All About Black-Backed German Shepherds

The black-backed German Shepherd is very popular among professional breeders. This noble and beautiful dog is a constant participant of many exhibitions. Purebred representatives of the breed have their own temperament, working qualities, and also require certain conditions in the content, therefore, before you have such a pet, you need to carefully study the rules for caring for it.

Black-backed German Shepherds appeared in the middle of the 19th century in Germany, they were bred by Max Frederik von Stefanitz. The progenitor of the breed is the male Greif, this dog had an off-white coat color, he was distinguished by a stately posture and unusual intelligence. The only thing that did not suit the breeder was the color of the pet's coat, which did not meet the breed standards.

A few years later, the breeder finally managed to get the noble color of the dog, and already in 1924 the first handsome men were brought to Russia. At first, many problems arose with their breeding, since there was not enough skills and money for maintenance, but over time a dog club was opened in the country, its representatives began to actively breed healthy pets.

Black-backed Shepherd Dogs have a stretched body shape, but they do not look squat. Their body is proportional, all parts are harmoniously combined with each other. The length of the head is 40% of the height at the withers. The skull and muzzle are equal in length. The head is of medium width and wedge-shaped, while in bitches it is less massive than in males.

The ears of the dog are small, erect, they are triangular in shape and slightly rounded at the tips.The eyes of a black-backed shepherd dog are oval, dark, their gaze is alert and intelligent. The nose is black, rather large. The neck is characterized by well-developed muscles, set at an angle of 45 degrees. In dogs of this type, the withers are especially pronounced, it is sloping and slightly elongated.

When animals are in an interested state, their tail is raised, and in a calm state, it is lowered. The limbs of the dog are straight and strong, the hind legs are slightly longer than the front ones, they are muscled. As for the wool, it can be either hard, short or soft, elongated. The dog has an average height, its height is from 55 to 65 cm.The weight of individuals reaches from 22 to 40 kg.

The pet of this breed is attentive, very intelligent and loyal to its owner. In his character there is distrust of strangers, determination and courage. These dogs make excellent bodyguards and guards, since it is almost impossible to bribe and deceive them. Since a shepherd of this species, with proper upbringing, becomes obedient, she never pounces on strangers without the command of the owner, if he is not around, she can make decisions on her own. The black-backed shepherd dog is considered universal, it is usually born as:

• companion dogs;
• reliable security guard;
• service dog;
• guide.

These adorable fluffy lumps leave no one indifferent. Puppies of this breed have large legs, an innocent look and outwardly similar to clumsy bears. It is best to acquire babies in specialized nurseries (military or private), which are engaged in professional breeding of purebred individuals. If you plan to prepare your pet for an exhibition career, then he needs to provide proper education and proper care immediately after acquisition.

Purebred babies in addition to having a pedigree must also have a certificate of suitability for breeding, in the line of the breed should not be present representatives who suffer from genetic diseases and other deviations from the breed.

Healthy black-backed shepherd dogs move confidently and stand on their paws, perfectly orient themselves in the surrounding space, have an intelligent look, clean and shiny coat. They are active and inquisitive, do not show cowardice and signs of aggression. The body of the puppies is elongated, but not square. The ears of small shepherd dogs under the age of 2-3 months hang, but if the tips of the shells are in a standing position, this is a sign of cartilage ossification caused by improper calcium-phosphorus metabolism. The puppy's tail is straight and straight.

Up to two months of age, puppies' eyes may have a blue tint, but this will fade over time. It is recommended to wean babies from their mother at an early age, it is best to do this when they are 2.5-3 months old. The older the dog, the more difficult it is to train and wean him from bad habits.

Sheepdogs of this species are distinguished by an unusual coat color.The black-and-back color is dominant in relation to the black gene, but it prevails over the black and tan shade. Sometimes individuals are found in nature in which the saddle-cloth is weakened, this is due to the loss of the intensity of the black color on the back. If during breeding of dogs the descendants of black-and-back parents are used without admixture of other genes, then the color becomes lighter over time.

The main feature in the color of these shepherd dogs is that the saddle cloth ("black mantle") can smoothly descend to the paws of the animal. As for the lower part of the body, it can be:

• redhead;
• gray;
• yellow;
• light brown.

Black-backed German Shepherds are characterized by a long life; under good conditions, pets live up to 14 years. Despite the fact that individuals of this breed are distinguished by good health, they can sometimes be subject to such ailments as allergies, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, and inflammatory processes in the ears. Also, dogs suffer from skin diseases (dermatitis, eczema) and hip dysplasia.

Before you start a black-backed German shepherd in your house, you need to know that it will shed heavily. Therefore, you should be prepared for the fact that the pet will have to be combed out at least 4 times a week. In addition, the dog needs to be mentally and physically trained, walking in the fresh air. For those owners who spend most of their time at work and just like to lie on the couch on weekends, this breed of dog is not suitable.

German Shepherds are not particularly demanding to care, but their owners need to regularly monitor the condition of the teeth and ears of pets. It is recommended to thoroughly clean the teeth with a specially designed paste, periodically dogs should be allowed to chew on fresh bones. The ears are wiped with a damp swab twice a month.

Proper nutrition also plays a huge role in keeping such pets, so future owners need to be prepared for the fact that they will have to spend well on feed. Since the breed is large, up to 4 meals per day are required for an individual... Some breeders prefer to feed their pets with dry food, in which case super-premium products should be purchased.

Black-backed Shepherd Dogs are considered intelligent animals, therefore it is recommended to start training them from an early age. Dogs of this breed are able to learn simple commands in just a few repetitions. It is best to conduct training in a playful way, this will interest the pet. It is impossible to show aggression during training, as the dog will misunderstand it and contact with the pet will be lost forever.

First of all the puppy must learn its nickname well and get used to it. To do this, he should be stroked on the head and affectionately called the name of the pet. With older puppies, you can start learning commands such as “Give a paw”, “Sit”, “Voice”, “To me”, “Lie down”. If the kid did not follow the commands, you cannot punish for this. The pet must also clearly know the place that is allocated for him.

Mandatory for training are the commands "No", "Fu". It is also important to wean the puppy from picking up from the ground. When the future shepherd is 6 months old, she is taught to such an accessory as a muzzle.

For interesting facts about German Shepherds, see the next video.