German shepherd in whatever form they come in is adorable (as pups), and very fun to play with, don’t you agree?
The all-Black German Shepherd is a breed of German Shepherds that you will fall in love with the moment you see it (for all those dog lovers). But there are some things you will want to know about the Black German Shepherd.
Contents
Black German Shepherd Breed Overview
History Of Black Shepherd
German Shepherds were bred as herding dogs, and according to its name, it is a dog from Germany. In 1800, the German Shepherd was a herding dog. But then, an Officer of German cavalry, whose name was Captain Max von Stephanitz, thought it would be a good idea to make the dogs working dogs instead.
He made this decision when he saw firsthand the strength and loyalty of the dog.
It was at a dog show in 1899 that he purchased this Hektor Linksrhein, (which would later be named German Shepherd’s dog).
The German Shepherd dog first appeared in the US in 1900; a female whose name was Queen of Switzerland.
As a decline in breed popularity, the dog and her breeds suffered some defects during the first couple of years. The First world war made it worse, and the breed also declined in the US, thanks to Germany’s association.
The dog was renamed “Alsatian,” by the US Kennel Club, as a means to reduce the adverse effects of Germany’s ill-association during the war. The name changed again to be the German Shepherd dog in 2010.
Why are Some German Shepherds Black?
The coating of the German Shepherd is usually based on the gene of the German Shepherd’s lineage. And that gene could be dominant or recessive (this is dependent on the genealogical makeup of the dog).
So you could have a spotted or brown German shepherd mating with a black German Shepherd, and they sire pups that are pitch black.
Usually, when a German Shepherd is still a pup or just born, its natural skin or coating color could either of the three colors; black, grey, or white. When they begin to grow, (at about 6-8 weeks) they begin to develop their actual colors.
Genetics Of The Black German Shepherd Dog
For German Shepherds, the black skin or coating might either a dominant or recessive gene, depending on the parent of the dog. But, there is a chance that German Shepherds whose skin or coating is not all black can give birth to an all-black pup.
If, however, you want to breed a black German Shepherd, then looking at their lineage, will help you select the black German shepherd. The color of regular German Shepherd will be made known when it is between seven to nine weeks old.
Appearance Of The Black GSD
The Black German Shepherd naturally portrays the look of its breed. It, however, has a straighter back and is a lot wider than the regular German Shepherd. The length of their coat can range for short to long, with the fur looking like it’s following, feathering or even skirting
Personality Of The Black Shepherd Dog
The personality of the black German shepherd may be hostile at first, but when it gets to know the stranger, then they become kind. When you see a Black German Shepherd Dog (BGSD), with its owner or family member, it can be helpful and friendly.
They are great at being Guard dogs, but like any other dog, they also would need time and attention. Like the companionship of the family. This trait in the dog is what makes it good at being a guard dog and also perfect for the service of the disabled (like the deaf and blind).
Black German Shepherd Temperament
The look or appearance of the Black German Shepherd can scare you. And that might be the case if you see one outdoors, like in the park or something.
As the owner of the dog, you should be aware of this and also the temperament of the dog, so you don’t ward people off with your scary-looking dog. But in all sincerity, the temperament of the Black German Shepherd is that of a friendly and peaceful dog, with a stable temperament.
They are also very loyal and obey the commands of its owner. Being a watchful dog also, they will assert their self-relevance by watching over the family, looking out for its well-being. It is evident that the Black German Shepherds have both the temperament of being friendly and being loyal.
You can play with the dog, but if it senses danger towards its owner or its family, then it will act out in defense.
Socialization
Like every other pet, you may want to have, one of the trait it will need to have is the trait of being sociable. When the Black German Shepherd is friendly, it allows her to interact with other people. And it gets to experience some things that a dog should.
Being sociable will teach the dog how to behave in some situations. And when the trait is instilled, it will remain with the dog for the rest of its life.
Once you bring the dog home for the first time, it is of utmost importance, that you introduce the dog to your relatives and friends (those who visit often).
Also, take the dog around the neighborhood to get to know the place and other dogs in the neighborhood.
Further Reading:
Are Black German Shepherds Good with Children?
Black German Shepherds are suitable for children. But your pup should have a high amount of supervision around your kids when they first come around.
As soon as the child and the dog bond, they become the best of friends. The dog becomes your child’s babysitter and protector and playmate. While your dog may be gentle with a younger kid, it, however, may bump into older kids accidentally. Or wag its tail and tap your children, seeing that they are older than the toddlers. This behavior is rare, however.
Other than kids, the Black German Shepherd also can get along with any domestic pet, like cats and other dogs. But to get friendly with these other pets, there would need to be an introduction. And the best time for this introduction to stick is when the dog is still a puppy.
Further Reading: Black German Shepherd – The Ultimate Breed Guide
How to Raise a Healthy Black GSD?
Raising a full Black German Shepherd from pup to a dog is not so difficult, so Black GSD owners should not worry. You might find it quite interesting and easy, the act of taking care of a Black German Shepherd.
To start you off, the first thing you need to do when you get the German Shepherd is to take it to a veterinarian, for its first check-up. There also, you’ll get to know about the complications and health issues of the dog (and its breeds).
