

However, with anti-German sentiment running high in the English-speaking world, the pups were often sold as Alsatian Wolf Dogs, a name which stuck around until the 1970s. Soldiers from Britain, France, the United States, and other Allied Powers saw dogs fighting amid the trenches on the German side - carrying messages, distributing food, bringing medical supplies, and guarding key points.īy the time of World War II, both armies had their own German Shepherds. When World War I broke out, German Shepherds joined the German army. As Germans increasingly left their pastures for the city, German Shepherds updated their resumes, staying relevant as police dogs, mail carriers, and guard dogs. The German Shepherd was first bred in 1889 by Max von Stephanitz, who discovered a dog that looked almost exactly like the modern breed. German Shepherds served in the World Wars - on both sides.

You might just save the day!ģ Little-Known Facts About German Shepherds 1. You never know, one of them could be stuck with a German Shepherd they can’t care for, but love too much to send into the shelter system. Lots of people adopt German Shepherds because they like how they look, only to discover that they don’t have the time and energy to care for an active working dog (we wrote this article partly to prevent that from happening so often).Ĭheck the websites of all your local shelters to discover whether they’ve received any German Shepherds lately. Given the extreme popularity of this breed, both mixes and purebreds regularly show up in shelters. It’s possible to find a healthy, purebred German Shepherd puppy for as low as $0, however. Get out of there fast, and report them to your local SPCA. If you find a purebred German Shepherd puppy for less than $300, chances are that you’ve found a puppy mill. When a purebred puppy sells for a suspiciously low price, it’s a surefire sign that the breeder has not paid attention to its medical needs, and might even be mistreating it. Note that these are the prices you’ll find at a reputable breeder. German Shepherds bred to be pets cost toward the lower boundary of $300, while Shepherds bred as workers or show dogs cost closer to the upper limit of $900. The price of buying a German Shepherd from a breeder depends on what role the puppy has been bred to fill. So, if you’re worried your Shepherd is unhealthy because its ears haven’t stood up yet, there’s nothing to fear - just give it time! What’s the Price of German Shepherd Puppies? As the puppies get bigger, their ears begin to stand up straight - as early as six weeks for some, and as late as fourteen weeks for others. All German Shepherds are born with floppy ears.

“Cropping” is a way to make naturally floppy ears stand up, but inflicts unnecessary pain and suffering on the dog.

Others get angry for the exact opposite reason, believing that the Shepherd’s pointy ears result from the same unethical surgical procedures sometimes done to Doberman Pinschers. Some people looking for a pedigree GSD think they’re being conned when they meet a puppy with floppy ears, assuming the breeder is trying to pass off a mutt as a purebred. There’s a lot of confusion around German Shepherds’ famously pointy ears. German Shepherds’ ears start to stick up as they grow German Shepherd Puppies – Before You Buy… Image credit: Rita_Kochmarjova, Shutterstock So, settle in as we tell you about the hard-working breed that’s traveled from the pasture to the police academy - the German Shepherd. Think of us as your K-9 detectives, cutting through the noise around this beloved breed to tell you what it’s really like to live with one. What’s the truth that lurks behind those iconic black-and-tan faces, with their kindly eyes and wolf-like grins? That’s what we’re talking all about in this post. One dog lover might see them as a willful breed that tugs on the leash hard enough to walk their owners, while another considers them the world’s smartest, most trainable working dogs. Some see them as merciless guard dogs, some as cuddly family pets. They’ve been a perennial favorite breed for so long that they seem to be all things to all people. according to the American Kennel Club, behind only the Labrador Retriever.īut with that popularity comes a lot of popular opinion about the German Shepherd. After all, they are the second most popular dog breed in the U.S. The German Shepherd, also known as the Alsatian, Alsatian Wolf Dog, or GSD (German Shepherd Dog) might seem to be a dog who needs no introduction. Intelligent, Brave, Confident, Versatile, Energetic 22 to 24 inches (female), 24 to 26 inches (male)ĥ0 to 70 pounds (female), 65 to 90 pounds (male)īlack and tan, black and red, black and cream, blue, liver and tan, gray, black, whiteĪctive families, families with children, those with space for a large dog
