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The German Shepherd Dog is medium sized. With the hair pressed down,
the height at the withers is measured by stick along the vertical as it
follows the line of the elbow from the withers to the ground. The ideal
height at the withers is 62.5 cm for males and 57.5 for females. An
allowance of 2.5 cm over or under is permissible. Exceeding the maximum
as well as not meeting the minimum diminishes the working and breeding
value of the dog.
The German Shepherd is slightly long, strong and well muscled. The
bones are dry and the structure firm. The ratio of height to length and
the placement and structure of the limbs (angulation) are so balanced
that a far-reaching, effortless trot is guaranteed. He has a weather
proof coat.
A pleasing appearance is desired as long as the working ability of
the dog is not called into question.
Sex characteristics must be pronounced, e.g., the masculinity of the
males and the femininity of the females must be unmistakable.
The German Shepherd that corresponds to the Standard offers the
observer a picture of rugged strength, intelligence and agility, whose
overall proportions are neither in excess or deficient in any way. The
way he moves and behaves leaves no doubt that he is sound in mind and
body and so possesses physical and mental traits that render possible an
ever ready working dog with great stamina.
It is only possible for a practiced expert to ascertain the presence
of requisite working dog traits in the German Shepherd. Therefore, only
special judges should be called upon, as it is incumbent on them to
judge the character of the dogs brought before them. This should include
a test for gun soundness, as only German Shepherd Dogs that have
achieved recognized working dog titles may receive the breed rating
excellent.
With an effervescent temperament, the dog must also be cooperative,
adapting to every situation, and take to work willingly and joyfully. He
must show courage and hardness as the situation requires to defend his
handler and his property. He must readily attack on his owner's command
but otherwise be a fully attentive, obedient and pleasant household
companion. He should be devoted to his familiar surroundings, above all
to other animals and children, and composed in his contact with people.
All in all, he gives a harmonious picture of natural nobility and
self-confidence.
The German Shepherd Dog is a trotter. His gait exhibits diagonal
movement, I.e., the hind foot and the fore foot on opposite sides move
simultaneously. The limbs, therefore, must be so similarly proportioned
to one another, i.e. angulated, that the action of the rear as it
carries through to the middle of the body and is matched by an equally
far-reaching forehand causes no essential change in the top line. Every
tendency toward over angulation of the rear quarters diminishes
soundness and endurance. The correct proportions of height to length and
corresponding length of the leg bones results in a ground-eating gait
that is low to the ground and imparts an impression of effortless
progression. With his head thrust forward and a slightly raised tail, a
balanced and even trotter will have a top line that falls in moderate
curves from the tip of the ears over the neck and level back through the
tip of the tail.
Sound nerves, alertness, self confidence, trainability, watchfulness,
loyalty and incorruptibility, as well as courage, fighting drive and
hardness, are the outstanding characteristics of a purebred German
Shepherd Dog. They make his suitable to be a superior working dog in
general, and in particular to be a guard, companion, protection and
herding dog.
His ample scenting abilities, added to his conformation as a trotter,
make it possible for him to quietly and surely work out a track without
bodily strain and with his nose close to the ground. This makes him
highly useful as a multipurpose track and search dog.
The head should be in proportion to the body size (in length
approximately 40% of the height at the withers) and not coarse,
overrefined or overstretched(snipey). In general appearance, it should
be dry with moderate breadth between the ears.
The forehead when viewed from the front or side is only slightly
arched. It should be without a center furrow or with only a slightly
defined furrow.
The cheeks form a gentle curve laterally without protrusion toward
the front. When viewed from above, the skull (approximately 50% of the
entire head length) tapers gradually and evenly from the ears to the tip
of the nose, with a sloping rather than a sharply defined stop and into
a long, dry wedge-shaped muzzle (the upper and lower jaws must be
strongly developed.)
The width of the skull should correspond approximately to the length
of the skull. Also, a slight oversize in the case of males or undersize
in the case of females is not objectionable.
The muzzle is strong; the lips are firm and dry and close tightly.
The bridge of the nose is straight and runs nearly parallel with the
plane of the forehead.
Dentition must be healthy, strong and complete (42 teeth, 20 in the
upper jaw and 22 in the lower jaw). The German Shepherd Dog has a
scissors bite, e.g. the incisors must meet each other in a scissors like
fashion, with the outer surface of the incisors of the lower jaw sliding
next to the inner surface of the incisors of the upper jaw.
An undershot or overshot bite if faulty, as are large gaps between
the teeth. A level bite is faulty, as the incisors close on a straight
line.
The jaws must be strongly developed so that the teeth may be deeply
rooted.
The ears are of medium size, wide at the base and set high. They
taper to a point and are carried facing forward and vertically (the tips
not inclined toward each other). Tipped, cropped and hanging ears are
rejected. Ears drawn toward each other greatly impair the general
appearance. The ears of puppies and young dogs sometimes drop or pull
toward each other during the teething period, which can last until six
months of age and sometimes longer.
Many dogs draw their ears back during motion or at rest. This is not
faulty.
The eyes are of medium size, almond shaped, somewhat slanting and not
protruding.
The color of the eyes should blend with the color of the coat. They
should be as dark as possible. They should have a lively, intelligent
and self-confident expression.
The neck should be strong with well-developed muscles and without
looseness of the throat skin (dewlaps).
The neck is carried at an angle of about 45 degrees to the
horizontal. It is carried higher when excited and lower when trotting.