So we’ll be considering some of the following essential subjects about caring for your Black German Shepherd.
Feeding a German Shepherd Dog and Puppy
For most dog owners (especially those with the black GSD), they feed their dogs four times a day. This feeding schedule is ideal (at a young age), seeing that this breed of dog is a big breed and would need all the food it can eat.
Also feeding the dogs four times a day will help in preventing the problem of bloating and twisting. Which may be fatal to the dog.
When the pup is around 6-months old, the owners begin to lessen the amount of food they give the dog to 2-3 meals a day, while the adult eats twice a day.
When the dog food manufacturers make the dog food, they specify the ones for large dogs and the one for smaller dogs. The reason is this; that the dogs are fed with the required nutrient for their size, not more or less.
For adult GSD (and all other breeds), the ideal amount of protein it should take is 1.19 grams per pound of body weight. For fat per body weight, 0.59 grams of protein will do.
Carbohydrate is good for your dog, but it is less priority. So you must ensure the dog food does not contain cereal fillers or wheat.
For a large breed, over 1600 calories should be given to it per day, as it expands as much as 20 calories per lb of body weight.
This should help you understand the amount of calorie to give your dog daily;
For puppies: male – 2200-3000 calories. For females – 1700-2500 calories.
For adults: males – 1300-1800 calories. For females – 1000-1500 calories
Exercise Requirements
Black GSD would go hiking and on adrenaline workout with you, if you let them, and they will do so happily. GSD are very active dogs, and they will become bored if they don’t find anything to do.
Because of their active disposition, they will need to run at least 60 minutes a day, during exercise
Grooming a German Shepherd
Grooming a Black German Shepherd can be a lot of fun if you do it right. Luckily, this dog doesn’t need constant grooming. In fact, you would only have to groom this dog once in two weeks, and it stays like that for a long while.
While thorough brushing is done once in two weeks, you would also have to brush the dog daily, to prevent the furs from knotting and entangling.
Since their double-coated skin my shed, you should expect blowouts twice a year. But you’ll also experience reduced shedding during the year, but not as severe.
In all honesty, however, if your dog is a double-coated dog, then you would have to vacuum your home twice a day (for most of the days).
You could visit a grooming salon for the pups, but this should do twice or three times a year, for a thorough clean up. Just meet the groomer, and he’ll give you a schedule that should work for your dog.
Further Reading: Black German Shepherd Temperament (And Other Facts)
Health Problems Of Black German Shepherd
Here are some of the health problems of the Black German Shepherd
1. Hip dysplasia
This condition occurs at the hips of the dog. The dog experiences some abnormal development on its hips that makes it weakened and deteriorated. Which would lead them to become arthritic. It could be mild or severe.
You could manage the problem by therapy or medication, but surgery would need to correct this abnormality.
2. Chronic Degenerative Radiculo-myelopathy (CDRM)
Also known as canine degenerative myelopathy (DM). This disease is a spinal cord ailment that affects the nerves, causing nerve failure, resulting in hind-leg paralysis.
3. Osteoarthritis
This ailment is degeneration in the joint, which is painful and ends up in the loss of joint movement. Both the treatment of medication and surgery are available for your dog.
How To Train a Black German Shepherd?
Training a Black German Shepherd is rather easy because they are intelligent dogs and respond to stimuli effectively. For you to have a well-trained German Shepherd that is both a sociable and protective dog, then you should start training your dog at a young age.
You introduce her to persons and teach her how to behave in a particular circumstance. You’ll also need to introduce her to farm machines, but you should avoid tankers and wagons. Let her bond with all the age of children, so she doesn’t become hostile when she sees them.
When she’s around these children, she’ll need to know when she’s having fun with the children, and when she’s only irritating the children. So she can know when to stop.
Also, give her positive reinforcement (like treats), when she gets something right, or does something good. You can also punish your dog for being wrong. But don’t always resort to punishment as it could begin to develop some negative behaviors in them. Punishment should only be in severe cases.
Suitable Home Environment for a Black GSD
For pets like this, you would need a healthy home for them. A home that would suit all its physical and psychological needs.
Since it has a double-coated skin, it is not advisable to take this dog to hot areas. Unless you want it to develop some skin conditions.
The dog would need some comfortable and supportive bed, loads of chew toys, and a big enough room to exercise (which could be indoor or outdoor).
It would also need its feeding and water bowls, and a space that it can call it’s own.
You can balance the Black German Shepherd habitat to both indoors and outdoors, so it can experience both worlds.
Your dog needs attention, it gets bored quickly, so it would need the care of both the family and other forms of attention you may come up with.
If you’re giving the dog a doghouse (which is advisable that you do), then it must be something that is large enough for your dogs’ size, so that it can feel at home.
Try to avoid letting your dog sleeping in wet or dirty places unless you have money to treat the skin infections it will have afterward.
Conclusion
I hope this article was instructive. And that you learned some things that would help you take better care and love your black German Shepherd more.
Knowing about a breed of dog would help you appreciate the dog more. It will allow you to care for the dog better and know how to feed it, to give it the best look it can get.
If you have any comment you’d like to add or any question you’d also like to ask, you can leave a comment on the comment section.
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