Any health problems to watch out for with German Shepherd

[eric]

Hi all,

I'm a new member here and have a question. I have two dogs, one of which we believe to be a pure, or mostly pure German Shepherd. We adopted him from the Humane Society, so we're not sure of his exact breeding.

From other Shepherds I have seen, Travis appears to be quite a bit bigger than normal for the breed. The last time we had him weighed, he was at 110 lbs. He's not much taller than other Shepherds, but is much more muscular. He also does not have the 'slope' on his rear end that I have seen on many shepherds.

I mention these points just in case this gives this gives any clues regarding his possible lineage to anyone knowledgeable about the breed.

I would appreciate if anyone knowledgeable about Shepherds would let me know if there are any specific health issues I should be looking out for? I know that some Shepherds suffer from hip problems but thankfully Travis does not show any signs of hip dysplasia, perhaps because his rear-end isn't sloped.

Travis has been completely healthy to date, although he did have a small benign tumor at the base of his tail which we had surgically removed earlier this year. Not sure if this is normal for the breed, but there have not been any further lumps and I check him monthly.

[Shannon_C]

Hi eric.

You could check this site out about health in German Shepherds!

[url]http://www.ask.co.uk/metasearch.asp?aj_product=IndexSearch&MetaEngine=Teoma&EngineOrdinal=1&ItemOrdinal=9&m=10&AdServerCode=&MetaURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eschaferhund%2Ecom%2F__score_0.83__&MetaTopic=German+Shepherds+all+the+time+at+Schaferhund%2ECom&ask=GERMAN%2BSHEPHERD%2BHEALTH&LogId=EF43E93280BF974AA2D374F31563170C&origin=0&qsource=11&qcategory=HLTH&aj_is=no&rf=false&x=false[/url]

[eric]

Thank you so much. Excellent resource.

[Shannon_C]

[quote name='eric']Thank you so much. Excellent resource.[/quote]

Your Welcome
Hope it helps! :)

[Guest Anonymous]

well, i've heard of some dogs that are called "King German shepherds" and they're much bigger than normal. I know someone who breeds them and trust me, they're pretty BIG.

[Guest roo]

[quote name='Bliss']well, i've heard of some dogs that are called "King German shepherds" and they're much bigger than normal. I know someone who breeds them and trust me, they're pretty BIG.[/quote]


:rofl: Again.

[bk_blue]

Now now, have you not heard of teacup German Shepherds either?!! :lol:

[Rowie-the-Pooh]

[quote name='Bliss']well, i've heard of some dogs that are called "King German shepherds" and they're much bigger than normal. I know someone who breeds them and trust me, they're pretty BIG.[/quote]

:oops: Guys, I heard of them too. :oops: The breed is in my "All Mighty Dog book" :lol: , is it true, or just a scam? :-?

[eric]

From what I've read, there are a variety of GSDs, from Snow (white) Shepherds to King Shepherds.

I'm not sure how many of these deviations from the standard are actually recognized by Kennel Clubs.

According to a few sites, King Shepherds are a mix of GSD and some other large breed dog, and males are to weigh no less than 100 lbs and up to 150 lbs.

I'm not sure if Travis falls into the King Shepherd category, his weight is between 110 to 115 lbs, and his coat is short hair.

I did some more research on the web rgd GSD's and I think I have a better understanding of Travis' lineage, although I'm not expert on the breed.

While the GSD breed originated in Europe, they have been bred extensively in North America for quite some time. Apparently, the ACK and CKC standard has drifted over time away from the European standard, mainly due to the fact that the AKC and CKC dogs were bred to win shows, while the European dogs are bred more as working dogs with a more cold tolerance.

European lineage dogs tend to be bulkier and heavier, while Americal lineage dogs are more slender and a bit taller. American lineage dogs also tend to have a pronounced slope to their hindquarters, critical for the all-important classic german shepherd pose. This apparently makes them more prone to hip problems.

If I were to guess, assuming Travis is pure, I'd say he's likely from a European background. Compared to other Shepherds I have seen, he is quite a bit heavier and he doesn't have any slope to his back.


BTW, supposedly the European kennel clubs don't recognize alot of these Shepherd variations while the CKC/AKC do.

[Carolk9s]

Travis could be from European working lines or even Shiloh lines. Euro working lines do not have the extreme slope of the American show GSD. They tend to be bulkier and 'generally' have a more stable temperament. Shilohs also do not have the slope in the rear, here is a link to one Shiloh page, [url]http://www.shilohshepherds.org/[/url]
Smooth coated Shilohs look very much like GSD's, they also come in a plush or long coat.
The (sadly) still missing Rumble is a Shiloh.

[eric]

That interesting. I've never heard of Shilohs. They're beautiful.

I find that Travis really doesn't look like other shepherds. I mean, he looks like a GSD, but when I see him next to other GSDs he looks quite different. We often go to a local off-lead dog park and when Travis starts to play with other shepherds, he sticks out like a sore thumb.

I just find it weird that somebody would take the trouble of obtaining European bloodline GSDs and then turning them in at an animal shelter.



[quote name='Carolk9s']Travis could be from European working lines or even Shiloh lines. Euro working lines do not have the extreme slope of the American show GSD. They tend to be bulkier and 'generally' have a more stable temperament. Shilohs also do not have the slope in the rear, here is a link to one Shiloh page, [url]http://www.shilohshepherds.org/[/url]
Smooth coated Shilohs look very much like GSD's, they also come in a plush or long coat.
The (sadly) still missing Rumble is a Shiloh.[/quote]

[Guest Anonymous]

NEVER HEARD OF SHILOS???? You are new...sorry...I forgot. :oops: Check this out....we've been watching this since June. Rumble, a Shilo Shepard who is lost.

[url]http://www.globalspan.net/rumblesightings.htm[/url]

For those of you who follow him...still no new sightings in over a month. :(

[Carolk9s]

Eric,
The harsh reality and very sad truth is that some unscrupulous breeders will import bloodlines for a specific breeding program. The Euro lines frequently have a 'harder' temperament or just a more stable temperament. Some want to bring this blood to the USA to infuse the dogs they have with these temperaments. There are 'academys' who boast about their breeding programs turning out guard dogs, patrol dogs, sniffer dogs, etc. There are puppies, who though bred from hard working lines, that just don't have what these people consider to be necessary for their programs. This happens in GSD's, Belgian Malinios, Dobermans, Rotties, and other breeds. The pups that 'don't make the cut' are either sold as pets or simply dumped. Belgian rescue has had to rescue entire litters of pups from idiots who don't have a clue about breeding, think they are breeding hard working dogs, then think if the pup won't bite hard, it's no good. Some products of this type of breeding have a too hard temperament, these dogs MUST work, MUST have a very strong handler-hopefully one who combines kindness with discipline. Belgian rescue has evaluated some of these dogs, unfortunately a dog trained in bitework or for protection work CANNOT be taken into the rescue network, indiviuals can help the dog but due to liability concerns, the club cannot take the dog in and then rehome it.

[eric]

I think I might be piecing things together here. Travis was a big wuss as a pup, and it took alot of work and 6 months to get his confidence level up.

The first time we took him to the dog park, he didn't leave our side. He just sat there between my legs and watched his brother Sam play with the other dogs.

When he finally started venturing off, he would come running back whenever another dog got too close.

Now that he's three, its night and day. His confidence has gone way up, and he's very protective, especially of my wife.

I could see how a breeder would of thought he didn't have the "right" temperment but the joke's on them; he's a wonderful dog. It sickens me that they would drop him off as a stray at some shelter because he didn't meet their stupid standard.