Editing German Shepherd (section)

== Description ==
[[File:German Shepherd dog. “Canis lupus familiaris”.jpg|thumb|[[Skeleton]] in the [[Museum of Veterinary Anatomy FMVZ USP|Museum of Veterinary Anatomy]] of [[São Paulo]], Brazil]]
German Shepherds are medium to large-sized dogs.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/german-shepherd-saved/story?id=14835907|title=Can the German Shepherd Be Saved?|date=28 October 2011|website=ABC News|access-date=21 August 2018}}</ref> The breed standard height at the [[withers]] is {{convert|60|–|65|cm|abbr=on}} for males, and {{convert|55|–|60|cm|abbr=on}} for females.<ref name=USGSD>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080610111211/http://germanshepherddog.com/regulations/breed_standard.htm|archive-date=10 June 2008|url=http://www.germanshepherddog.com/regulations/breed_standard.htm |title=USA German Shepherd Dog Standard |publisher=United Schutzhund Clubs of America }}</ref><ref name="ukkc">{{cite web|url=http://www.ankc.org.au/Breed_Details.aspx?bid=143 |title=FCI Standard No 166 |access-date=24 February 2013 |website=[[Australian National Kennel Council]] |date=23 March 1991 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140215054425/http://www.ankc.org.au/Breed_Details.aspx?bid=143 |archive-date=15 February 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{Citation|url=http://www.wgsdca.org/thebreed/breedstandard.asp |website=White German Shepherd Dog Club of America, Inc. |title=Breed Standard for the White German Shepherd Dog |date=September 1997 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130501091833/http://www.wgsdca.org/thebreed/breedstandard.asp |archive-date=1 May 2013 }}</ref> German Shepherds can [[sprint (running)|sprint]] at speeds of up to {{Convert|30|mph}}.<ref>{{cite web|first=Jason|last=Purgason|title=15 Of The Fastest Dog Breeds In The World |url=https://highlandcanine.com/the-fastest-dog-breeds-in-the-world/ |publisher=Highland Canine Training|date=31 January 2021}}</ref>
Shepherds are longer than they are tall, with an ideal proportion of 10 to {{frac|8|1|2}}. The AKC official breed standard does not set a standard weight range.<ref name="akc-index" /> They have a domed forehead, a long square-cut muzzle with strong jaws and a black nose. The eyes are medium-sized and brown. The ears are large and stand erect, open at the front and parallel, but they often are pulled back during movement. A German Shepherd has a long neck, which is raised when excited and lowered when moving at a fast pace as well as stalking. The tail is bushy and reaches to the [[Hock (zoology)|hock]].<ref name="ukkc" />

German Shepherds have a double [[Coat (dog)|coat]] which is close and dense with a thick undercoat. The coat is accepted in two variants: medium and long. The gene for long hair is [[Recessive gene|recessive]], and therefore the long-haired variety is rarer. Treatment of the long-haired variation differs across standards; it is accepted but does not compete against standard-coated dogs under the [[German Kennel Club|German]] and UK Kennel Clubs while it can compete with standard-coated dogs, but is considered a fault, in the American Kennel Club.<ref name="ukkc" /><ref name="akc-index" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vdh.de/rasse_beschreibung/159/ |title=Rasse-Lexikon Deutscher Schäferhund |access-date=15 July 2008 |website=Verband für das Deutsche Hundewesen |language=de| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090825095432/http://www.vdh.de/rasse_beschreibung/159/ | archive-date = 25 August 2009}}</ref> The FCI accepted the long-haired type in 2010, listing it as the variety b, while the short-haired type is listed as the variety a.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vonziugermanshepherds.com/gsd-info.html |title=GSD Info |website=Vonziü German Shepherds |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161106132534/https://www.vonziugermanshepherds.com/gsd-info.html |archive-date=6 November 2016 |url-status=live |access-date=6 July 2017 }}</ref>

Most commonly, German Shepherds are either tan/black or red/black. Most colour varieties have [[melanistic mask|black masks]] and black body markings which can range from a classic "saddle" to an overall "blanket". Rarer colour variations include sable, pure-black, [[White Shepherd|pure-white]], liver, silver, blue, and [[Panda German Shepherds|panda]] varieties. The all-black and sable varieties are acceptable according to most standards; however, the blue and liver are considered to be serious faults and the all-white is grounds for instant disqualification from showing in conformation at All Breed and Specialty Shows.<ref name="akc-index">{{cite web |url=http://www.akc.org/breeds/german_shepherd_dog/index.cfm |title=German Shepherd Dog Breed Standard |access-date=15 July 2008 |website=American Kennel Club }}</ref>{{-}}

<gallery mode=packed heights=150px style="text-align:left; font-size: 93%">
File:German-shepherd-4040871920.jpg|Saddle black-and-tan coat
File:LaikaRosenhof.jpg|Black mask and sable
File:Black-german-shepherd.jpg|Solid black
File:Military Working Dog - American Air Day 2012 (7831960226).2.jpg|Bi-colour 
Long_haired_German_Sheppard.jpg|Long-haired black-and-tan
</gallery>
=== Intelligence ===

German Shepherds were bred specifically for their [[Dog intelligence|intelligence]].{{sfnp|von Stephanitz|1994|p=12}} In a list of breeds most likely to bark as watchdogs, [[Stanley Coren]] ranked the breed in second place.<ref name=coren>{{Cite book|url=http://archive.org/details/intelligenceofdo00core|title=The Intelligence of Dogs: A Guide to the Thoughts, Emotions, and Inner Lives of our Canine Companions|first=Stanley|last=Coren|author-link=Stanley Coren|date=1995|page=134|publisher=[[Bantam Books]]|isbn=0553374524}}</ref> Coupled with their strength, this trait makes the breed desirable as [[Police dog|police]], [[Guard dog|guard]] and [[search and rescue dog]]s, as they are able to quickly learn various tasks and interpret instructions better than other breeds.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.whitepawsgsr.com/breed.html |title=About the Breed |access-date=15 July 2008 |website=White Paws: German Shepherd |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080829164852/http://whitepawsgsr.com/breed.html |archive-date=29 August 2008 }}</ref>