Meet the German Shepherd. Dog Fancy Magazine

      

       Brought to you by The American Kennel Club and The German Shepherd Dog Club of America.

      Lead Editor: Lindsay Hanks

      Art Director: Cindy Kassebaum

      Production Supervisor: Jessica Jaensch

      Assistant Production Manager: Tracy Vogtman

      Book Project Specialist: Karen Julian

      Vice President, Chief Content Officer: June Kikuchi

      Vice President, Kennel Club Books: Andrew DePrisco

      I-5 Press: Jennifer Calvert, Amy Deputato, Lindsay Hanks, Karen Julian, Jarelle S. Stein

      Photographs by:Alamy: 36, 51; Blackhawk Productions (Dwight Dyke): Cover, 4, 11, 22, 71, 72, 73, 75, 85, 90, 101, 105, 108, 116, 119; I-5 Studio: Cover, Back Cover, 8, 34, 42, 44, 56, 77, 124; Close Encounters of the Furry Kind: 1, 33, 57, 70, 83, 110; Diane Lewis: Cover, 4, 4, 6, 7, 19, 24, 25, 30, 48, 54, 62, 63, 66, 79, 89, 109, 117, 121; Fox Hill Photo: 12, 13, 14, 15, 26, 31, 32, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 43, 45, 49, 59, 61, 67, 68, 69, 74, 76, 78, 80, 81, 84, 88, 93, 94, 99, 102, 103, 113; Infocus by Miguel (Miguel Betancourt): 20, 21, 50, 115; Jerry Schulman: 4, 9, 10, 18, 35, 46, 64, 112; Mark Raycroft: Cover, 3, 16, 17, 27, 28, 29, 47, 52, 53, 55, 96-97, 106, 107, 111, 120; Shutterstock: 86, 87.

      Copyright © 2011 The American Kennel Club and I-5 Press

      I-5 Press™

      A Division of I-5 Publishing, LLC™

      3 Burroughs, Irvine, CA 92618

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of I-5 Press™, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in an acknowledged review.

      Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

      The American Kennel Club’s meet the German Shepherd dog : the responsible dog owner’s handbook.

      p. cm. -- (Akc’s meet the breeds series)

      ISBN 978-1-935484-72-1

      eISBN 978-1-937049-46-1

      1. German Shepherd dog. I. American Kennel Club.

      SF429.G37A44 2012

      636.737’6--dc23

      2011031433

      Printed and bound in the United States

      14 13 12 11 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

       Meet Your New Dog

      Welcome to Meet the German Shepherd. Whether you're a long-time German Shepherd Dog owner, or you've just gotten your first puppy, we wish you a lifetime of happiness and enjoyment with your new pet.

      In this book, you’ll learn about the history of the breed, receive tips on feeding, grooming and training, and learn about all the fun you can have with your dog. The American Kennel Club and I-5 Press hope that this book serves as a useful guide on the lifelong journey you’ll take with your canine companion.

      Owned and cherished by millions across America, German Shepherds make wonderful companions and also enjoy taking part in a variety of dog sports, including Conformation (dog shows), Obedience, Rally^®, and Agility.

      Thousands of GSDs have also earned the AKC Canine Good Citizen^® certification by demonstrating their good manners at home and in the community. We hope that you and your German Shepherd will become involved in AKC events, too! Learn how to get involved www.akc.org/events, or find a training club in your area at www.akc.org/events/trainingclubs.cfm.

      We encourage you to connect with other German Shepherd owners on the AKC website (www.akc.org), Facebook (www.facebook.com/americankennelclub) and Twitter (@akcdoglovers). Also visit the website for the German Shepherd Dog Club of America (www.gsdca.org) the national parent club for the German Shepherd, to learn about the breed from reputable exhibitors and breeders.

      Enjoy German Shepherd!

      Sincerely,

      Dennis B. Sprung

      AKC President and CEO

       Contents

       1 FALL IN LOVE WITH THE GERMAN SHEPHERD

       2 THE GSD DESIGN

       3 SHOPPING FOR A GERMAN SHEPHERD

       4 YOUR DOG’S NEW HOME

       5 SCHOOL DAYS

       6 HOUSE-TRAINING YOUR GSD

       7 HOME CARE FOR THE GSD

       8 GSD COMMAND CENTRAL

       9 STAYING HEALTHY

       10 ACTIVITIES FOR GERMAN SHEPHERDS

       RESOURCES

      One of the world’s most recognizable purebred dogs, the German Shepherd Dog defies description. The American Kennel Club classifies the breed in its Herding Group, but herding sheep and goats only represents one aspect of this multi-faceted working dog. Images of the heroic and noble German Shepherd, assisting soldiers in wartime or working side-by-side with rescue workers after the September 11^th attacks on New York City’s World Trade Center and the Pentagon are seared in the minds of Americans today, just as recollections of Rin Tin Tin and Strongheart on movie screens moved earlier generations.

      Dogs at Work

      The GSD’s intelligence and willingness to cooperate with humans make the breed versatile working dogs. They excel in the following jobs: guarding people and property; police and military service, including scent work such as bomb and drug detection; guiding the blind; search and rescue; and guarding and herding livestock.

      What’s not to love about the GSD, as the breed is commonly called? Is there a more courageous breed? The German Shepherd remains a fearless protector, a loyal and devoted pet, a trainable and intelligent competition dog, and one of the most versatile four-legged animals on the planet.

      Since the breed’s rise to prominence in the early 1900s, when canine Hollywood star Strongheart reigned on the silver screen, the German Shepherd has excelled in every imaginable area of canine duty: herding dog, military working dog, protection dog, law-enforcement K9, drug and bomb detector, guide and assistance dog, hearing dog, and, of course, search-and-rescue dog. In fact, when the American Kennel Club launched its DOGNY program to commemorate the hero dogs of September 11^th, the German Shepherd