The German Shepherd Dog also known as an Alsatian comes literally from the German Deutscher Schäferhund.  They are a relatively new breed of large-sized dog originating in the late 19th century. They are part of the Herding group that was originally developed as a working dog for herding sheep.

The Alsatians strength, intelligence and obedience they are often employed in police and military roles. The Alsatian is also one of the most popular breeds around the world.
The original dog was called Hektor Linksrhein. Hecktor so stunned Von Stephanitz that he purchased it and changed the dogs name to Horand von Grafrath and founded Alsatian Dog Society.
Horand von Grafrath became the focus of the German Shepherd breeding programs and was bred with many other society member dogs.
The Alsatians popularity has grown quickly throughout the 20th Century, though taking dives in popularity in the early days due to genetic health issues from poor inbreeding and after the world wars with anti German sentiment. To such an extent that the UK Kennel Club renamed it to “Alsatian Wolf Dog”, eventually the wolf dog addition was removed and in the late seventies, the breed officially became the Alsatian Dog. The Alsatian popularity was helped by animal actors such as Rin Tin Tin and Strongheart. Now it is globally the third most popular dog breed.

They are a large dog of around 60 centimetres (around 24 inches) at the withers and weigh around 30 kilograms (60 lb).

The Alsatian’s face has a long square cut muzzle, a doomed forehead, a long neck, powerful jaws, large erect ears (that are often pulled back when on the move), black nose and brown, medium-sized eyes. With a bushy tail.
 
German Shepherds come in a variety of colours, the normal versions are the red/black and tan/black varieties with black masks and saddles. Less common types include the sable, all-black, all-white, liver and blue types, which may not fit country breed standards. Alsatians have a double coat. A dense close thick outer coat, which sheds continually and a thick undercoat. The long-hair variety is rarer.
The Alsatian, like many working dogs is very intelligent,  and are ranked as the third most intelligent breed of dog by Stanley Coren in his reference study and book “The Intelligence of Dogs”. This attribute combined with the Alsatians power makes the Alsatian desirable as guard, police, search and rescue dogs, being able to quickly learn various tasks and interpret instructions better than other large breeds.
German Shepherds are known for aggression and have been restricted in areas as a result. Statistically, in the United States, they are responsible for more random bites than any other breed, and have a known tendency to attack smaller dog breeds.

Additionally research has shown that Alsatians are the third most likely dog breed to attack a person and in another report found that German Shepherds accounted for around fifty percent of the dog bites that mandated medical attention, versus a more typical twenty of bites needing medical treatment, not a surprise with their powerful jaws and sharp canine teeth.
 
The problem is not with the dog, but the owners. As with any clever active dog (or child), if they are not regularly active and kept occupied, they can become difficult. The Alsatian must have puppy socialisation and good training from an early stage. The German Shepherd is different from the collie, where a lot of its aggressiveness has been removed by breeding for shows, the Alsatian has not lost this streak.

The German Shepherd are great with the family they know, but can be over protective of their home and family – why they are a great guard dog. Due to this they may appear a bit aloof.

German Shepherds are rapid learners and are very obedient and not easily diverted, but due to their strong character,  you need to be very firm with them.
The Alsatian must have two good walks a day. They are not a dog for a busy family who cannot give them the time and attention.  For this reason, busy couples often ask dog walkers to help out by walking them for a couple of hours a day.
Poor breeding has led to common genetic health problems, hip and elbow joint problems (dysplasia) which often causes the dog pain and often causes arthritis. The German Shepherd also suffers from monorchidism (one testicle), weakness of temperament, and missing teeth, as well as folded or bent ears which never fully turn up when reaching adulthood. The Alsatian is often has ear infections due to his large and open ears.

Alsatians, like many large chested dogs are sensitive to bloat, this is a very dangerous and often rapidly fatal problem, so if you think this may be a problem, go straight to the vet. Bloat is a build up of gas in the stomach, caused by a number of different causes. The symptoms of distress for no apparent reason, a firm distension of the abdomen, general weakness, depression, problems breathing, hypersalivation, and retching without vomiting. A large percentage of dogs with bloat have cardiac arrhythmias (around 40 percent), loss of appetite, vomiting and weight loss.

