German Shepherd Dog puppies

About the German Shepherd Dog

The German Shepherd Dog was assembled in Germany from regional herding dogs into a single standardised working breed, and they moved quickly from tending flocks into police, military and assistance work. This is a large, powerful herder with a medium double coat, upright ears and a long, ground covering trot. The temperament is the point of the breed: steady nerved, confident, loyal to their own people and reserved with strangers, with a strong drive to work alongside a handler.

This is a very high energy dog that needs long daily exercise and, more importantly, a job, whether that is tracking, obedience, herding or scentwork. The coat wants brushing every few days and much more during the two heavy moults. Lines vary widely in build and temperament, so look at the parents' hip and elbow results before anything else. Even if protection is the reason you want one, put the socialisation in, because without it you get a nervy, reactive dog instead of a confident one.

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a German Shepherd Dog puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A large breed puppy at eight weeks looks deceptively normal sized and will roughly double every few weeks for a while. Keep exercise short and low impact, the growth plates are wide open. This is a very high energy breed. The mistake owners make is trying to tire them out physically. Training, scentwork and puzzles will do more than distance ever will. Grooming needs are moderate, so build the brushing habit now while the coat is still short and easy. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything they meet calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of their life.

Health worth knowing about

Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.

• Hip dysplasia, which breeding stock should be hip scored by x-ray before mating
• Elbow dysplasia, which breeding stock should be elbow graded by x-ray before mating
• Degenerative myelopathy (DM), detectable by DNA test on both parents
• Hereditary eye disease screened under the BVA/KC/ISDS Eye Scheme

Your German Shepherd Dog puppy's first six months

• Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
• Worming and parasite schedule.
• Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Large for a German Shepherd Dog.
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 22.7 to 40.8 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Kit sizes: crate 42 inch (42 x 28 x 30 in, 107 x 71 x 76 cm) for an adult of up to 40.8 kg; chew toys made for large breeds. Worked out the same way as the crate size calculator. PetMD bases a crate on the dog's own measurements, not weight or breed alone, so measure once the puppy is home.

Buying guides for this

• Best crate for a puppy: wire, plastic or soft, and how to size one with a divider

Other large breeds

More on the German Shepherd Dog

Previous: German Pinscher · Next: German Shorthaired Pointer

Sources

• akc.org for adult weight and height, life expectancy, energy, grooming, shedding and the temperament ratings, coat type and health notes
• fci.be for country of origin
• Health notes from German Shepherd Dog breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/german-shepherd-dog/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Photo: Erick Drumss Hernández, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped. All photographers are listed on the photo credits page.