DoggMatch

Herding · Germany

German Shepherd

Serious, watchful and deeply loyal. A German Shepherd wants a job, a routine and someone worth working for.

They usually live
913 years
Roughly, per year
15002400
German Shepherd

What people love about them

  • Learns quickly and remembers
  • Devoted to their own people
  • Wonderful once properly socialised
  • At their best with a daily job

A few things worth thinking about

  • Sheds all year, and heavily twice a year
  • Needs an hour or more of real work each day
  • Can be wary of strangers without early practice
  • Hips and elbows are worth asking a breeder about

What they're like

Size
Energy
Exercise needs
Mental stimulation
Trainability
Sociability
Affection
Independence
Good with children
Good with other dogs
Apartment suitability
Tolerance of being alone
Shedding
Grooming
Barking
First-time owner suitability

Some breeds shed less than others, which people with allergies sometimes find easier to live with. But no dog is completely allergy-free, and reactions vary from person to person.