The Alsatian also suffers from Degenerative Myelopathy, or DM is a neurological disease and are predisposed to Von Willebrand Disease, a common generic bleeding disorder, which shows in differing degrees of bleeding tendency, commonly in the form of easy bruising, nosebleeds and bleeding gums. .

In spite of these problems, the German Shepherd is sturdy with simple dog care and the average lifespan of a Alsatian is 7 – 10 years, which is typical for a dog of this size.

The Alsatian has great olfactory sensitivity so is one of the most widely-used breeds in a many roles requiring this ability, including cadaver searching, search and rescue, explosives detection, narcotics detection and mine detection.

So the Alsatian is a wonderful clever breed that will bond well with you, if you have the time and energy for him. Not advised for busy working families.

Tips for Training Your German Shepherd

The teaching process can begin with these noble dogs at around seven weeks old.  The puppies brain, by seven weeks of age, is ready to begin absorbing some of the easy commands, but it will take many months for his body to catch up.  You need to teach your puppy games that he will play for the rest of his life.

Exercise will help your dog improve physically and mentally.  It’s fun to teach tricks and enjoyable to do.  Training your dog makes him more self assured.  Your dog will learn new commands and signals that can used at a later time.  Offer your dog treats while teaching tricks.  When the puppy is older, he will love doing tricks for praise.

German Shepherd training is best done with positive methods.  People want to train their dogs without hurting them.  You will reach your goals faster by using this type of training.  Using positive training doesn’t allow your dog to do whatever it wants to do.  In order to get a reward, they must show acceptable behavior.  Training your dog with the positive method will produce a happy and eager companion.  Your dog will obey you out of trust.  Your dog and you will become a team.

Training Your German Shepherd

Leash Training

Your dog might want to carry the leash in their mouth, in the beginning.  Carrying the leash is permitted for awhile, but they aren’t allow to chew on the leash.  Keep the dog on your left side, while holding the leash in your left hand.  Starting the dogs training with short lessons is the best.  Remember, things don’t happen over night, it could take some time.

The Sit and The Down

Teaching sit to a dog.  Positive training using treats for teaching the sit.  The treat is held in front of the dog’s nose, then lift it up and back.  This  lets the dog fold his legs under himself for the perfect sit. You’re your using the treat to get him to sit, don’t forget to say “sit”.  When the dog sits, reward him.

You start in the sit position, when teaching the down.  Move the treat down and forward in front of the dog’s nose.  This will lower his front legs. Don’t forget to say “down”, while lowering the treat.  After the dog lays down reward with the treat and lots of praise.

In Closing

The careers of German Shepherd dogs depend on training or lack of it. It’s an exciting and enjoyable experience to train these dogs.  Living with a well trained German shepherd dog is a trip of a life time.

German Shepherd Dog Training

The incident Friday the 15th on the NYC expressway was a truly unique example. A German Shepherd was hit by an automobile and lay bleeding and helpless, with cars edging carefully around it. But, just like the “masked man” of the old days, a hero comes weaving its way through all the traffic to stand guard and keep officials at bay. The hero, the son of the injured dog, circled and barked warnings and lunged at those who tried to approach its mother.  After sometime, the officials were able to get to the injured Shepherd  and take it to the Vet for treatment.

This breed of dog possesses a unique instinct that has enabled them to become loyal companions and perform valiant acts of heroism for their owners, many of them treated like members of the family. There are many stories told of Shepherds jumping in water, pulling victims to safety and protecting their owners from attacks from thugs. But the most unique was the one in Argentina where a female saved a newborn child that was abandoned in a field by its 14 yr old mother, took it to its own litter of puppies and kept it warm until discovered by its owner. Another was in Florida where the canine chased a 200 lb bear that invaded their property up a tree.

This story helps us see that many dogs, but especially the GS, when raised in a good atmosphere and with proper German Shepherd training will not only heroic but show concern for those they know. They have an inborn instinct that makes them a reliable and protective animal. They can tell when a threat is at hand and will take action to do something about it. But this dosn’t just happen by accident. Dogs that are cared for properly will likely become a productive member of that family and do much good. Those owners that do not take on their responsiblity by trained German Shepherd] and caring properly for their pets create an animal that gives others a bad name.

David Lee is an expert on pet care. Check out the link for more information on Dog Training information