable,
and black and silver. Sables bear multi-colored individual hairs, which may
be masked by dark or black guard hairs. White dogs must be disqualified.
Pale, washed out colors and blues and livers are considered serious faults.
Other faults are soft, silky, wooly, curly or too long outer coats. (For
more detailed information on GSD colors, see, "Color
in the German Shepherd Dog")
CONFORMATION Organizations
The following organizations
register dogs and sanction conformation events.
-
American Kennel Club
5580 Centerview Dr., Ste. 200
Raleigh, NC 27606
phone: (919) 233-9767
fax: (919)233-3627 E-mail: info@akc.org
Breeder Referral Hotline:
(900) 407-PUPS
(99-cent charge for each call)
- German Shepherd Dog Club of America
(National AKC Breed Club)
Blanche Beisswenger, Breeder Contact
17 West Ivy Ln.
Englewood, NJ 07631
Phone: (201) 568-5806
- Canadian Kennel Club
89 Skyway Ave., Ste. 100
Etobicoke, Ontario
Canada M9W 6R4
Phone: (416) 675-5511 or
toll free (800) 250-8040
Fax: (416) 675-6506 E-mail: information@ckc.ca
- Federation Cynologique International
(International Kennel Club)
Place Albert 1,13
B-6530 Thuin
Belgium
Phone: +32.71.59.12.38 Fax: +32.71.59.22.29
- The Kennel Club (United Kingdom)
1-5 Clarges St.
Piccadilly
London, England W1Y 8AB
E-mail: info@the-kennel-club.org.uk
- National Dog Registry
P.O. Box 116
Woodstock, NY 12498
Phone: (800) NDR-DOGS (U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico) E-mail:
info@natldogregistry.com
- States Kennel Club
P.O. Box 389
Hattiesburg, Mississippi 39403
Phone: (601) 583-8345
Fax: (601) 582-7769 E-mail: SKC@netdoor.com
- United Kennel Club, Inc.
100 E. Kilgore Rd.
Kalamazoo, MI 49002-5584
Phone: (616) 343-9020
Fax: (616) 343-7037
- Westminster Kennel Club
P.O. Box 6163
Watertown, NY 13601 OR 230 Park
Avenue, Suite 644
New York, NY 10169
Phone: (800) 455-DOGS
Fax: (315) 786-1874
E-mail: write@westminsterkennelclub.org
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