Dogs, as said, are man’s best friend. They teach humans unconditional love and always stand by their owner’s side for their protection. A dog is a symbol of guidance, protection, loyalty, fidelity, faithfulness, companionship and love. As you’ll notice in the below article, dogs have a very small life expectancy as compared to humans yet they build and hold a very profound position in their owner’s heart. They will never cheat or show disloyalty towards their masters. Here are the top 10 German breeds of dogs. Dog Breeding is the process of mating selected dogs with the intent to produce specific qualities and characteristics. Take a look at some of the German Dog Breeds to find out more interesting facts.
World’s top 10 German Dog Breeds
1. German Shepherd
The list won’t be completed without mentioning this breed. As the name suggests, this breed originated in Germany. This is working dogs originally developed to herd sheep. But as their intelligence, activity, strength, trainability, and obedience developed, they are now used for disability rescue, acting, rescue, police, military, etc. This breed is the second-most registered breed in the American Kennel Club of the USA. These are medium-to-large sized dogs. Their standard height at the collar withers is 60-65cm in males and 55-60cm for females.
They are tall, ears are erect, eyes are medium-sized and brown in color and they have a two-layer coat. It has a long neck which is raised during the excitement and lowered during a slower pace. Its bite has a force of over 1,060N. According to the author Stanley Coren of the book The Intelligence of Dogs, this breed obeys the given command 95% of the time and his ability to learn work within 5 repetitions and hence also popular as one of the smartest dog breeds in the world. Its life expectancy is 7-10 years.
2. Dachshund
It is a short height, short-legged, long-bodied, hound, curious, friendly and spunky type breed of dog. They were developed to scent, chase, and flush-out badger and other burrow-dwelling animals. A typical dachshund dog has a long body and short muscular stubby legs. Its front paws are large, paddle-shaped which are suitable for digging. They are classified into three categories based on their type of coat: long-haired, short-haired, and wire-haired.
They are playful, but as hunting dogs, they’re quite stubborn. They are very well-known for their quality of chasing animals and birds with great determination and ferocity. Many of them are very stubborn, making it difficult to train them. According to the American Kennel Club, USA, this breed is the 13th most popular small dog breeds of the USA. Its life expectancy is 12-16 years.
3. Dobermann
One of the most popular German & dangerous dog breeds, Dobermann is a medium to large breed of domestic dog that was developed by Karl Friedrich Louis Dobermann. It has a long muzzle, even and a graceful gait. They are very well-known for their intelligence, loyalty, courage, and alertness. Their tail is usually long, but some of its parts are removed by docking – a practice of surgically removing the majority of the tail.
The generally accepted reason to do so is to ensure that the tail doesn’t come in the way of dog’s work. But in some countries tail docking, as well as ear cropping, is illegitimate. Ear cropping is a process of removal of pinnae or auricle – the visible flap of the ear. According to American Kennel Club, the USA, stands on 15th position in popularity. Its life expectancy is 10-12 years.
4. Great Dane
This German breed is very popular for its height and massiveness. A dog named Zeus who was a Great Dane made a record for the tallest dog. He died when he was just 5 years old. But he developed a height of 111.8cm(44.0inches) from paw to shoulder. It is a friendly, patient and dependable breed of dog. It stands on position 14 on the AKC breed popularity.
Like most other dog breeds, this breed also requires to maintain their health. But they shouldn’t be over-exercised or over-worked as they just appear to be big, i.e. the Great Dane puppies grow very fast and are very tall, but doing such overwork can put them at risk of bone damage and other physical injuries of the body. Its life expectancy is 7-10 years. It is also listed as one of the biggest dog breeds in the world.
Also Read: Top 10 Hunting Dog Breeds in the World
5. Poodle
These are a group of three formal dog breeds: Miniature Poodle, Standard Poodle, and Toy Poodle. The Standard Poodle is the most ancient of the three. There is a dilemma about the origin of this breed i.e. Germany or France. It is a highly intelligent breed as it ranks second in the most intelligent breed after the Scottish Border Collie breed. They are very active, always stand proudly, obedient, energetic, very sociable and skillful in various dog activities like herding, tracking, etc. It ranks 7th in the AKC breed popularity. Its life expectancy is 10-18 years.
