German Dog Breeds

Dogs are a subspecies of the gray wolf, a member of the carnivora family. The domestication of the gray wolf began some 15000 years ago. With proximity to human life and culture, dogs developed an excellent intelligence and social understanding. From hunting and herd protection to house safety and bomb squads, dogs have evolved as 'Man's most faithful friend'.

The German Spitz, Bavarian Mountain Hound, German Shorthaired pointer and German Shepherd are some of the best known of German dogs. A detail study of these breeds is as follows:

German Spitz
German Spitz is one of the oldest breeds of dogs. Many modern breeds have been developed from it. Basically, German Spitz is used to name both, a breed and a type of dog. German literature has mentioned about the Spitz dogs in 1450's. It is said that these dogs were bought to Europe by the Viking plunderers. The Grossespitz (big in size), Mittelspitz (medium in size), Kleinspitz (small in size), Keeshond and Pomeranian are some of the German Spitz types of dogs. They were also named as American eskimo dogs due to widespread anti-German feelings in World war I.

The German Spitz dogs are generally white, but the smaller ones can be found in various colors, such as black, brown, orange and Wolf gray. All German Spitz dogs have a fox like head and thick hair on the head, relative to the whole body. They have very small feet with hair in-between them. Eyes are small in proportion to the body especially in the case of the small Spitz dogs. Ears are triangular shaped and are set high on the head. Their tails are curled on the top of their backs. Almost all German Spitz have double coats. The height of taller German Spitz range from 16-17 inches (40.5-41.5 cm) and of the smaller ones between 16-17 inches (40.5-41.5 cm). Their average weight is around 10-18 kg.

The German Spitz dogs are suitable for an apartment life. They love long walks and can accompany the master for a 20 mile walk, daily. They are a very elegant, happy and joyful breed. They are also very observant, alert and dynamic, which makes them good watchdogs. These dogs expect a lot of human attention and love to respond and please their masters. They need to be trained for a few days that owner is the boss and then only they start obeying the master. If they don't get a proper leader in their master, they may even turn aggressive and nervous. If trained properly, they become very good companions and socialize easily. Their life expectancy is usually 12-13 years.

Bavarian Mountain Hound
The Bavarian mountain dogs are also known as 'scent hounds' because they hunt by the power of smell. They weigh between 20-25 kg and are 44-52 cm in height. They have a strong, elongated head. The body structure is athletic and they are less susceptible to diseases. They are brown, dark coffee, golden or red. The face color is black, with a black or red nose and very wide nostrils. The tail is long and not curled or twisted, to facilitate faster running. Bavarian Mountain hound is very smart, obedient, energetic and has fast learning capabilities. Generally, they don't fit in the city lifestyle. They need proper space to run and exercise. They need trainers who are very patient and kind.

German Shorthaired Pointer
This breed of dogs was developed in 1800's especially for hunting. A thin, streamlined body, long ears, strong hind legs and a docked tail, help them run fast. Their eyes are dark brown and they complement their rich brown body color. Pointers are very loyal and obedient. They are especially protective of the young children in a family. This breed of dog, has very high energy levels and training is a must for it to avoid experiencing any strange dog behavior.

German Shepherd
The German Shepherd is a dog breed that was basically developed for herd guarding, especially sheep. It is relatively a younger species of dog, that evolved in early 1900. They are 55-65 cm tall and weigh between 22-40 kg. Mostly, they are in black or red in color with a black face. They are very aggressive dogs and need to be handled with care. They find work in the military and police services, because of their intelligence and strong grasping power.

Now a days, many superior dog breeds are available, so we can pick anyone of them as per our requirements. Dogs will always be the 'most trusted' companions of humans, no doubt indeed.