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One of such breeds is the German Shepherd Dog (GSD) also known as Alsatian.
So what is German Shepherd, and why is it very popular?
What Is German Shepherd?
German Shepherd (Alsatian) is a dog with medium to large-sized body that is slightly elongated, well-muscled, and has a dry bone with firm overall structure.
These dogs were originally bred in Germany but because of the roles they play in guarding homes, helping the disabled, and detecting odours, their popularity has soared all over the world.
Best Types Of German Shepherd
As a good dog parent, you probably have known that a typical German Shepherd lives up to 9 or 13 years. So spending your time in selecting a healthy dog with stable personality and pleasing coat colour is an investment that will pay off in many years to come.
The coat colour in German Shepherd is made possible by two pigments found in their hair.
One of the pigments is eumelanin and is usually black or black derivatives like chocolate brown, or blue-grey. Most dog breeders refer to this eumelanic colour as liver and others call it red.
The second pigment is called Pheomelanin and is yellowish tan or reddish-brown in colour.
How these pigments are distributed in the skin of a German Shepherd is determined by the interaction of Agouti and Melanocortin (Mc/r) genes.
These genes regulate the amount, type and patterns of the two pigments and give rise to the three best types of German Shepherd coat colours that are acceptable by some kennel clubs.
Even though some modifier genes can lead to other coat colour variance in German Shepherd, we'll focus first on these three before delving into the various coat colour variance.
When choosing your German Shepherd dog, go for the best acceptable coat colour standard allowed by Federation Cynologique Internationale (World Canine Organisation). These colours include:
- Sable German Shepherd
- Saddle Coat German Shepherd
- Black German Shepherd
1. Sable German Shepherd
You must have seen a German Shepherd with black-tipped hairs on the body and ear tips, this is generally regarded as Sable German Shepherd.
However, you can also come across German Shepherd with only black, blue-grey or chocolate brown ear tips, and others that are very dark with most of the body hairs heavily tipped in black, these are also Sable German Shepherd dogs.
In some dark Sable German Shepherds, you'll see a distinctive mask; the black tips sparing the reddish-brown or yellowish tan facial hairs and starting abruptly in a short distance behind the eyes extend forward on the midline to form a distinctive peak of dark colours. In this type of case, it is common to see the lower legs being entirely reddish-brown or yellowish tan.
Sable German Shepherds are mostly working dogs.
They're chosen for this role because the coat colour allows them to blend easily with their environment and mimic other wild animals like the wolves.
Sable German Shepherd Puppy Prices
The prices of a standard Sable German Shepherd ranges from $900 - $1500.
Depending on the breeder and the country of origin, you can find this dog at different prices.
2. Saddle German Shepherd
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| Saddle German Shepherd |
This type of German Shepherd tends to be very common.
You can easily recognise a Saddle German Shepherd by the extensive tan regions on their back which sometimes extend to the side.
Most beginners that are not so familiar with this type of German Shepherd often find it hard to believe that their German Shepherd puppy with a black and tan pattern will someday grow to have this extensive tan region that is only limited to the back and side at maturity, but this is often the case.
3. Black German Shepherd
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| Black German Shepherd |
German Shepherd with black coat colours are very distinctive, rare and sought after.
A true black German Shepherd is usually born black and will remain black throughout its life.
Black German Shepherds are not always crossbred or defective as some people believe, but healthy and purebred dogs with genes for black coat colour.
This type of German Shepherd is also solid in colour and has either a long or short coat.
You can also come across variance of black German Shepherd but in this case, the body is black or derivatives of black, reddish-brown or yellowish tan can be seen around the anus, on the sides of the muzzles, chest, belly, over each eye and on the lower legs.
If you desire a black German Shepherd, be sure that the colour is solid black with no patches or stripes of other colours.
If your German Shepherd has a pure black coat, it can be allowed to compete in dog shows but before this can happen, the judges will make sure that your dog has no other colours on the nose, lips, pads and around the eyes.
Black German Shepherd Puppy Prices
Black German Shepherd is not a dog for everyone because of its high prices.
The prices range from $1000 - $2500 depending on the breeder.
Reputable breeders will only sell this dog after eight weeks when they're sure that the black colour has manifested fully, but some puppy mill breeders can trick you to part ways with your money before this time.
If you see yourself in this type of situation, be bold to ask for the parents of the puppy and papers of parentage.
Most reputable breeders will simply oblige and give it to you but if you can't see any of these, it may be a red flag that the dog you're about to take home may not grow up to become a pure black German Shepherd.
Other German Shepherd Coat Colour Variance
4. White German Shepherd
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| White German Shepherd |
The demand for white German Shepherd is very high but the supply is low because this breed is rare.
This good looking German Shepherd owes its white colour to the recessive genes that codes for white coats.
When choosing a white German Shepherd, be sure that you're not selecting an albino or partial albino dog.
Even though they seem to look alike, a white German Shepherd is not an albino dog.
While the albino dog will have a pink eye, lack pigmentation in the skin, hair, eye and blood vessels, a white German Shepherd will not, except he's albino.
The standard coat colour set for white German Shepherd by the United Kennel Club (UKC) is pure white, but very light cream to light biscuit tan are also acceptable.
The skin colour can be pink to grey but grey is preferable.
The pads, nose, eye rims, and lips of white German Shepherd should be fully pigmented and black in colour.
Even though the United Kennel Club has accepted white German Shepherd as a breed, some kennel clubs do not accept them and as such, the white German Shepherd may not be allowed to compete in dog shows by these clubs.
White German Shepherd Puppy Prices
You can get the white German Shepherd puppy from $1000 to $1500 depending on the breeder.
