German Shepherds E-Book

Allison Clarke

• Herausgeber: Crowood
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2016

Beschreibung

Books in the Practical Guide for Owners and Breeders series explore in detail all aspects of owning and caring for individual breeds of dog. They include information on the history of the breed and the breed standard; choosing a puppy or a rescue dog; care at every stage of life from puppy through to elderly dog and healthcare and nutrition. Training and dealing with specific problems along with activities and competitions including showing are all covered. Finally, breeding from mating to weaning and common ailments and breed specific health issues are discussed. Written in an accessible style, this book focuses on providing practical information about caring for your German Shepherd, and will be an essential resource for all dog owners and professionals. This practical guide focuses on providing information about caring for your German Shepherd dog and is an essential resource for all GSD owners, breeders and professionals. Superbly illustrated with 154 colour photographs.

Leseprobe

A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR OWNERS AND BREEDERS

GERMAN SHEPHERDS

ALLISON CLARKE AND LIZZY BROWN

THE CROWOOD PRESS

First published in 2016 by The Crowood Press Ltd Ramsbury, Marlborough Wiltshire SN8 2HR

www.crowood.com

This e-book first published in 2016

© Allison Clarke and Lizzy Brown 2016

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 1 78500 091 1

Disclaimer

The author and publisher do not accept any responsibility in any manner whatsoever for any error or omission, or any loss, damage, injury, adverse outcome, or liability of any kind incurred as a result of the use of any of the information contained in this book, or reliance upon it.

CONTENTS

1 A Brief History of the Breed and Breed Standards

2 Choosing your German Shepherd

3 Bringing your German Shepherd Home

4 Caring for your German Shepherd

5 Healthcare and Nutrition

6 Training

7 Activities and Competitions

8 Showing your German Shepherd

9 Breeding and Pregnancy

10 Whelping and Weaning

11 Common Ailments and Diseases

12 Breed-Specific Ailments and Diseases

References

Acknowledgements

Index

INTRODUCTION

Having never written, or even considered writing a book, imagine our surprise when we were asked to write German Shepherds – A Practical Guide for Owners and Breeders.

Although we come from very different backgrounds and from the opposite ends of the country, we share a common passion: our love for animals, and we have both owned German Shepherds throughout our lives. We met through the world of dog rescue many years ago, when we were both volunteers for a German Shepherd rescue, each co-ordinating the rescue and rehoming of dogs in our own part of the country.

But we wanted to do more: we wanted to be proactive in trying to change the way dogs are treated as a disposable commodity in modern times, rather than just being there to pick up the pieces. We believed that every dog that came through a rescue should be neutered, microchipped and vaccinated. Therefore in 2012 German Shepherd Rescue Élite came into existence with these goals, and we were very proud to achieve registered charity status within six months.

With our remarkable team of volunteers, all of whom give up their time and money for this wonderful breed, we have been able to help hundreds of German Shepherds. We give every dog a chance however young or old, and take in many from the numerous pounds across the country, many of which operate their lawful requirement of keeping a stray dog for seven days, and if it is not reclaimed, putting it to sleep. This is the harsh reality of modern-day life, and with the increasing number of back-street breeders, and dogs coming in from abroad, the problems are further exacerbated. We have also been known to stray from our beloved breed, and have helped many others that would otherwise have lost their lives simply because they were no longer wanted. We act as social services for these dogs.

Writing this book has been tough going at times, mainly from the time aspect of fitting in the research and the writing alongside running a rescue, and also, of course, around the normal routine of everyday life. But we have learnt an incredible amount along the way, in areas we have not been involved in previously, such as breeding and showing. We are great believers that you can never stop learning.

We hope you will enjoy reading our book as much as we have enjoyed its creation, and we hope that along the way we have highlighted the issues faced by dog rescues across the country. With power in numbers, we would like to believe that one day our dogs will receive the proper legal status and protection they deserve, and we will continue to fight for change wherever we can.

