Fun facts about German Shepherd dogs

They make the K9 unit and are amazing guard dogs. But there is much more to German Shepherds than what you know. Here are some fun facts about this beautiful dog breed that you must know of.

All dogs have a sense of smell 10 to 100k times better than humans as they have a million more scent receptors. But German Shepherds rank near the top. This is why they make great police dogs. They are known for sniffing out drugs, bombs, tracking, searching and rescue.

Not at all dogs are as protective of their loved ones. They are well known to be fearless and they will stand ground in all circumstances.

Not many know that German Shepherds are amongst the brightest breeds. If their talent is channeled the right way and they are given the right training which includes brain-challenging games, positive reinforcement-based methods and mentally stimulating toys, they can ace their game.

The father of this breed was Max Von Shlephanitz. He purchased the first Shepherd dog in 1895 and named him Horand Von Grafath. It was this dog's genetics which created the German Shepherd breed altogether.

There are 11 colours of this breed including white, blue and liver. These 3 colours, however, are disqualified to compete in dog shows. The other colours are black and tan, sable, bi-coloured, black, black and red, black and cream, grey, and panda.

GS are double coated! Their undercoat is softer and denser which protects their skin from extreme weather while their longest coat is the overcoat which has long guard hair.

Male German Shepherds can weigh upto 24 to 40 kgs while females can weigh 20-40 because they are smaller in size. Their lifespan is usually between 7 to 13 years given that they get veterinary care, ample exercise and eat well-balanced foods.

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