Breed
Standard
1) General Appearance
The German Shepherd Dog is medium sized. With the hair
pressed down, the height at the withers is measured by a 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 weatherproof 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 every-ready working
dog with great stamina.
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 defending
his handler and his property but otherwise being 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.
2) Angulation and Movement
3) Temperament, Character and
Abilities
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.
4) Head
The forehead when viewed from the front or side is only
slightly arched. It should be without a centre 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.
5) Dentition
An undershot or overshot bite is 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.
6) Ears
Many dogs draw their ears back during motion or at rest. This
is not faulty.
7) Eyes
The colour of the eyes should blend with the colour of the coat. They should be
as dark as possible. They should have a lively, intelligent and self-confident
expression.
8) Neck
The neck is carried at an angle of about 45 degrees to the horizontal. It is
carried higher when excited and lower when trotting.
9) Body
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 dog 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 topline.
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.
10) Tail
Docked tails are inadmissible.
11) Forequarters
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 or 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%).
12) Hindquarters
The upper thighbone when viewed from the side joins the only
slightly longer lower thighbone 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.
13) Feet
Dewclaws sometime appear on the hind legs and should be
removed within the first few days of birth.
14) Colour
The nose must be black with all coat colours. (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 colours are considered lacking in pigment.)
The undercoat or base hair is always light grey, with the
exception of that on black dogs. The final colour of a puppy is only determined
when the outer coat completely develops.
15) Coat
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
breeching 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 a mole
like coat is faulty.
b) The long smooth coated German
Shepherd Dog
With the long smooth coated German Shepherd Dog, a narrow
chest and narrow overstretched muzzle are frequently found.
c) 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