1 A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE BREED AND BREED STANDARDS

EVOLUTION OF THE GERMAN SHEPHERD

The German Shepherd is remarkably similar in appearance to its ancestor the wolf, from which all today’s breed of dogs have evolved.

The relationship between man and dog has existed since prehistoric times, with dogs being bred predominantly for the roles they could fulfil, and not how they looked. But due to the dramatic rise in pet ownership in the last century the shift of emphasis has been towards a dog’s appearance and social temperament, and this shift is probably at the root of many of the physical and behavioural problems now seen in many modern breeds of dog. However, the German Shepherd dog has predominantly made the change from a working role to a pet and companion with few problems.

SURVIVAL INSTINCTS

Survival imperatives for any animal are feeding, reproducing, and staying out of trouble.

The dog’s ancestor, the wolf.

Animals change physically, triggered by changes in environment, and make behavioural adaptations to ensure survival. The domestication of the wolf to a dog occurred when man began to adopt a village way of life. The wolf soon realized that the village gave a continual supply of food if it lived close enough to exploit the situation, with rubbish dumps being a good place to scavenge and a safe place to leave their young. Therefore these youngsters soon learnt to live and survive close to man.

With man’s switch from hunter/gatherer to crop farmer, the wolf provided man with a source of easily obtainable meat, so their presence would have been tolerated. And as the resident population reached maturity, breeding would have been encouraged to ensure future supplies.

The direct physical contact and socialization of village-born pups occurred as a crucial part of the taming and domestication process. Indirectly the pups would have been encouraged to retain playful characteristics, and not to develop the fully dominant or predatory behaviours typical of adult wolves. These characteristics would then become established in the adult population of the village dogs. Approximately 60 per cent of the human race still has a cultural attachment to eating dog meat to some degree.

The modern German Shepherd dog.

Dogs later became prized as hunter/guard working companions, and were transported around the world via trade routes to places where they had not evolved through the village domestication process. As working animals, dogs became much valued, though the dog type that excelled at herding in one settlement may have looked entirely different to the dog evolved for the same job in another settlement. Selection for breeding was based on the dog’s ability to do the job required, and this is what established the appearance of his type and his physical characteristics, according to whether his job was hunting, herding, guarding or retrieving.

HISTORY OF THE GERMAN SHEPHERD

In Europe dogs were bred to preserve traits that assisted in their job of herding and guarding sheep. In Germany this was done by selecting and breeding dogs that the villagers felt had the skills necessary, such as intelligence, speed, strength and a keen sense of smell. This resulted in dogs with the skill set required, but from one community to another the dogs would differ significantly in appearance and ability.

The Phylax Society was formed in 1891 with the aim of standardizing the dog breeds in Germany. The society was disbanded after only a few years due to internal conflicts as to whether working ability in dogs was more important than appearance when breeding, but its legacy was to encourage individuals to pursue standardization. One of the ex-members, Max von Stephanitz, believed strongly that dogs should be bred for working. Von Stephanitz was an ex-cavalry captain and had been a student of the Berlin Veterinary College.

Captain Max von Stephanitz.

Von Stephanitz attended a dog show in 1899 where he was shown a dog named Hektor Linksrhein, the product of a few generations of selective breeding. Hektor was everything Von Stephanitz believed a working dog should be, possessing strength, intelligence, loyalty and appearance. He purchased Hektor, changing his name to Horand von Grafrath, and along with his friend Artur Meyer, founded the first society for German Shepherds, the Verein Für Deutsche Schäferhunde (the SV), with Horand the first dog to be registered. Along with establishing a breed standard, the SV also developed a breed register, or Zuchtbuch. Looking back in the original Zuchtbuch, there are four wolf crosses within two pages of entries, from forty-one to seventysix. Since the breed draws its original genetic link from this time, its similarity to its ancestor, the wolf, is not so surprising.

Hektor Linksrhein, renamed Horand von Grafrath.

