Many people think that the German Shepherd Dog was closely related to the wolf, but it’s not in fact it is only a little bit over 100 years old.  A man in 1889 named Max Emil Friedrich von Stephanitz founded the German Shepherd Dog.  It  was originally based on mental stability and utility.
		Did you know that the first German Shepherd’s name was Hektor Linksrhein?  Max Emil Friedrich von Stephanitz invented the first German Shepherd Dog Club.  It is one of the largest clubs in the whole world that represents only one breed of dog.  The German Shepherd was brought to the US in 1904.
		The quickly caught on and became very popular very fast.  People used the German Shepherd as police dogs and as World War I war dogs.  The German Shepherd was very popular but it had a downfall in between War World I and World War II because they didn’t use them in wars and because they had medical and behavioral problems.  Then in World War II they came back and where one of the top 5 breeds of dogs for many years.
		The German Shepherd Dog is great protector dogs, family dogs, and community dogs.  The German Shepherd is a very beautiful, intelligent, and kind dog.  Its nobility and vitality define it.  It is not fearful but is direct it is also confident and outgoing.  It is always alert, it usually stays fit and is the perfect dog for being mans best friend.
		German Shepherds used to be medium sized but now they are getting larger because they are being used to guard things.  Adult male German Shepherds are 24-26 inches from the withers to the bottoms of the feet.  Most adult females are usually two inches smaller than adult males.  They will reach this height at about 10-18 months old.  Their life span is 11-13 years of age.
		They were originally only supposed to be about 66-88 pounds but now they are most likely about 70 for adult females and 75 for adult males.  They will get at this weight at 12-18 months.  When they are born they have floppy ears but they will get pointed from as early as 6-8 weeks or as late as 6-8 months.  Some German Shepherds don’t get standing ears at all because they don’t have enough ear cartilage in the ear to make them stand.
		German Shepherds can come in many different colors such as the most common black and tan coloring with a saddleback marking, black and red, black and cream, black, white, sable, black and silver, liver, and blue.  Their coats are short.  The personality of the German Shepherd is that they are alert, anxious to work, and people orientated.
		Jobs that they can do are police work, or be a war dog.  They can also be a herding dog.  They are mostly used as drug sniffing dogs, search and rescue dogs, they can also be guide dogs.  There are 2 sides to a German Shepherd, one is that they can be kind and fearless but also loving and the other side is that they can be aggressive or vicious if not properly trained.
		It is important to feed your dog/dogs the right dog food because if you don't then serious things can happen to it such as eating, digestive problems, or just general stomach problems.  They also need the right vitamins and minerals especially in older dogs or in little puppies.  It is also that they are not over weight or too skinny, they should stay the weight that they are supposed to be.  They should be active and have good exercise and they should be on a good, well natured diet.
		There are many medical problems that happen to German Shepherds.  One of the medical problems are Cataracts.  Cataracts is a cloudiness in the dogs eyes.  German Shepherds  can get cataracts at an early age if both of the parents had it.  Another one  is Demodicosis.  It is a skin problem involving mites.  They can get them if they have a bad immune system.  It can be cured with medication.  It is mostly seen in younger puppies.
		Elbow Dysphasia is another common German Shepherd dog problem.  It is a disease that involves more than one elbow problem.  elbow Dysphasia usually involves joints and has a lot of effects on.
		Epilepsy is another disease.  It is a genetic disease, it is mostly seen in dogs at the age of 1-3.  There are three stages of Epilepsy.  The first stage is Aura.  In this phase the dog may appear restless of fearful.  The second phase is the actual seizure.  It is called the Ictus.  In this stage the dog will usually become unconscious and its limbs will become very stiff.  This phase can happen from either seconds to minutes.  The last phase is Post-Ictus.  In this phase the dog might have confusion, blindness, or sleepiness.  this phase can last from minutes or even to days.  German Shepherds can also have many more different diseases such as hip dysphasia, liver disease, coloboma, lens luxation, retinal dysphasia, and seminoma.