Fun American German Shepherd Facts For Kids

In Germany, the German Shepherd dog is also known as Deutscher Schäferhund and is a breed of dog that comes from the line of herding dogs, which varied from district to district.

In the 19th century, a cavalry officer named Max von Stephanitz made his mission to create the ultimate herding dog by breeding the best of the best and creating the German Shepherd we know today.

He was also the founder of Verein für deutsche Schäferhunde (in English, German Shepherd Association), a breed club for German Shepherd dogs.

That is also why German Shepherds are the most popular canine choice for military and police services worldwide. In America, their popularity began in the 20th century after starring in movies like 'The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin' and 'Strongheart'.

Because of this celebrity popularity, their population in America boomed.

Over time, even though both American and European lines being the same breeds, they became different. In fact, the breeds became so different that the American Kennel Club now regulates the breed standards for the American lines.

For more relatable content, check out these German Shepherd wolf mix facts and German Shepherd Rottweiler mix facts for kids.

American German Shepherd Interesting Facts

What type of animal is an American German Shepherd?

The American German Shepherd is a German Shepherd dog breed found in the United States of America.

What class of animal does an American German Shepherd belong to?

The American German Shepherd dog belongs to the Mammalia class of the family Canidae.

How many American German Shepherds are there in the world?

In the United States of America, there are about 78.2 million dogs. According to the American Kennel Club, out of these, around 4.6% of registered dogs are German Shepherds. Therefore there are over 3.5 million German Shepherd dogs in the United States of America.

Where does an American German Shepherd live?

As their name suggests, the American German Shepherd dogs are most popularly found in the United States of America.

What is an American German Shepherd's habitat?

The American German Shepherd dog enjoys living both outdoors and indoors and usually, prefers a habitat with a cool or temperate climate.

Who do American German Shepherds live with?

The American German Shepherd dogs are generally good with other dogs. Still, given their temperament and the fact that they are a highly intelligent working breed, they can sometimes be aloof around other dogs when meeting them for the first time.

But it is just a matter of fact before they would become friends with them. The German Shepherd can go well along with medium-length breeds or even large-sized breeds, such as Siberian Huskies, Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, and Border Collies.

How long does an American German Shepherd live?

An American German Shepherd dog can live for 10-12 years.

How do they reproduce?

The breed standard for the European German Shepherd is decided by the Verein für deutsche Schäferhunde (in English, German Shepherd Association). These standards are followed almost everywhere this dog breed is found.

However, in the United States of America, the breed standard for the American German Shepherd is regulated by the American Kennel Club.

The American German Shepherd can sexually mature by the age of five to six months and are ready for breeding. At the age of six months, the female German Shepherds experience heat cycles that can last three to four weeks.

These heat cycles help the dogs in their reproductive cycle.

Once the male German Shepherd gets sexually mature and the female German Shepherd gets her first heat cycle, they are then ready for breeding and can reproduce throughout their lives. However, it is recommended that their breeding must be stopped when they reach 8-10 years of age.

A female American German Shepherd can give birth to 1-15 puppies, but after their first breeding session, the female gives birth to only eight American German Shepherd puppies.

The American German Shepherd puppy sometimes might have a slight flop on the tips of their ear, but it straightens out as they grow old. Another important thing to keep in mind is the aspects like dog health, behavior, dog's sex, etc., before the two dog breeds.

What is their conservation status?

The American German Shepherd has been declared a breed of Least Concern by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species since the breed is found in so much abundance globally.

American German Shepherd Fun Facts

What do American German Shepherds look like?

The American German Shepherd has a smaller and rounder head; however, they are bigger than the European lines of the German Shepherd.

They also have a distinct feature that makes it easier to pick them apart from the European German Shepherd - their hind legs are more sloppy as compared to the European lines.

The American German Shepherd also has a double coat which consists of a thick undercoat and a dense outer coat, which is often either straight or a little wavy. Both the American and the European lines can have similar coat lengths and textures along with either a shorter or a longer coat length.

The only difference in the coat is that the American German Shepherd usually has a lighter coat compared to the European German Shepherd.

How cute are they?

The German Shepherds have always received training to be training dogs, a reason why most of them are police dogs. Even though the American-bred German Shepherds have received training to be in show business, they are still big dog breeds that cannot be handled without proper care.

However, their loyal and protective temperament still makes them a great dog breed. So even though they are not exactly 'cute', they can still be your 'best friend'.

