German Shepherd Dog

Sheepdogs & cattledogs

Large

Median 11.3 y

FCI group 1 · Sheepdogs and Cattledogs (except Swiss Cattledogs) · Derived from the adult weight midpoint (37.9 kg)

Median survival across 30,681 UK dogs (VetCompass, McMillan 2024) · half live 8–13 y

The German Shepherd, also known in Britain as an Alsatian, is a German breed of working dog of medium to large size. It is characterized by its intelligent and obedient nature.

Confident

Courageous

Smart

Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA) · reference ranges from the Kintail breed dataset

Adult weight

Reference

Male

36–45.5 kg

Female

30.6–39.5 kg

Typical of real dogs — VetCompass UK, n=7,076, middle 50%

Varieties

Reference

Stock coat

Large build

30.6–45.5 kg

55–65 cm

FCI 166 has recognised two coat varieties since 2010 — stock coat and long stock coat with undercoat — under one size standard; same size as the parent, coat only

Long stock coat

Large build

30.6–45.5 kg

55–65 cm

FCI 166 has recognised two coat varieties since 2010 — stock coat and long stock coat with undercoat — under one size standard; same size as the parent, coat only

FCI 166 divides this breed by coat and face. The varieties are the same size — the coat is the only difference.

Weight for age

Stock data

Male

Female

Expected range

Expected range from the breed's own adult weight, kilograms. Growth reference: Salt et al. 2017, WALTHAM (30–40 kg band).

Heat cycles · females

Stock data

First heat

8–12 mo

typical

Interval

180 d

typical

Bleeding

~9 d

typical

Proestrus 9d

Estrus 9d

Diestrus 52d

Anestrus 110d

General figures for dogs, not for this breed — individual cycles vary widely.

Questions people ask

Adult males usually weigh 36–45.5 kg and females 30.6–39.5 kg. Most are close to their full size by around 16 months, though the last little bit of filling out takes longer. Growth reference: Salt et al. 2017, WALTHAM (30–40 kg band).

No German Shepherd Dog cycle figures are published here yet, so this is general guidance rather than a breed number: most females have a first season somewhere between six and fifteen months, and cycles then settle to roughly every 180 days. Smaller breeds tend to start earlier and larger ones later.

The median is 11.3 y. Median survival across 30,681 UK dogs (VetCompass, McMillan 2024) · half live 8–13 y. How the later years go comes down to weight, teeth, exercise and regular check-ups far more than to the breed.