Horand became the focal point of breeding programmes, and was only bred to society members displaying desirable traits. Horand’s most successful son was Hektor von Schwaben, who won the Sieger (top male) title in 1900 and 1901. Hektor was inbred with another of Horand’s offspring, producing Beowulf who sired eighty-four pups, mostly through inbreeding with Hektor’s other offspring. Beowulf’s progeny was also inbred, and it is from these pups that all German Shepherds draw a genetic link. The society had achieved its goal due to Von Stephanitz’s determination, and he is therefore credited with being the creator of the German Shepherd Dog.

THE KÖRBUCH

Along with establishing a breed standard, indiscriminate breeding was becoming a problem, so in 1921 Von Stephanitz established the breed survey book, or Körbuch, which determined a dog’s suitability for breeding based on physical and mental characteristics, rather than show wins. This practice has been continued ever since.

When the UK Kennel Club first accepted registrations for the breed in 1919, fifty-four dogs were registered, with the number growing to over 8,000 by 1926. The German Shepherd breed gained international recognition at the end of World War I when soldiers returned with tales of dogs performing heroic deeds; and animal actors such as Strongheart and Rin Tin Tin popularized the breed still further. Strongheart had originally been trained as a police dog in Germany, but was taken to the US to become one of the first canine stars. Strongheart paved the way for the much better remembered Rin Tin Tin, rescued from a German battlefield during World War I by an American soldier, Lee Duncan.

Strongheart.

The breed had been named Deutscher Schäferhund by Von Stephanitz, which translated to German Shepherd Dog. However, as the breed’s original purpose had been to herd and protect sheep, all herding dogs in Germany were referred to by this name, so the German Shepherd became known as the Altdeutsche Schäferhunde, or Old German Shepherd Dog.

Rin Tin Tin.

THE BREED NAME

Due to anti-German sentiment after World War I, the breed was officially renamed Alsatian Wolf Dog, instead of German Shepherd Dog, by the UK Kennel Club, with the appendage of Wolf Dog eventually being dropped. The Alsatian name remained until 1977, when enthusiasts successfully campaigned the UK Kennel Club to allow the breed to be registered once again as German Shepherd Dog. Thus the word Alsatian can still appear as part of the formal breed name in parentheses, and was only removed in 2010.

The modern German Shepherd has been criticised for straying away from Von Stephanitz’s original ideology that the breed is primarily a working dog and breeding should be controlled to eliminate defects quickly. It is careless breeding that has promoted disease and defects, and non-regulation of breeding means that genetic problems such as hip dysplasia and weakness of temperament are much too common in our modern dogs.

THE VERSATILITY OF THE GERMAN SHEPHERD

The German Shepherd is a very popular breed as a working dog, and is especially well known for working with the police tracking criminals and patrolling troubled areas, and in detecting and holding suspects. In addition the German Shepherd has been used in the thousands by the military, when it is trained for patrol duty and detection. Some dogs are also trained by the military to parachute from an aircraft.

The German Shepherd is the most widely used breed in the British police due to its effectiveness as a versatile and courageous protection dog. Some police forces have breeding programmes in place to ensure suitable dogs, whilst others will buy, and some police dogs are gifted. If a dog is accepted by the police it is allocated to a handler and will commence a lengthy training course of thirteen weeks, which it must pass in order to become a fully fledged police dog. The dog’s adaptability and temperament are paramount, as it may need to face a criminal with a weapon, undertake crowd control or search for a lost child.

Police dog tracking: Jack with handler Steve Butcher. (Photo: Surrey Police Dog Training School)

Police dog in training: Jake with instructor Pete Grimmett impersonating a criminal. (Photo: Surrey Police Dog Training School)

The German Shepherd is one of the most widely used breeds in scent work roles, including search and rescue, cadaver search, and detection of narcotics, explosives, accelerant and mines. They are suited to this line of work because of their keen sense of smell and their ability to work regardless of distraction, whilst covering a wide area quickly. Sniffer dogs undergo a rigorous training programme. Search and rescue dogs will work in countries all round the world in hazardous conditions such as earthquakes, explosions or on the side of a mountain. This is where courage is also required.

