How is the German Shepherd good? The purebred German Shepherd is well-proportioned, with a male shoulder height of about 24 to 26 inches and a female shoulder height of about 22 to 24 inches; the head is moderately sized and proportional to the body, with almond-shaped eyes and erect, upward, vertical ears on top of the head; the body is robust and muscular, with rounded toes and dark black nails. 1. The ideal shoulder height for a male is about 24 to 26 inches; the ideal shoulder height for a female is about 22 to 24 inches. The German Shepherd’s body length is slightly greater than its height, with an ideal ratio of 10/8.5. The body length is measured from the sternum to the end of the pelvis, where the sciatic bone protrudes. The ideal body length is not provided by the length of the back alone, but by the overall length (well-proportioned, in harmony with the height). From the side, the composition of the body length includes the length of the forequarters, the length of the horse’s shoulder rung, and the length of the hindquarters.2. The head is simple in line, sturdy and not stout, but the whole must not be too slender and in harmony with the body proportions. The male’s head clearly shows masculinity, while the female’s head clearly shows softness. The expression is sharp, intelligent and calm. The eyes are medium sized, almond shaped, slightly slanted in position and not protruding. The color is as dark as possible. The ears are slightly pointed, proportionate to the head, forward, and when focused, upright. The ideal posture (ear posture) is one in which the center lines of the ears are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the ground when viewed from the front. Cut ears or drooping ears are out of order. 3, body forequarters scapulae are long and inclined, lying flat and not very far forward. The upper arm and the scapula form a right angle. Both the scapula and the upper arm are well muscled. Regardless of the angle from which they are viewed, the forelimbs are straight and the bones are ovoid rather than round. The joints are strong and flexible and are at an angle of 25 degrees to the vertical line. The claws of the forelimbs can be removed, but are usually retained. The paws are short, the toes are compact and domed, the pads are thick and firm, and the toenails are short and dark black. When viewed from the side, the entire thigh tissue is very wide, and both upper and lower thighs are well muscled, solid, and as right-angled as possible. The upper part of the thigh bone is parallel to the scapula, while the lower part of the thigh bone is parallel to the upper arm bone. The metatarsus (the part between the fly joint and the paw) is short, strong and tightly united. The wolf claws, if present in the hind limbs, must be removed. The paws are the same as the forelimbs.4. Coat The ideal dog has a medium length double coat. The outer coat is as dense as possible, with straight, coarse and hard hair, and flat against the body. Slightly wavy coat, usually bristly textured hair, is allowed. The head, including inside the ears, forehead, legs and paws are covered with shorter hairs, and the neck hair is long and dense. On the forelimbs and the back of the hind legs, the hair is slightly longer and extends to the joint and fly joint respectively. The German Shepherd is colorful and most colors are allowed. Intense colors are preferred. Dull colors, fades, orchids and liver colors are serious defects. White dogs are disqualified.
