GERMAN SHEPHERD DOGS

Introduction Dogs are considered to be the worlds most common pet. In the course of human history, millions of domesticated dogs have been kept either as companions at homes or helpers in various needs. They are loved not simply on account of their unparalleled display of intelligence and perceived usefulness, but also because they are the kind of animals that are able to establish long-term relationships with man. As a matter of fact, mans fondness for dogs is something that manifests frequently. If one were to take a stroll at a park or jog on a beach, one is almost sure to find someone taking his or her pet dogs for a walk. As indeed, one can rarely find a house in the neighborhood that is not a home for a dog or two. The military and police forces use them to track persons or things, inasmuch as shepherds seek their help to protect herds from wolves and other threats. If these say anything about them, they only show that dogs play a very important role in human affairs no other kind of animals can perhaps fill.

The German Shepherd Dog Among the many breeds of dogs available for keeping, there are those that stand out as most commonly-owned. One example is the German Shepherd Dog. Said to have been bred somewhere in mid-western Europe during the 1800s, German Shepherd Dogs now figure in many homes kept as pets or in military units trained as attack dogs or sniffers during police operations. German Shepherd Dogs possess an unmistakably unique comportment. At first sight, they elicit a considerable amount of fear from, or exude a certain level of aggression towards people. Their general appearance can be characterized as being proud and straightforward. When
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they stand, they look very confident and unbending; and for most part of the day, they appear very serious. Their towering ears which under normal circumstances are upwardly erected, pointing towards the front serve well in making them look attentive. To top that, their otherwise dark and protruding skull gives people many reasons to back off since at most times, they appear ready to attack or strike a bite. Their eyes are round and black, as much as their noses are. Their teeth-constitution resembles how common canine breeds have it. Gums are extremely red, if not ranging from crimson to dark red; and they are covered with a tight liplining whose color is close to black. German Shepherd Dogs come normally in two fur coats a dominant black coat to cover the upper portion of their body (from skull to the neck, extending to the hips and tail), complimented by a light brown fur to cover most of the underneath the front and back limbs, and the entire belly region. Their fur-strands are usually straight, but thick. They are neither wooly nor curly. These dogs may require once or twice a week grooming since their rather thick coating can get pretty smelly after some time. In some instances, German Shepherd Dogs can also come in shades of brown and black. By right of observation, one may notice that as the usual case for mammals male German Shepherd Dogs are significantly larger and bulkier than the female ones. Their usual height, measured from the top of their shoulders down the paw, measures about 26 to 22 inches under normal circumstances (and that would be about as high as ones hips when standing). The normal sizes of German Shepherd Dogs appear similar to the body mass of Retrievers, Labradors or Pointers. Their weight of about 100 to 120 lbs. puts them under the classification of largebreed dogs. When they are standing, their lower limbs appear to be significantly lower than their upper limbs. Thus, when viewed from the side, they can look as if they are readying to jump at

something or someone. Moreover, their tail, which extends down near the ground when standing, is in many times not upwardly erected as they rarely exhibit excitement if not called for. German Shepherd Dogs are generally muscular when properly raised. As grown-ups, when they are approximately about one and a half to two years of age, they start to possess a well-defined body structure characterized by a dominant skull, finely-carved muscles and dense bones. Their very muscular tone actually makes them nimble and agile. They run really fast. By plain observation of their general appearance, German Shepherd Dogs manifest a proud-looking and very fine comportment one does not usually find in many other types of dog. Temperament-wise, German Shepherd Dogs manifest certain tendencies to be serious. This is not to say that they are not playful. As most dogs are, they too are playful, especially as puppies. Suffice it to say that they too are friendly to the people they know. But the level of their playfulness is complimented with an equally noticeable attitude of indifference. Simply put, they are not as playful as one would normally expect from dogs as toy-pets. One can likewise expect to see that German Shepherd Dogs occasionally display an attitude comparable to individuality, as they would normally do things by themselves. But because they are able to display a respectable level of intelligence and obedience, many of them are given special tasks in an array of instances. Their first and primary task, one must remember, was to serve as helpers to mountain shepherds in gathering flocks of sheep in a secured place. Present generation of German Shepherd Dogs end up doing chores for various purposes than simply being made as pets. Their agility, attentiveness and obedience are truly suited for some useful means. A number of them are in fact turned into K-9 sniffers because they can be trained well to obey commands, if only they are given period of time. Some of them serve as guides to blind people, while and a huge number of them actually serve as house guards to

protect families from hostile forces like intruders, robbers or trespassers. One of the reasons why German Shepherd Dogs are effective as guard or attack dogs is that they possess a distinctive, if not a terrifying barking-sound. Their aggression often translates to angry but rhythmic loud barks, whose timbre is larger and lower-pitched than most dog types. The loyalty of these dogs is considered unparalleled. Once German Shepherd Dogs get to know who their masters or human companions are, they would not submit with the same obedience and responsiveness to someone else. Their fidelity and loyalty indeed make them special. After all, owning dogs is an age-old human enterprise where the creation of a relationship marked by trust and fidelity is deemed important, if not necessary.

By Way of Conclusion Dogs, like human persons, are gifted with individual uniqueness; and their peculiarities make them distinct from the rest of the animal kingdom. In particular, German Shepherd Dogs are among the hundreds of canine breeds highly regarded for their innate beauty and usefulness. Indeed, there are many reasons to think that German Shepherd Dogs are truly the best in the canine pack; and it is certainly with good reasons that one should consider owning a German Shepherd Dog in his or her lifetime. After all, these dogs typify how classiness and nobility must be understood, if owning a dog is an art defined by taste and dignity.