6. Affenpinscher
One of the most popular German Dog Breeds Affenpinscher is also a German breed and its name is derived from the German word “affen” meaning ape/monkey. The whole word “Affenpinscher” means “monkey-like terrier”. Hence, this breed is also known as Monkey Terrier as it is a terrier-like toy Pinscher breed of dog. It was originally developed to free kitchens, granaries, and stables of rodents.
They are confident, fearless, funny, stubborn, curious, adventurous, and active. Its coat is shaggier over the head. It is neat but has a shaggy appearance. It has to be constantly trained or played with or it becomes lethargic and boring, yet it is loving, protective and affectionate towards its family. It ranks on 143rd position out of 193 in the AKC breed popularity. Its life expectancy is 12-15 years.
7. Giant Schnauzer
It is the largest breed of Schnauzer. Schnauzer breed is a collective breed of three breeds- Giant Schnauzer, Standard Schnauzer, and Miniature Schnauzer. The Giant and Standard Schnauzer dogs are very similar to each other in appearance. They have a very coarse coat which helps them from harsh weather conditions also. Schnauzer breed of dogs has a very distinct characteristic of beard and eyebrows. One of the best guard dogs also used as a police dog. They are very bold, valiant, courageous, active, sturdy, intelligent, alert and obviously loyal. It has the 79th position in AKC breed popularity. Its life expectancy is 12-15 years.
8. Boxer
This German breed is a short-haired and medium-sized breed. The name “Boxer” is potentially due to its ability to play by standing on its hind legs and boxing with its front paws. It is a bright colored dog with a smooth, shiny coat that stays tight with its body. They have a white color on the coat located at underbelly and feet. A boxer is included in the group of a working group. They are very active, strong, obedient and fun-loving. They are very strong even at their old age so they need proper nutrition throughout their life. It ranks 10th in the AKC breed popularity. Its life expectancy is 10-12 years.
9. Rottweiler
It is a German breed that is medium-large in size. They were mainly developed for herding livestock and pulling carts with butchered meat to markets. But now they are used as search-and-rescue, guard and police dogs. They have a hard and thick double-coated body. From one study of 2008, it is found that the males of this breed are more sharp and confident than the females. A male Rottweiler is 24-27 inches in the shoulder, females are a bit smaller and lighter. It ranks 8th in AKC breed popularity out of 193. Its life expectancy is 9-10 years and popular as one of the shortest living dog breeds in the world.
10. Weimaraner
This large breed of dog was developed originally for royal hunting of animals like boar, bear, and deer. This breed is an all-purpose gun dog breed (used to hunt birds). These dogs give an appearance of a muscular, athletic type of dog. They are energetic hunting dogs. They have very good physical endurance and stamina. Their life expectancy is of 11-14 years. It is one of the most popular German dog breeds in the world.
11. Pudelpointer
The medium size dog breeds originating from Germany and it is a crossbreed of German hunting poodle and English Pointer. They were cross breed to gain the best attributes of each other. One of the famous German Dog breeders Baron von Zediltz was the one who started developing the Pudelpointer in the year 1881. It was originally developed as hunting dogs and they are excellent swimmers.
12. Elo Dog
Elo Dog was originally known as the longer moniker of Eloschaboro is one of the famous German dog breeds which was developed by the longer moniker of Eloschaboro. It was a hybrid of the Eurasier breed dog, Old English Sheepdog, and the Chow Chow to have the quality of all three breeds in one dog breed. The medium size dog breeds are very friendly and loyal that can please kids and family.
13. Eurasier
Eurasier is a medium-sized dog breed belonging to the Spitz type which originates in Germany. One of the smartest and intelligent dog breeds. They were called by many names such as Eurasian Spitz, Eurasian dog, and Wolf Chow. The breed required outdoor activities and exercise is a must.
14. Bavarian Mountain Hound
Bavarian Mountain Hound was prepared to survive in the mountainous regions of Bavaria, Germany. Talking about the appearance, the breed has a high-set ear with an elongated head and medium-set tail. The breed average weight is 20-25 kg and has a life expectancy of 10 years.
15. German Wirehaired Pointer
One of the most popular German Dog breeds is a gundog that is energetic and loyal. They have well-developed instincts whether they are anywhere be it a forest or in the water. It is also known as GWP or Wirehair and needs vigorous exercise. Talking about the appearance, they have a wire-like coat and have different facial features of bushy beards and eyebrows.
These are the German dog breeds in the world. Do post your comments.
