If you love dogs as pets but hate long hairs because of the health issues and excessive grooming requirements they need, you can think about Short haired German Shepherd. If you love to share your companionship with a German shepherd, probably the short-haired German Shepherd could be the best choice for you.
The short haired German Shepherd is the same as the long-haired German Shepherd, the only difference is the length of skin. You’ll find all the qualities in both breeds that you think your German Shepherd must-have.
If you are searching for a short-haired German Shepherd and you need an overall glimpse of what does it look like, how’s its temperament, its grooming and training requirements, you’ll get all the information from this article.
What are short haired German shepherds?
As the name shows, short haired German shepherd dogs have short hair and are used for herding sheep. These GSDs are not rare thanks to their genetic makeup for a dominant gene for short hair, while for the long hair gene, the gene is recessive, so long hair GSDs are rare, and some breeders prefer them, but most people like short haired German Shepherds. This type of GSD has a short coat length with a dense undercoat, and these coats protect them from environmental stresses. Belgian Shepherd and Dutch shepherd dogs are examples of short haired German shepherd dogs. Police use these breeds for tracking criminals and also herding livestock. They are ranked 3rd worldwide over the other dog breeds.
Height weight and life span
Height:
22 to 26 inches
Weight:
350 to 80 pounds
Life span:
Ten to 14 years.
Physical description
The surprising thing about some German shepherd’s coat is that it is bristly and rough to touch but looks very shining and smooth at first. This type of breed is not much demanding, but the short-haired German Shepherd has a plush coat- a stereotype the breeders love for the show.
Short-haired German shepherds are medium to large in size. Males are heavy, athletic, tall, muscular, strong, and females are lighter, smaller, strong, and firm. These breeds have a dome-shaped head, straight black muzzles, erect ears that may be pulled back when running fast, straight and strong back, long neck, and large and brushy tail approaching the hook. These dogs consist of short hair all over the body but large on the neck region.
Short-haired German Shepherd exists in different single-colored coats that may be black, white, red, silver, tan, and also have bi-colored coats such as red and white or silvery white or red tan. This dog is best for those pet owners who are not much interested in dogs with long hair.
Temperament
These dogs are gentle, intelligent, active, loyal, and friendly inheritably. German shepherds are worker dog breeds because they are very intelligent and cooperative. Exercise is a simple way for mental and physical rest and shapes good habits. If dogs exercise without training, they may develop bad habits such as aggression, barking, jumping, and chewing. GSDs show aggression to unknown people and other dogs. As a running lover dog breed, it loves to travel and walk for a long time with its owner without any sign of tiredness. If you are not much active, a short haired German Shepherd is not for you.
Grooming
Proper grooming of dogs is compulsory for maintenance of health, skincare, and personality development. It prevents them from parasites, dust and coat shedding. A short-haired German Shepherd has two coats while the long-haired German Shepherd has one coat, so short-haired GSD is more susceptible to coat shedding than long-haired German Shepherd. It is considered among the dog breeds that shed the most during spring and fall.
Short-haired German shepherds have a double coat layer that should be brushed daily or once a week to maintain the shiny look. Nails trimming once per month and a bath with shampoo or harmless chemical once per month are compulsory as it makes the dog germ-free, while excessive bathing is harmful to the dog. Check and clean the teeth and ear of your pet after regular intervals.
Training and exercise
Training and exercise are two correlated things for dogs. If one is skipped, the other is not beneficial; proper exercise is necessary for adequate training. These breeds are medium to large having high energy levels, so a walk of nearly 50 minutes and during training may be an hour is compulsory. Jumping for prey is part of training and a good exercise for GSD. Always train your dogs the positive things that can help you in return, like obedience, sheep herding, protection behavior, and games.
Socialization
Early socialization and training are compulsory for your good short-haired German Shepherd to ward off bad habits like barking, chewing, aggression. Socialization helps them to develop an understanding of other dogs and people.
Diet habits
Short haired German Shepherd requires high energy foods because these breeds are athletes, workers, active and sheepherders. Various dry fruits, vegetables, vitamins, minerals, fats, and lipids are food supplements for dogs, but proteins should be an essential part of daily food. Excessive food consumption may lead to bloating, abdominal pain, and stomach problems. During training and after exercise, dogs must be provided with nutritious foods.
Major health issues
Short-haired German shepherds suffer from many diseases and disorders; the most common ones are mentioned below.
Hip dysplasia and Elbow dysplasia:
It is a very painful hip joint problem among GSDs.
Bloating:
Bloating occurs due to overeating.
Epilepsy:
Although this is a human problem, it is also discovered in dogs.
Diabetes:
Unlike other large-sized dogs, short-haired German shepherd are susceptible to this disease, which shows symptoms as in humans such as fatigue, swelling, excessive urination, and excessive drinking.
Degenerative disc:
Like humans, dogs suffer from a slipped disc and disc degeneration.
Allergy:
Short-haired GSD is more susceptible to allergy than other breeds.
Bladder stones:
Bladder stones are also common in dogs like a human.
Urinary tract infections:
Just like humans, urinary tract problems are also common in dogs.
Nose infections:
This disease is very common in Short haired German Shepherd.
Cancer:
Unfortunately, this breed is susceptible to various types of cancer.
Pros and cons of Short haired German Shepherd:
Pros:
- Family-friendly
- Loyal, intelligent, and best companions
- They can be used as working dogs and best guard dogs
- They can be used as service and police dogs after training
Cons:
- This breed is prone to excessive barking, chewing, and jumping.
- Excessive shedding
- It needs high exercise and is not suitable if you want an apartment-friendly dog
Conclusion:
The owners love short haired German Shepherd because of its charming, athletic nature and muscular body, charming personality, loyalty, intelligence and obedience. Whether you need a family-friendly dog breed or a working dog, you will find Short haired German Shepherd as the best breed. If you love to hang out, go out for hiking, and long-running, you’ll find this dog side by side with you. It is easy to train and a very intelligent dog, which can help you as a service dog, police dog, working dog, sheepherder, and guard after training. Overall, it’s the best breed ranked among the best dog breeds, but it sheds a lot because of its double coat.
If you want to know about other dog breeds, their care and grooming requirements, visit our other pages.