

This is a reputation that stems from the way that the dog has been used in the past. However, German shepherds are not naturally aggressive. They will raise the alarm with their loud, deep bark if they sense danger.

This means they can display protective behavior and will often be alert and watchful. They love having a family and will quickly adopt you and your family members as part of their “pack.” Their extreme loyalty also extends to family situations. This, combined with their intelligence and eagerness to learn and please, makes them excellent working dogs. German shepherd dogs are often described as active and self-assured. The color of a German shepherd makes no difference to its temperament, so you can expect a sable German shepherd to conform to the general temperament of the breed. However, this says much more about how the dogs were used than the natural temperament of the dogs themselves. It was also popular in Nazi Germany, and even Adolf Hitler loved the breed.Īs a result, it has gained a reputation for being a fierce, intimidating, and even dangerous breed. When the German Shepherd was imported to the United States in the early 20th century, it became popular with gangsters and bootleggers for its strength, intelligence, and intimidating appearance. Horand himself had 84 puppies, and extensive inbreeding was required to secure the characteristics of the breed. Horand, who was in fact a sable-colored German Shepherd, became the center point of a breeding program. He purchased the dog and named it Horand von Grafrath and founded the Society for German Shepherd Dogs to promote the breed and others like it. He found that ideal dog at a dog show in 1899. Max von Stephanitz was a leading thinker in this area and was specifically looking for canine specimens that matched his ideal vision of a working dog. The breed emerged from the 1850s trend to try to standardize dog breeds to assist in certain jobs, such as herding sheep. It has since become a popular working dog for roles such as search and rescue, police, and military due to its strength, trainability, and intelligence. The German shepherd, also known as the Alsatian Wolf Dog, was originally developed in Germany principally for herding sheep. Sable German Shepherd: History Of The Breed In other countries, such as Germany, these dogs are often just called grey. The term is mostly used in the United States. In reality, the actual color combinations are more varied, and the sable pattern could be any mixture of tan, black, brown, or red. Sable basically means the dog has mostly lighter colored hair with a black tips, which can make the dog appear grey or mottled. The lighter brown shade is usually their principal color, with a black face mask and black markings on their back which often look like a saddle.Ī variety of other color variations exist, including pure black, pure white, liver, silver, blue, panda, and, of course, sable.

Most German shepherds are either tan and black or red and black. The guard layer can be either medium or long, though the medium length is significantly more common. These dogs have double coats with a soft undercoat and a denser guard layer. German shepherds tend to dip their head low like a wolf when they are running or prowling, which contributes to the consensus that they look very much like the wolf ancestors of dogs. Their bushy tail should extend out in a hook-like shape. It is considered ideal for the dog to be longer than it is tall with a proportion of 10 to 8.5. They have alert, erect ears and long necks that make them seem even larger than they are. Their heads are domed in shape with a long, square muzzle. They normally don’t measure more than 24 inches tall and typically weigh between 55 and 75 pounds. You can expect the males to reach up to 26 inches tall and weigh between 75 and 95 pounds. Sable German shepherds look just like most other German shepherd dogs, with the exception of their distinctively colored coat. We’ll also talk about what to consider when deciding if this is the right dog for you. Read on to learn everything you need to know about these attractive, intelligent, and hard-working dogs. It is the only variation of the German shepherd that has the same color as the founding member of the breed. Interestingly, sable is actually the original color of the German shepherd breed. They are also well-loved for their sleek, noble appearance. German shepherds are one of the most popular purebred dog breeds in the United States, in part thanks to their intelligence, trainability, and intense loyalty.