Due to their strong sense of duty, their mental abilities, their fearlessness and attachment to their owner, German Shepherds excel as guide dogs and at one time was the breed chosen almost exclusively for this role. In more recent years Labradors and Golden Retrievers have been used more widely; however, the German Shepherd still makes up one third of the guide dogs in the UK. The breed is also trained to be support dogs for the disabled, a rapidly growing role in this country. The dogs are specially trained and allocated to a particular owner.

Many a German Shepherd has become a PAT (Pets As Therapy) dog, having passed a thorough assessment. There are over 5,000 active PAT dogs in the UK, visiting both the young and the old and giving them the opportunity to stroke and talk to one of these calm friendly dogs. These dogs bring comfort and companionship to thousands of people every week. The charity, Pets As Therapy, also runs a ‘Read2Dogs’ programme, which helps children in the classroom improve their reading ability by helping to increase their confidence and enjoyment of reading. We have seen this at first hand with Olly: owned by Allison and a registered PAT dog, Olly was one of the first dogs on this scheme. The children love Olly visiting and will read to him when they do not have the confidence to read to a teacher or parent.

Olly at school.

The breed is still used to herd sheep in many parts of the world, and is expected to patrol boundaries to keep sheep from trespassing on to crops and damaging them. In Germany these skills are tested in herding utility dog trials known as Herdengebrauchshund.

German Shepherds are also a popular breed trained for protection work, be it general or personal, and these dogs can change hands for large amounts of money. Schutzhund, which means protection dog, originated in Germany in the 1800s: at this time German police were called Schutzmann and his canine companion Schutzhund.

Of course we must not forget the German Shepherd’s most common role as a companion dog. The majority of the dogs today reside in a family environment as a family pet and companion.

THE IDEAL GERMAN SHEPHERD OWNER

The German Shepherd is not the ideal pet for all homes as it is a highly active dog, curious, intelligent and protective, and it can be very self assured. The ideal German Shepherd owner is one who has researched the breed and understands its characteristics and traits, and can give the dog the right environment where it will thrive and become a loving and loyal family member.

THE BREED STANDARD

The German Shepherd falls under the ‘Pastoral Breed Group’, which consists of herding dogs that are associated with working cattle, sheep, reindeer and other cloven-footed animals. Usually this type of dog has a weatherproof double coat to protect it from the elements when working in severe conditions. Other breeds that fall into the Pastoral Breed Group include the Collie family, Old English Sheepdogs and Samoyeds.

As cited by the Kennel Club (UK):

A Breed Standard is the guideline which describes the ideal characteristics, temperament and appearance of a breed and ensures that the breed is fit for function. Absolute soundness is essential. Breeders and judges should at all times be careful to avoid obvious conditions or exaggerations which would be detrimental in any way to the health, welfare or soundness of this breed. From time to time certain conditions or exaggerations may be considered to have the potential to affect dogs in some breeds adversely, and judges and breeders are requested to refer to the Breed Watch section of the Kennel Club website for details of any such current issues. If a feature or quality is desirable it should only be present in the right measure. However, if a dog possesses a feature, characteristic or colour described as undesirable or highly undesirable it is strongly recommended that it should not be rewarded in the show ring.

General Appearance

Slightly long in comparison to height; of powerful, well muscled build with weather-resistant coat. Relation between height, length, position and structure of fore and hindquarters (angulation) producing a far-reaching, enduring gait. Clear definition of masculinity and femininity essential, and working ability never sacrificed for mere beauty.

Characteristics

Versatile working dog, balanced and free from exaggeration. Attentive, alert, resilient and tireless, with keen scenting ability.

Temperament

Steady of nerve, loyal, self-assured, courageous and tractable. Never nervous, over-aggressive or shy.