No matter the price, ensure that your dog is from a reputable breeder with many years of experience in breeding purebred white German Shepherd.
Panda German Shepherd
This type of German Shepherd is not also common
Because of their striking appearances, Panda German Shepherd can be confused with other dog breeds but they're actually German Shepherd with mutations in genes that code for coat colour.
This dog has white coats on the legs and abdomen but tan or black panda-like colours on other parts of the body, hence the name.
Panda German Shepherd does not conform to the breed standard set by World Canine Organisation and as such, they can't take part in competitions and shows.
German Shepherd Reputable Breeders
Even though choosing a desirable coat colour is important, getting your dog from a reputable breeder is the key to having all the necessary features that qualify your dog as German Shepherd.
Based on the reviews by some of the satisfied customers, we've found that some breeders have exceeded expectations by giving their customers value for money over the years.
You'll find the details of this reputable breeder when you visit the website below.
Kraftwerk K9
Kraftwerk K9 have bred and trained over 500 litters since 1987 and is one of the best German Shepherd breeders in America.
They employ powerful genetic tools in breeding German Shepherd dogs that are intelligent, resilient, trainable, courageous, strong and functional in body and mind.
Since they concentrate more on German Shepherd dogs, this breeder has all that it takes to deliver a healthy German Shepherd dog right at your doorstep in different parts of the world including Canada, Spain, Mexico, Middle East and Argentina.
Best Bed For German Shepherd
After sourcing your German Shepherd from a reputable breeder, it's time to think about the supplies that are more suited for this wonderful breed.
Since German Shepherd sheds a lot of hairs, it's better for you to consider shopping for a special bed to prevent your dog from sleeping and shedding hairs on your couch and bed.
The pet daily has done a great job by reviewing 5 best dog beds for German Shepherd in 2020.
Whatever your choice of bed maybe, the comfort of your German Shepherd should remain a top priority, while the durability, ease of use and cost should follow.
How To Raise A German Shepherd Puppy
Most pet parents find it difficult to raise a German Shepherd Dog that behaves well. For example, how can German shepherd dog live in the same compound with fowls or other animals? In order for your German Shepherd Dog to live peacefully in the same compound with fowls and other animals, you need to give him early socialization and training.
So, the next thing you should do after adopting or buying a German Shepherd is learning how to raise your puppy to become a well-behaved dog.
By following the steps below, your German Shepherd Dog will grow up to become a well behaved dog that is friendly to other dogs, animals and humans.
1. Socialize Your German Shepherd Puppy
Because many behavioural problems arise due to the absence of proper early socialization, we advise you to take this step very seriously.
You can do this by enrolling your German Shepherd in puppy classes near you.
This will expose your puppy to other dogs of similar age. During this time, your puppy will play with other dogs and learn tricks together.
But if you can socialize your puppy by taking him to safer places in your neighbourhood, it will also help.
In the process of visiting places together with your dog, he may come in contact with other animals, different people, sounds of vehicles, different colours and various scents.
When your puppy experiences these situations in future, he will be less anxious but remains calm and well behaved.
However, the places you frequent during this socialization period should be safe for your dog especially if he hasn't received complete shots of vaccination from your veterinarian.
2. Train your German Shepherd puppy
As you carry out the socialization process, endeavour to train your puppy about acceptable behaviours.
The method that has been successfully used by many dog trainers is the positive reinforcement training.
This training method makes use of rewards in encouraging acceptable behaviours.
Since this method is a form of associative learning, make sure that your dog knows exactly why he is rewarded or ignored.
You can do this by rewarding your dog immediately after he has completed tasks but minimise the size of your reward to avoid satiation during the training process.
Assuming that you want to train your dog to sit, you can start by taking a piece of treat very close to his mouth while observing his posture.
When your dog sits properly, say “sit” and reward your dog immediately.
Repeat this for some time and your dog will be able to associate the sitting position with the treat thus learning in the process.
If your puppy behaves in a way that you don't like, you can completely ignore such behaviour but immediately reward him when he carries out the desired behaviour.
By using this associative learning method, you can train your German Shepherd dog to carry out different tasks.
German Shepherd Genome Mapping And What It Means For Your Dog
German Shepherd dogs sometimes go through various health challenges ranging from Canine Hip Dysplasia (CHD), Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus, Degenerative Myelopathy, Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency, etc.
Most of these diseases are due to genetic defects that arose because of breeding for desired qualities over many years.
But recently, scientists in Sydney have unravelled the 38 pairs of German Shepherd chromosomes to decode 19000 genes and 2.8 billion base pairs of DNA from a healthy dog that was named, Nala.
The research which was published in GigaScience in early 2020, will serve as a reference for future disease and evolutionary studies of German Shepherd.
What this means for your German Shepherd is that very soon, scientists will be able to know early whether the dog you've chosen will develop any genetic diseases later in life.
This will not only save you money but will also help you chose a healthy breed that will not go through excruciating pains that can put you into emotional distress.
Conclusion
German Shepherd is one of the most common dog breeds in the world that is loved by many because of its intelligence and utility.
This dog comes in different coat colours like sable, saddle, black, and white.
Even though the different colour variations are unique, you'll find greater satisfaction by getting the colour that appeals more to you from a trusted breeder.
Before your dog arrives, shop for pet supplies that will be suitable for the size and breed of your dog.
Also prepare on how you'll raise your German Shepherd puppy to become a well-behaved and intelligent dog that will be able to assist you in any role by reading our dog raising tips.
By so doing, you'll enjoy your German Shepherd dog for many years to come.
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