German Shepherd Owners’ Guide – Temperament, Nutrition & Health Issues

German Shepherds are large dogs. If you have a male German Shepherd, you can expect him to reach around 40 kg and 66 cm, while a female German Shepherd is likely to be shorter and lighter, at 30 kg and 60 cm.

If you wish to plot your puppy’s growth and get a more accurate idea of their predicted weight at various ages then take a look at these puppy growth charts.

Weight is only a guideline when it comes to managing your pet’s waistline. One of the best tools for keeping an eye on them is the Body Condition Score by WSAVA.

Remember, always speak to your vet if you have concerns about your puppy’s weight or growth.

German Shepherds tend to stop growing at around 18 months of age.

However, the majority of their growth, especially in terms of height, occurs before 12 months.

Every dog is different, and the weight of a German Shepherd female will usually be less than a male.

Below, you can find a German Shepherd weight guide for males and females. This is intended as a guideline only, and it’s important to speak to your vet if you’re worried that your dog or puppy is over or underweight.

The breed standard German Shepherd colours include;

• bi-colour
• black
• black and gold
• black and tan
• dark sable
• gold sable
• grey
• grey sable
• sable

Non-breed standard colours include;

• white
• blue
• liver
• Isabella

All black German Shepherds are relatively rare. You can read more about German Shepherd coat colours and patterns on the Kennel Club website .

Don’t forget that German Shepherds can have two different coat types.

Some have long hair requiring regular brushing to prevent matting, especially around their bottom. Others have a shorter coat, which requires a little less maintenance.

German Shepherds shed a lot of fur. They go through a seasonal moult twice a year, and during this time you might feel like your home is being taken over by hair or that you spend all of your time brushing out endless dead hair!

German Shepherds are sometimes prone to having diarrhoea or an upset stomach, particularly if they’re fed something rich, fatty or out of the ordinary. 

However, in some cases, German Shepherds can have something more serious, like a food allergy or inflammatory bowel disease (discussed below).

Inflammatory Bowel Disease, shortened to IBD, is a condition causing diarrhoea, vomiting, and gas in dogs.

It happens when the gut is chronically inflamed, which could be triggered by anything from food allergies to gut parasites or an infection. However, unfortunately, German Shepherds are predisposed to the condition. 

There is no cure for IBD in dogs, but medications that reduce inflammation and suppress the immune response, alongside a consistent hypoallergenic diet can be useful to keep symptoms under control. Find out more about IBD here .

Elbow dysplasia occurs when the bones and cartilage that form a dog’s elbow joint don’t develop properly, leading to instability, friction or pain. 

German Shepherds are prone to elbow dysplasia, and may start limping on one or both of their front legs between 6 and 18 months of age. 

An x-ray and sometimes advanced imaging is needed to make a diagnosis, and the condition can be managed with medication or surgery, depending on how bad the condition is.

Similar to elbow dysplasia, hip dysplasia occurs when the hip joint doesn’t develop properly. 

Usually, the ball of the femur bone doesn’t sit well within the socket of the pelvis, leading to extra movement, instability, cartilage damage and pain. 

Dogs with hip dysplasia are usually painful between 6 months and 2 years old, then the pain settles as the scarring stabilise the joint. 

However, dogs with hip dysplasia tend to develop arthritis at a much younger age. Therefore, it’s a good idea to choose a German Shepherd pup whose parents have been screened for hip dysplasia, to try to reduce the likelihood of your pup having the condition.