German Shepherds

Appearance
They have two types of coats: Long-haired and short-haired. They have different colors, which include all white, all black, brown and tan, black and tan and others. The typical pattern on a Shepard is a saddle pattern, but you can also find Shepards with a solid color, a sable which has a few streaks of a color against the main, A bi-color which has he non main color on the legs, Blanket pattern which is back covering the top of the dog, head, body and tail, and last but not least the Panda pattern which is almost like a calico with its white, brown, and black.

Personality
German Shepherds are very wary of strangers, and will always protect you until their final breath. However, they are usually pretty good with children and other dogs. They are also pretty eager to learn, and may not be easy to train at first but still very obedient. They are also pretty curious doggos, willing to stick their nose up any mystery!

History
These dogs used to be herding dogs in the 1800's. they were bred in Germany for that sole purpose, but they also wanted responsive, loyal, and obedient dogs. Von Stephanitz founded the Verein für Deutsche Schäferhunde (Society for the German Shepherd Dog). Horand was declared to be the first German Shepherd Dog and was the first dog added to the society's breed register.

Health
There are several different issues these dogs can have. They can have canine hip dysplasia which loosens the joint in the socket, and the bone will come loose. degenerative myelopathy is another where the spine deteriorates, and makes it hard for the dog to do anything. hemophilia is where the blood will not clot wounds properly, and they could bleed to death. there are many, many more but i don't want to make you, the reader, that sad, or myself while writing this.

Other Facts
German Shepherds are known for their military and police work. Being a bigger dog, they tend to live 9-13 years of age. World war ll brought these dogs to the west, when they were used for sniffing out mines. The west didn't want German in the name during the war, so their name during that time was Shepard dogs or Alsatian wolf dogs.