The standard was officially established by the Society for the German Shepherd Dog (SV), headquartered in Augsburg, a member of the German Kennel Club (VDH), as the founding organization of the breed and responsible for the standard of the German Shepherd Dog. The standard was approved at the first general assembly held in Frankfurt on September 20, 1899, based on the proposals of A. Mayer and M. von Stephanitz, and was supplemented by additions during the sixth assembly on July 28, 1901, the twenty-third assembly in Cologne on September 17, 1909, the advisory commission meeting in Wiesbaden on September 5, 1930, and the breeding commission meeting on March 25, 1961. It was later revised under the World Union of German Shepherd Associations (WUSV) and approved at the WUSV session on August 30, 1976. Another revision and cataloging were made by resolution on March 23/24, 1991, by the advisory and executive boards.
The German Shepherd Dog, whose planned breeding began in 1899 after the founding of the Society, was selected from existing herding dogs in central and southern Germany, with the ultimate goal of creating a high-performing utility dog. To achieve this, the breed standard of the German Shepherd Dog was defined, encompassing both physical and temperamental/character traits.
The German Shepherd Dog (GSD) is a medium-sized, slightly elongated, strong and well-muscled dog, with dry bone structure and solid build.
Height at the withers:
Males: 60–65 cm
Females: 55–60 cm
The body length exceeds the height at the withers by approximately 10–17%.
The GSD must be well-balanced, stable-nerved, self-confident, calm, and (unless provoked) naturally good-natured. It should also be alert and obedient, suitable as a companion, guard, protection, working, and herding dog. Additionally, it must possess courage, fighting spirit, and resilience.
The head is wedge-shaped and proportionate to the body (length approximately 40% of the height at the withers), not coarse or overly long, dry in general appearance and moderately broad between the ears. The forehead is slightly convex, with a minimal or absent median furrow.
Skull-to-muzzle ratio: 50:50%. Skull width roughly equals its length. Viewed from above, the head narrows evenly toward the wedge-shaped muzzle, with a not overly pronounced stop. Jaws are well-developed and strong. The nasal bridge is straight; a concave or convex nose is undesirable. The lips are tight, well-fitting, and dark in color.
Must be black.
Strong, healthy, and complete (42 teeth in accordance with dental formula). The GSD has a scissor bite, meaning the upper incisors closely overlap the lower ones. A level bite, overbite, or underbite is considered faulty, as are wide gaps between teeth. Teeth must be correctly positioned in strong jaws.
Medium-sized, almond-shaped, slightly slanted, and not protruding. The eye color should be as dark as possible. Light, piercing eyes are undesirable as they alter the expression.
Medium-sized, erect, facing the same direction (not set too low), ending in a point; auricles turned forward. Drooping or folded ears are undesirable. Ears held back during motion or at rest are not considered faults.
Strong, muscular, without dewlap. Its angle to the body (horizontal) is approximately 45°.
The topline flows without interruption from the neck base over the well-defined withers and slightly sloping back into the slightly sloping croup. The back is firm, strong, and well-muscled. The loin is broad, strong, and muscular. The croup should be long and slightly sloping (~23°) flowing smoothly into the tail set.
Moderately broad with a long and well-developed underchest. Chest height should be about 45–48% of the height at the withers. Ribs should be moderately curved. Barrel or flat chests are considered faults.
Should reach at least to the hock joint, but not beyond the middle of the metatarsus. Slightly curved in a sabre shape when hanging, carried higher when excited or in motion, but not above the horizontal. Surgical alterations are forbidden.
Viewed from all angles, the forelegs are straight and parallel. Shoulder and upper arm are equal in length and firmly attached to the body with strong musculature. Ideal shoulder-shoulder blade angle is 90°, normally up to 110°. Elbows should not point in or out. Forearms are straight, muscular, and dry. The pastern is about one-third the length of the forearm and angled at 20–22°. More or less angulation impairs endurance and efficiency.
Rounded, tight, arched. Pads are firm but not rough. Nails strong and dark.
Positioned slightly backward. Viewed from behind, they must be parallel. Thigh and lower leg are about equal in length, forming an angle of ~120°. The thigh is strong and well-muscled. Hocks are firm and the rear pasterns perpendicular to the ground.
Compact, slightly arched. Pads are firm and dark. Nails are strong, arched, and dark.
The GSD is a trotting dog. Limbs must be proportionate in length and angulation to allow the hindleg to reach under the body and the foreleg to extend forward, maintaining a steady topline. Excessive hind angulation compromises stability and endurance. Correct proportions enable smooth, ground-covering movement, giving the impression of effortless motion. At a steady trot, with the head extended and tail slightly raised, the topline should form a continuous, elastic line from ears to tail tip.
Tight-fitting but flexible, without folds.
The outer coat should be as dense, hard, and close-fitting as possible. Shorter hair on the head, inside ears, front legs, feet, and toes; slightly longer and denser on the neck. On the back of the legs, the hair extends to the pasterns/hocks; on the back of the thighs, it forms moderate “pants.”
Outer coat is long, soft, and not too close-fitting, with feathering on ears and legs, thick breeches, and a bushy tail with plume. Hair is shorter on the head, inner ears, front legs, feet, and toes; longer and denser on the neck, forming a mane. On the back of the legs, hair extends to pasterns/hocks; on the back of the thighs, it forms noticeable “pants.”
Black with red-brown, brown, yellow, to light gray markings. Solid black or gray with darker shading also accepted. Black saddle and mask preferred. Small white patches on the chest and pale inner limbs are tolerated but not desired. Regardless of coat color, the nose must always be black. Absence of a mask, light/penetrating eyes, pale markings, light nails, and red-tipped tails indicate poor pigmentation. Undercoat should be grayish. White color is not accepted.
Males: 60–65 cm at withers, 30–40 kg
Females: 55–60 cm at withers, 22–32 kg
Males must have two normally developed testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
Any deviation from the above points should be considered a fault, the severity of which corresponds to its impact on the dog’s health or working ability.
Significant deviations from breed characteristics that impair working ability
Ears: set too low, folded, converging, or weak
Major pigmentation faults
General lack of firmness
Dental faults: any deviation from scissor bite or full dentition (unless disqualifying, see below)
Dogs with weak character, nervousness, or aggression
Dogs with proven severe hip dysplasia
Monorchid or cryptorchid dogs; unequal or atrophied testicles
Malformed ears or tails
Anatomical deformities
Dental faults: missing a third premolar and another tooth, or a canine, fourth premolar, or first/second molar, or a total of three or more teeth
Jaw defects: overbite of 2+ mm, underbite, or full level bite on all incisors
Size 1 cm above maximum or below minimum
Albinism
White coat (even with dark eyes and nails)
Long coat without undercoat, especially with parting along the back
Casa di Arancina, a kennel specialized in breeding German Shepherds, was founded in 2015 in Bucharest. Ara was the source of inspiration for our passion and the development of this kennel. We collaborate with other exceptional kennels to obtain remarkable specimens and to select individuals with excellent genetics.