How do they communicate?

Dogs communicate through vocalizations or auditory communication, which includes barks, growls, howls, whines, screams, pants, and sighs. They can also communicate through gustatory communication with the help of scents and pheromones.

However, vocalization as a mode of communication is their secondary mode, and primarily they communicate through body language. This can include tail carriage and motion, ear and eye position, body position and movement, and facial expressions.

How big is an American German Shepherd?

American German Shepherds can grow as big as 22-26 in (55.9-66 cm) in length, which is almost the same as the German Shepherd Husky mix.

How fast can an American German Shepherd run?

The American German Shepherd breed can run at a speed of 30 mph (48.3 kph).

How much does an American German Shepherd weigh?

The American German Shepherd dog can weigh up to 55-90 lb (24.9-40.8 kg), which is a little more than the weight of a Corgi German Shepherd mix.

What are the male and female names of the species?

The male American German Shepherd is called a dog, and the female American German Shepherd is called a bitch.

What would you call a baby American German Shepherd?

A baby American German Shepherd is called a pup or a puppy. The breeding standard for these puppies is regulated by the American Kennel Club (AKC).

What do they eat?

American German Shepherd dogs require high-quality kibble, which must be full of proteins and other important nutrients so that they can have the required energy throughout the day. The kibble also needs to be age-appropriate for this breed, especially when they are puppies since they need more nutrients and energy for better health and development.

The American German Shepherds would consume three to four cups of food a day.

Are they slobbery?

German Shepherds are slobbery dogs, but they are usually not as slobbery as other dog breeds. This breed usually drools more when they are excited or are anticipating food.

Would they make a good pet?

American German Shepherds make good pets given their loyal and protective temperament. But besides their confident temperament, this breed also needs great attention and care in order to be kept as pets.

They are usually more relaxed and less aggressive than the European German Shepherd and enjoy fun family times.

They also make great family watchdogs or guard dogs and also love to cuddle with their family in the evening. But the breed also needs at least 60 minutes of daily exercise.

If the American German Shepherds become restless, they can become problematic and destructive, so it is important to keep them preoccupied.

Given the slightly different body structure of the American German Shepherds, they are also prone to some health problems, which need to be taken care of too. Overall if it comes to American German Shepherd vs. German Shepherd, the German Shepherd is a much favorable choice to be kept as a pet.

Did you know...

In contrast to the European German Shepherds, the American German Shepherd dogs receive training to work in show lines. They are prepared to display good looks and do pleasing movements to look attractive in the show rings. This is also why the American German Shepherds have sloppier hind legs as compared to the European German Shepherd dogs.

Characteristics and health problems

The American German Shepherd has a protective, loyal, confident, and intelligent temperament.

The German Shepherd with European lines is often required to pass the test of obedience, health, and temperament, while there are no such requirements for breeding an American German Shepherd.

However, due to American German Shepherd's sloppy hind legs, they are more prone to health issues like hip dysplasia - also called degenerative myelopathy, bloating, allergies, Osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD), pancreatic acinar atrophy, and panosteitis.

Degenerative myelopathy is a health concern for both the American well as European lines.

Types of German Shepherd

There are five types of German Shepherd dogs. The saddle coat German Shepherd is also called a Saddleback Shepherd, is one of the most commonly recognized German Shepherds.

They have double-colored coats with distinctive patterns and markings that make them different from other German Shepherd dogs. The black German Shepherd dog is also called a solid color German Shepherd and is less common than the Saddleback German Shepherd dogs.

In rare conditions, they can even have accents of powdered blue color on their coats. However, various dog breeding competitions do not qualify them as solid German Shepherds.

The Panda German Shepherd is also not a very common German Shepherd breed.

Their belly, chest, and mouth are white in color, their back is dark, and their legs are tan in color. Due to such a high resemblance between their coat colors and pandas, they are given this name.

The sable German Shepherd is considered to be one of the most beautiful and unique dogs in appearance. They are also referred to as 'agouti' in many regions.

Their pattern is not in a patchy manner as the saddleback or panda German Shepherds'. The white German Shepherd is a type of solid German Shepherd, but their dominant fur color is white instead of black, making them genetically predisposed to develop beautiful and luscious white fur.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other mammals from our Victorian bulldog interesting facts and Labrador Retriever surprising facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable American German Shepherd coloring pages.