The body length should exceed the height at the withers. It should
amount to about 110 to 117% of the height at the withers. Dogs with a
short, square or tall build are undesirable.
The chest is deep (approximately 45 to 48% of the height at the
withers) but not too wide. The under chest should be as long as possible
and pronounced.
The ribs should be well formed and long, neither barrel shaped nor
too flat. They should reach the sternum, which is at the same level as
the elbows. A correctly formed rib cage allows the elbows freedom of
movement when the dogs trots. A too round rib cage disrupts the motion
of the elbows and causes them to turn out. A too flat rib cage draws the
elbows in toward one another. The rib cage extends far back so that the
loins are relatively short.
The abdomen is moderately tucked up.
The back, including the loins, is straight and strongly developed yet
not too long between the withers and the croup.
The withers must be long and high, sloping slightly from front to
rear, defined against the back into which it gently blends without
breaking the top line.
The loins must be wide, strong and well muscled.
The croup is long and slightly angled (approximately 23 degrees). The
ileum and the sacrum are the foundation bones of the croup. Short, steep
or flat croups are undesirable.
The tail is bushy and should reach at least to the hock joint but not
beyond the middle of the hocks. Sometimes the tail forms a hook to one
side at its end, though this is undesirable. At rest the tail is carried
in a gentle downward curve, but when the dog is excited or in motion, it
is curved more and carried higher. The tail should never be raised past
the vertical. The tail, therefore, should not be carried straight or
curled over the back.
Docked tails are inadmissible.
The shoulder blade should be long with an oblique
placement (the angle at 45 degrees) and lying flat against the body. The
upper arm joins the shoulder blade in an approximate right angle. The
upper arm as well as the shoulder must be strong and well muscled.
The forearm must be straight when viewed from all sides. The bones of
the upper arm and forearm are more oval than round.
The pasterns should be firm but neither too steep nor too down in
pastern (Approximately 20 degrees).
The elbows must be neither turned in nor turned out. the length of
the leg bones should exceed the depth of the chest (approximately 55%).
The thigh is broad and well muscled.
The upper thigh bone when viewed from the side joins the only
slightly longer lower thigh bone at an angle of approximately 120
degrees. The angulation corresponds roughly to the forequarter
angulation without being over angulated.
The hock joint is strong and firm.
The hock is strong and forms a firm joint with the lower thigh. The
entire hindquarters must be strong and well muscled to be capable of
carrying the body effortlessly forward during motion.
The feet are relatively round, short, tightly formed and arched. The
pads are very hard, but not chapped. The nails are short, strong and of
a dark color.
Dew claws sometime appear on the hind legs and should be removed
within the first few days of birth.
Color should be black with regular markings in brown, tan to light
gray, also with a black saddle, dark sable (black cover on a gray or
light brown case with corresponding lighter marks), black, uniform gray
or with light or brown markings. Small white markings on the fore chest
or a very light color on the insides of the legs are permissible though
not desired. The nose must be black with all coat colors. (Dogs with
little or no masks, yellow or strikingly light eyes, light markings on
the chest and insides of the legs, white nails and a red tip of the tail
or washed out weak colors are considered lacking in pigment.) The
undercoat or base hair is always light gray, with the exception of that
on black dogs. the final color of a puppy is only determined when the
outer coat completely develops.
a) The medium smooth coated German Shepherd Dog
The outer coat should be as thick as possible. The
individual hairs are straight, coarse and lying flat against the body.
The coat is short on the head inclusive of the ears, the front of the
legs, the feet and the toes but longer and thicker on the neck. The hair
grows longer on the back of the fore- and hind legs as far down as the
pastern and the hock joint, forming moderate reaching on the thighs. the
length of the hair varies, and due to these differences in length, there
are many intermediate forms. A too short or mole like coat is faulty.
b) The long coated German Shepherd Dog
The coat is considerably longer than that of the long-smooth-coat. It
is generally very soft and forms a parting along the back. The undercoat
will be found in the region of the loins or will not be present at all.
A long coat is greatly diminished in weatherproofing and utility and
therefore is undesirable.
Faults include anything that impairs working
versatility, endurance and working competency, especially lack of sex
characteristics and temperament traits contrary to the German Shepherd
Dog such as apathy, weak nerves or over excitability, shyness; lack of
vitality or willingness to work; monorchids and cryptorchids and
testicles too small; a soft or flabby constitution and a lack of
substance; fading pigment; blues, albinos (with complete lack of
pigmentation, e.g. pink nose, etc.) and whites (near to pure white with
black nose); over and under size; stunted growth; high-legged dogs and
those with an overloaded fore chest; a disproportionately short, too
refined or coarse build; a soft back, too steep a placement of the limbs
and anything depreciating the reach and endurance of gait; a muzzle that
is too short, blunt, weak , pointed or narrow and lacks strength; an
over-or undershot bite or any other faults of dentition, especially weak
or worn teeth; a coat that is too soft, too short or too long; a lack of
undercoat; hanging ears, a permanently faulty ear carriage or cropped
ears; a ringed, curled or generally faulty tail set; a docked tail
(stumpy) or a naturally short tail.
The above standard was approved and put into effect for the countries
and clubs of the FCI. The name of the breed is the German Shepherd Dog.
The country of origin is Germany.
From SCHUTZHUND USA March/April 1989
"The German Shepherd Standard"
by
Morton Goldfarb USA/SV/AKC Judge] |
