German Shepherd Facts And Information

Just how well do you know the German Shepherd dog? Check how many of these fascinating German Shepherd facts you know.

German Shepherd Facts

1. The German Shepherd is the second most popular dog breed in the U.S. according to the American Kennel Club.
2. The force of a German Shepherd dog’s bite is 238 pounds. This is nearly 3 times as much as an average human’s, which is 86 pounds.
3. Studies have shown the German Shepherd to be one of the most intelligent of all dog breeds. It only takes 5 repetitions before they learn easy tasks, while 95% of the time they’ll obey a command first time. This intelligence does mean they need lots of mental stimulation. It’s also one of the reasons they make such fine rescue dogs.
4. Two German Shepherds have stars on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame: these are Strongheart and Rin Tin Tin, two of the earliest dog film stars.
5. After World War I, it was thought the name “German Shepherd” would affect the breed’s popularity so the U.K. Kennel Club renamed the breed the “Alsatian Wolf Dog”. Many other European kennel clubs followed suit. It was then thought that the term “Wolf Dog” would also affect the breed’s popularity, so this part of the name was dropped, and the dog became known as simply the “Alsatian”.
6. The average German Shepherd life span is about 10 -12 years. This is the equivalent of 70 – 84 dog years.
7. Because they’re so loyal, German Shepherds are known as a “one-man” dog breed.
8. One of the first ever guide dogs was a German Shepherd called Buddy.
9. German Shepherds are large and active dogs that need lots of space and exercise.
10. They have double coats and shed a lot, so need lots of brushing and grooming.
11. The word “dog” is included in the official name of the German Shepherd Dog, despite its apparent redundancy. This was originally to distinguish the dog breed from human German shepherds.