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| Apr 21 2008, 7:25 PM EDT (current) | JanRyan | 566 words added |
| Apr 21 2008, 7:24 PM EDT | JanRyan |
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The body that establishes standards of dog breeds in the United States is the American Kennel Club (AKC). The American Kennel Club decides what qualities make a dog a show quality German Shepherd. German Shepherds in dog shows are judged against these standards, and the dog that comes the closest to matching all the standards of the breed wins the dog show. German Shepherds that win certain prizes in American Kennel Club dog shows can earn the rank of American Kennel Club champion, a designation that appears on a dog's pedigree.
The categories that make up the standard of the German Shepherd breed include: appearance, temperament, size and proportion, coat and color and gait, the way the dog moves. A German Shepherd who meets the appearance standard of the breed gives the impression of a strong animal, alert and full of life. A good German Shepherd looks substantial and muscular, with an expression of nobility and quality breeding. The standard of the German Shepherd breed calls for a confident personality, slow to make friends. German Shepherds are alert and eager, ready to be report for duty as guide dogs, guard dogs, police dogs, herding dogs or loyal family companions.
The standards require that German Shepherd males should be twenty four to twenty six inches tall at the shoulder; females should be twenty two to twenty four inches tall. The German Shepherd head is noble, strong, and in proportion to the body. Males should look masculine, and females should look feminine. The face includes dark eyes, moderately pointed ears and a long, strong muzzle. A dog with cropped or hanging ears will be disqualified from competition, as will a dog with a nose that is not predominantly black. The neck should be strong, muscular and relatively long, carrying the head high and forward. The body should be deep with long ribs, a firmly held abdomen and a high, bushy tail. The forequarters are well muscled, with short, compact feet. The upper thigh should run parallel to the shoulder blade. The hindquarters are broad, with dewclaws removed from the hind legs.
The German Shepherd standard of the breed calls for a short, double coat with an extremely dense outer coat on the main body and a short coat on the head, legs and paws.German Shepherds with soft, silky, wooly and curly coats are disqualified. Variations in color are permissible, although a white dog must always be disqualified. Rich colors are preferred, and a tan face with black body is a commonly accepted color combination. A good German Shepherd, according to the American Kennel Club, trots without effort while smoothly covering territory with minimal effort. Faults of the gait are serious and can lead to disqualification.
These are the American Kennel Club standards of the German Shepherd breed against which show dogs are judged. Many of these traits have no bearing whatsoever on what kind of pet a German Shepherd will make. Usually, German Shepherds who don't meet American Kennel Club standards make excellent pets and working dogs.
American Kennel Club standards for aGerman Shepherd cover a dog's appearance and temperament. Maintaining high standards requires breeders to follow practices that promote healthy German Shepherds. IfGerman Shepherd information interests you, go to a dog show to meet German Shepherd breeders and see dozens of German Shepherds that meet the standard of the breed, all in one place.
The categories that make up the standard of the German Shepherd breed include: appearance, temperament, size and proportion, coat and color and gait, the way the dog moves. A German Shepherd who meets the appearance standard of the breed gives the impression of a strong animal, alert and full of life. A good German Shepherd looks substantial and muscular, with an expression of nobility and quality breeding. The standard of the German Shepherd breed calls for a confident personality, slow to make friends. German Shepherds are alert and eager, ready to be report for duty as guide dogs, guard dogs, police dogs, herding dogs or loyal family companions.
The standards require that German Shepherd males should be twenty four to twenty six inches tall at the shoulder; females should be twenty two to twenty four inches tall. The German Shepherd head is noble, strong, and in proportion to the body. Males should look masculine, and females should look feminine. The face includes dark eyes, moderately pointed ears and a long, strong muzzle. A dog with cropped or hanging ears will be disqualified from competition, as will a dog with a nose that is not predominantly black. The neck should be strong, muscular and relatively long, carrying the head high and forward. The body should be deep with long ribs, a firmly held abdomen and a high, bushy tail. The forequarters are well muscled, with short, compact feet. The upper thigh should run parallel to the shoulder blade. The hindquarters are broad, with dewclaws removed from the hind legs.
The German Shepherd standard of the breed calls for a short, double coat with an extremely dense outer coat on the main body and a short coat on the head, legs and paws.German Shepherds with soft, silky, wooly and curly coats are disqualified. Variations in color are permissible, although a white dog must always be disqualified. Rich colors are preferred, and a tan face with black body is a commonly accepted color combination. A good German Shepherd, according to the American Kennel Club, trots without effort while smoothly covering territory with minimal effort. Faults of the gait are serious and can lead to disqualification.
These are the American Kennel Club standards of the German Shepherd breed against which show dogs are judged. Many of these traits have no bearing whatsoever on what kind of pet a German Shepherd will make. Usually, German Shepherds who don't meet American Kennel Club standards make excellent pets and working dogs.
American Kennel Club standards for aGerman Shepherd cover a dog's appearance and temperament. Maintaining high standards requires breeders to follow practices that promote healthy German Shepherds. IfGerman Shepherd information interests you, go to a dog show to meet German Shepherd breeders and see dozens of German Shepherds that meet the standard of the breed, all in one place.
