Road Testing German Shepherds

German Shepherds have always been a popular breed and don’t seem to suffer from the extreme fads of popularity that many other breeds seem to go through. As a rule they are usually loyal companions, they can be very affectionate sooky dogs and they can also be excellent watch dogs. A lot of their behaviour is determined by how they are treated – if they are treated as a valued family member they will be an important  member of the family. If they are ignored and left in the backyard they will be more territorial and less social. Their ability to whinge can put even me to shame.

Since they have been popular for a long time the list of breed problems seems to be immense (there are 51 disorders listed on the upei website for German Shepherds). However, obviously each dog will not get all, or even any, of the problems we will discuss.

Congenital problems – these are problems the pup is born with, they usually show up as a clinical problem at a very early age. Shepherds can have some heart problems such as a PDA (patent ductus arteriosis)  which should be noted at the first vaccination and they can have some more subtle congenital problems such as haemophilia (a disease which prevents blood clotting normally) but these are not common. Probably the most common inherited congenital disease is hip dysplasia which is a condition where the hip joint does not form normally, the dog may show pain and dysfunction from an early age and may also develop arthritis as they age.

For this reason it is advisable to get the pup from a breeder who has had the parents Xrayed and “hip scored” with a low score; as this reduces the chances of the pup being badly affected by hip dysplasia. As they age shepherds may be prone to some skin problems such as deep skin infections, allergies and perianal fistulas (which are holes and sinuses around the anus). They are more prone to tumours of the spleen than many other breeds and these are potentially fatal as they may rupture and then bleed internally.

Finally, in old age they may develop some spinal degeneration (myelomalacia) which can cause nerve dysfunction to the back legs, and they may also develop arthritis especially of the hips. Like all the larger breeds, German Shepherds tend to be considered old from about 8 or 9 years of age and rarely reach more than 13 years of age. However, every Shepherd owner will always feel that they have had

wonderful years with their dog and despite what at first sight sounds like lots of problems, every person who has ever had a German Shepherd will consider them the best dog ever.