Head and Skull

Proportionate in size to body, never coarse, too fine or long. Clean cut; fairly broad between ears. Forehead slightly domed; little or no trace of central furrow. Cheeks forming softly rounded curve, never protruding. Skull from ears to bridge of nose tapering gradually and evenly, blending without too pronounced stop into wedge-shaped powerful muzzle. Skull approximately 50 per cent of overall length of head. Width of skull corresponding approximately to length, in males slightly greater, in females slightly less. Muzzle strong, lips firm, clean and closing tightly. Top of muzzle straight, almost parallel to forehead. Short, blunt, weak, pointed, overlong muzzle undesirable.

Eyes

Medium-sized, almond-shaped, never protruding. Dark brown preferred, lighter shade permissible, provided expression good and general harmony of head not destroyed. Expression lively, intelligent and self-assured.

Ears

Medium-sized, firm in texture, broad at base, set high, carried erect, almost parallel, never pulled inwards or tipped, tapering to a point, open at front. Never hanging. Folding back during movement permissible.

Mouth

Jaws strongly developed. With a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, ie upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws. Teeth healthy and strong. Full dentition of forty-two teeth is desirable.

Neck

Fairly long, strong, with well developed muscles, free from throatiness. Carried at 45 degrees angle to horizontal, raised when excited, lowered at fast trot.

Forequarters

Shoulder blade and upper arms are equal in length, well muscled and firmly attached to the body. Shoulder blades set obliquely (approximately 45 degrees) laid flat to body. Upper arm strong, well muscled, joining shoulder blade at approximately 90 degrees. Seen from all sides, the forearms are straight and, seen from the front, absolutely parallel. Bone oval rather than round. The elbows must turn neither in nor out while standing or moving. Pasterns firm, supple, with a slight forward slope. An over long, weak pastern, which would affect a dog’s working ability is to be heavily penalised. Length of foreleg slightly exceeds the depth of chest.

Good conformation is a good start towards having a healthy dog.

Body

Length measured from point of shoulder to point of buttock, slightly exceeding height at withers. Correct ratio 10 to 9 or 8 and a half. Undersized dogs, stunted growth, high-legged dogs, those too heavy or too light in build, overloaded fronts, too short overall appearance, any feature detracting from reach or endurance of gait, undesirable. Chest deep (45–48 per cent) of height at shoulder, not too broad, brisket long, well developed. Ribs well formed and long; neither barrel-shaped nor too flat; allowing free movement of elbows when gaiting. Relatively short loin. Belly firm, only slightly drawn up. Back between withers and croup, straight, strongly developed, not too long. Overall length achieved by correct angle of well laid shoulders, correct length of croup and hindquarters. The topline runs without any visible break from the set on of the neck, over the well defined withers, falling away slightly in a straight line to the gently sloping croup. The back is firm, strong and well muscled. Loin broad, strong, well muscled. Weak, soft and roach backs undesirable and should be heavily penalised. Croup slightly sloping and without any break in the topline, merges imperceptibly with the set on of the tail. Short, steep or flat croups highly undesirable.

Strong hindquarters are needed for a large working breed.

Hindquarters

Overall strong, broad and well muscled, enabling effortless forward propulsion. Upper and lower thigh are approximately of equal length. Hind angulation sufficient if imaginary line dropped from point of buttocks cuts through lower thigh just in front of hock, continuing down slightly in front of hindfeet. Angulations corresponding approximately with front angulation, without over-angulation. Seen from rear, the hind legs are straight and parallel to each other. The hocks are strong and firm. The rear pasterns are vertical. Any tendency towards over-angulation of hindquarters, weak hocks, cow hocks or sickle hooks, is to be heavily penalised as this reduces firmness and endurance in movement.

Feet

Rounded toes well closed and arched. Pads well cushioned and durable. Nails short, strong and dark in colour.

Tail

Bushy-haired, reaches at least to hock – ideal length reaching to middle of metatarsus. At rest tail hangs in slight sabre-like curve; when moving raised and curve increased, ideally never above level of back. Short, rolled, curled, generally carried badly or stumpy from birth, undesirable.

