Portraits of popular breeds both at home and abroad: German Shepherd
It would probably entirely unnecessary to describe the appearance of the German Shepherd. Probably everyone, even non-dog-lovers, have seen the German series Inspector Rex.
Apart from the most famous colouring with black or golden marks, it is bred also in a full-black or grey colour. Because of the trend of excessive angles of the hind legs and the related selection of breeding dogs, this breed today often suffers from hip dysplasia. Otherwise, however, it has a strong and solid skeleton with very well-developed muscles.
For a German Shepherd to be content, it’s necessary to provide enough activity for them. It doesn’t really do well in the role of a stay-at-home sofa-dog. On the contrary, if you’re looking for a dog with whom you’d like to attend obedience training, defence, tracking or agility training, you’ve come across the right partner. Although these dogs are relatively demanding when it comes to training, they usually come at good places in obedience competitions.
They are also great for any kind of work. German Shepherds are used in the world most often as guide, avalanche and tracking dogs. They are also very often used as police, military, guard or defence dogs.
German Shepherds love to learn and they learn fast. They adore their master and they need a lot of contact with him. While the males tend to be stronger, more agile and tougher, females are usually more hard-working. The dogs of this breed are energetic and active, they are marked by their endurance, high intelligence, braveness and faithfulness. Policemen and rescuers value their fearlessness, controllability, incorruptibility and strong nerves.
The interesting thing is that in the Czech Republic and in Slovakia, we breed the best German Shepherds for the whole world. They are in demand for security forces and private persons from the USA, Israel or Peru, for instance. This tradition of quality breeding extends to the time of socialism, when the border guards and the Public Security (the regular police force at that time) in the Czech Republic, needed a large quantity of quality dogs and dog handlers to guard the borders and maintain order. That’s why great attention was paid to the breeding and training of German Shepherds in particular.
As with all the larger dog breeds we have to provide them with the right care and quality food during their development and not overload them. Otherwise, this could cause poor development of bones and knuckles leading to long-term health problems.
Since the beginning at the turn of the 19th century and 20th century, when German Shepherds were used mainly as shepherd dogs, they've come a long way. Their obvious character strengths have not remained unnoticed for long, so they were already used in the First World War as guard dogs and rescue dogs. Today, they can be great work and social partners, but in return, they require enough exercise and attention in training.
Although they don’t appear as family dogs at first glance, if they are well-trained, they are very loyal to their master and his family, tolerant to children and domestic animals.
Do you belong among the lovers of this breed? What do you admire about it the most?
When one says a mini breed, most of you will immediately think of a Chihuahua. And it’s not surprising, its the smallest dog breed in the world. They are popular abroad as well as in the Czech Republic and they are often picked by people whose desire...
The Ragdoll, a cat which reminds you of a dog with its behaviour, was in the top three favourite breeds among keepers in 2017. At the worldwide scale, it is on the second place, right after the Maine Coon. The Ragdoll is a very cuddly pet which is into...
Cats have always been regarded as mystical animals with many mysteries. One of them might be the question why these creatures like sitting in a circle so much.
You might be asking why should a cat learn to walk on a leash in the first place? It doesn’t mean you should go hiking with your cat. However, a short walk might be a great adventure for your cat. And you can’t do that without a leash, especially in a...
Keeping an eye on the weight no longer concerns only us, the two-legged creatures. Vets deal with overweight and obese pets more and more often. Most often, it applies to dogs and cats, but even rodents can easily suffer from obesity. How to prevent...
Toxins are accumulated in body during winter and spring is therefore the best season for detoxification. Everything awakens and people purify their bodies so why shouldn’t we involve our closest companions to it?
The fact that it’s no problem to go for a journey across the whole continent (or even the whole world) together with your pet is well-known to the owners of three cat travellers – Bengal cat Suki, courageous cat Wilow and fearless tom cat Simon. They...
One of my New Year’s resolutions this year was to be more active. A dog is a great companion for an active life. What is a healthy level of exercising with a dog?
These portions seem so small, shouldn’t I give my dog more? And should the dry food be dipped or not? And how many times a day should I feed my dog? And should I supplement the food by something? When should we switch to adult dog food? This is only a...
Do you know how to properly behave with your furry friends in national parks and protected nature areas? Are you sick of all the trash in city parks? And are you considering what you should do to be a more
eco-friendly dog owner? You can also...
Siberian Husky is an amazing dog breed. It is a very active dog. Agile, strong and distinctive. That’s why many mushers use them to pull their sledges. It is said that all dogs who like pulling are suitable for a dog sled, but a Siberian Husky really...
Domestic cats don’t go outside as often as dogs and you have to prepare them for travelling. However, they won’t avoid visiting a vet or travelling to a cottage from time to time.