The German Shepherd dog, or the German Shepherd dog as it is called, is always at the top of the most popular dog breeds in the world for many reasons, including its
calm and confident behavior, including its intelligence and speed of learning, and its ideal as a police dog or an assistant for people with special needs or as a service dog in general.
As we will know later, in addition to many other wonderful features that we will talk about in this article in detail shortly, with its majestic size, erect ears, and smart dark eyes, the German Shepherd dog has achieved a legendary status among dog breeds as the ideal dog.
History of the German Shepherd Dog:
German shepherd dogs originated in the state of Germany, as appears from its name, beginning in the nineteenth century by crossing different herding breeds, and the German Shepherd dog breed was subjected to strict selection and
the breed progressed quickly until it reached its current form, and the German Shepherd breed moved to the United States of America In 1908, but during World War I, the growing popularity of
German Shepherd dogs was influenced by being associated with the enemy, and the German Shepherd dog was used in World War I to detect mines and provide German soldiers with food and other necessities in the trenches.
After World War II, a division occurred between the German Shepherd breeds that originated in Germany and those that originated in the United States, and police and army departments in the United States began importing German Shepherd dogs, because German Shepherd dogs that were crossed in the United States were failing performance tests.
They suffer from hereditary health conditions, and in the past few decades, some American breeders have begun to refocus on the breed's abilities rather than just appearance, importing dogs originating from Germany to add to their breeding program.
German Shepherd dog behavioral problems
If you train this type of dog well, and he gets used to being social from an early age, this will make his upbringing a great pleasure for dog lovers, but with the lack of proper care and training,
this will lead to serious behavioral problems for the German Shepherd dog, and in this case it can be Some see him as a threat to him and his family. Among these behavioral problems are barking, snarling and biting.
Unfortunately, the German Shepherd dog also chases smaller pets, such as cats.
Whoever raises the German Shepherd must train him to ensure that he will not be a source of danger. on neighboring animals.
Also, the German Shepherd dog should not be left alone for long periods of time, because soon it will get bored and will be exposed to separation, and with
time it will lead to really destructive behavior such as chewing on furniture and other things, and it can cause damage with a lot of barking and howling.
As for the purebred breeds of German Shepherd dogs, they respond well to training and learning quickly, unlike dogs of questionable breeds.
If you repeat the breeding of the German Shepherd dog, it is advised that you buy the dog from a trusted place.
Common health problems for the German Shepherd dog
The German Shepherd dog is famous for being prone to hip dysplasia, but breeders are working to reduce the incidence of this genetic abnormality, and when a
dog suffers from hip dysplasia, the head of the femur does not fit properly into the hip socket, and over time, the bone begins to wear down, which leads to Ultimately to painful arthritis, and depending on
the severity of the condition, hip dysplasia can be managed with medication or the hips can be surgically replaced but it will be at a very significant cost per hip, and know that it is impossible to know if a dog has hip dysplasia just by examining it or watching it moves.
There is also degenerative myelopathy, which is a progressive disease that affects the spinal cord, specifically the part of the cord that transmits information to the brain regarding the hind legs. Dogs with myelopathy act as if they do not know where their hind legs are and cannot move them properly.
The disease progresses to a degree That the dog cannot walk, most of the time there is no treatment for this disease and the dog becomes paralyzed, however, in a few rare cases, the condition is linked to a deficiency of vitamin 12 or vitamin E.
Like many large breeds, German Shepherds can suffer from a variety of heart conditions, including murmurs, valvular disease and an enlarged heart, and an annual heart exam is critical in detecting these conditions early, as many respond well to treatment.
Epilepsy, vision problems, bleeding disorders, immune diseases, and digestive problems including exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, all of these conditions are
relatively common in German Shepherd dogs, and many of them have a genetic component, and a good breeder will discuss health problems in their breeds.
Other health concerns that you should be aware of are bloating and gastric torsion. German Shepherds are more likely than many breeds to bloat, a condition in which the stomach expands with air, and
this condition can become the most serious, as for gastric torsion on itself. If this twist occurs, blood flow is interrupted, bloating increases, and the twist occurs suddenly.
German Shepherds are used as police dogs
In many countries, German Shepherd dogs are used within the police forces, thanks to their strength and intelligence, and the process of training them easily in
order to carry out various tasks, and examples of things that the German Shepherd is trained on is immobilizing criminal suspects without any injuries, so the German Shepherd dog Shepherd, like all dogs,
has an excellent sense of smell that he uses to sniff out drugs and explosives.
It is also used in search and rescue operations, and to locate people in cases where some.