Gait/Movement

Sequence of step follows diagonal pattern, moving foreleg and opposite hindleg forward simultaneously; hindfoot thrust forward to midpoint of body and having equally long reach with forefeet without any noticeable change in backline. Absolute soundness of movement essential.

Coat

Outer coat consisting of straight, hard, closelying hair as dense as possible; thick undercoat. Hair on head, ears, front of legs, paws and toes short; on back, longer and thicker; in some males forming slight ruff. Hair longer on back of legs as far down as pasterns and stifles and forming fairly thick trousers on hindquarters. No hard and fast rule for length of hair; moletype coats undesirable.

Colour

Black or black saddle with tan, or gold to light grey markings. All black, all grey, with lighter or brown markings referred to as Sables. Bicolour: Predominantly black, may have tan or gold markings on head, chest, legs and feet; black markings may be present on toes and rear pasterns. Nose black. Light markings on chest or very pale colour on inside of legs permissible but undesirable, as are whitish nails, red-tipped tails or wishy-washy faded colours defined as lacking in pigmentation. Blues, livers, albinos, whites (i.e. almost pure white dogs with black noses) and near whites highly undesirable. Undercoat, except in all black dogs, usually grey or fawn. Colour in itself is of secondary importance having no effect on character or fitness for work. Final colour of a young dog only ascertained when outer coat has developed.

Size

Ideal height (from withers and just touching elbows): dogs: 63cm (25in); bitches: 58cm (23in).2.5cm (1in) either above or below ideal permissible.

Faults

Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.

Note

Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

Copyright The Kennel Club Limited Reproduced with their permission

The pedigree of a dog is a gateway to the past, and we shall look at this in more detail in Chapter 9 ‘Breeding and Pregnancy’.

Solid black.

Solid white (undesirable).

Dark sable.

Light sable.

Bi-colour.

Black and tan blanket.

Black and gold saddle.

2 CHOOSING YOUR GERMAN SHEPHERD

IS A GERMAN SHEPHERD THE RIGHT DOG FOR YOU?

The decision you are about to make needs very careful consideration, as taking on a German Shepherd dog is a huge responsibility and commitment – as in fact it is to take on any breed of dog, whether a puppy or an older dog: so please take time to do your research.

Key Considerations

Lifestyle: Think about your lifestyle, as German Shepherds are social animals and do not like being left alone for long periods of time. The general rule of thumb is that your dog should not be left for more than four hours in a day, although this will vary with his age.

Space: Think about your home and whether it can accommodate a large breed dog. Not only will your dog like to have his own space within the home, but a German Shepherd is not well suited if you live in a flat with no outdoor space where he can stretch his legs in between walks and where will he go to the toilet on that occasional day you feel too unwell to take him out for a walk? If in a flat, what floor are you on, and do you have stairs or a lift? Older Shepherds can struggle with stairs.

German Shepherds need space to exercise.

Money: Apart from the initial cost of obtaining your German Shepherd, and essential equipment such as collars, leads, bowls and bedding, the ongoing costs can soon add up, bearing in mind that these dogs can live to an average of twelve years. Consider the following:

Food:

Look into the costs of good quality dog food.

Insurance:

Ensure you have a minimum of third party cover for your dog, and look into the options that are on offer to cover accidental and medical health problems. Check out what excesses apply. Most insurers will allow you to pay by monthly direct debit at no additional cost.

Vet bills:

Insurance will not cover you for routine healthcare for your dog such as yearly vaccinations, having your dog neutered, or having his teeth cleaned. And if you have not taken out insurance, will you have the finances to cover an emergency operation if required, which can run into hundreds and sometimes thousands of pounds. Does your vet offer a health plan payable monthly?

Kennels or pet sitter:

Where will your dog go when you are on holiday? If he is lucky enough to go with you, then this is not so much of an issue, but if you jet off regularly once a year to warmer climates, consider the care costs.