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Breed Files

German Shepherd Dog

The AKC describes the German Shepherd Dog as courageous, confident, smart. Here’s the file: sizes, traits and what they mean for a real home.

The fileMatching printables
The numbers

At a glance.

Height24-26 inches (male), 22-24 inches (female)
Weight65-90 pounds (male), 50-70 pounds (female)
Life expectancy12-14 years
AKC groupHerding Group
OriginGermany
AKC recognized1908
AKC popularity#4 of 210

Source: AKC German Shepherd Dog breed page ↗ · checked October 4, 2026.

AKC breed traits, scale 1–5

Breed traits.

  • Energy Level5/5
  • Shedding Level4/5
  • Coat Grooming Frequency2/5
  • Barking Level3/5
  • Trainability Level5/5
  • Good With Young Children5/5
  • Good With Other Dogs3/5
  • Mental Stimulation Needs5/5

Your dog isn’t a breed average. These are breed-level ratings from AKC ↗. A 2022 study in Science found breed explains only about 9% of behavior differences between individual dogs. Source: Morrill et al., Science (2022) ↗

Related clips

On the case.

No clip on this breed yet. Meanwhile, the latest cases:

WEIRD HABITS #1Clip cover: Why does your dog follow you to the bathroom?Why does your dog follow you to the bathroom?Open the case file →DOG TEST #1Clip cover: Say "banana" to your dogSay "banana" to your dogOpen the case file →
Matching printables

For your
German Shepherd Dog.

Printables that fit life with this breed. Or make your dog’s own sticker in the free Case File.

Price on EtsyINSTANT DOWNLOADNew Puppy Checklist Kit printed out, on a clipboardOn a clipboard
6 pages · PDF · US Letter + A4

New Puppy Checklist Kit

Shopping list, puppy-proofing, first-week routine, first vet visit questions and a socialization tracker.

Buy on Etsy ↗
Price on EtsyINSTANT DOWNLOADDog Care Checklist & Grooming Log printed out, on a clipboardOn a clipboard
3 pages · PDF · US Letter + A4

Dog Care Checklist & Grooming Log

A monthly routine sheet with daily, weekly and monthly tasks, plus a grooming log.

Buy on Etsy ↗
Price on EtsyINSTANT DOWNLOADFeeding & Weight Tracker printed out, on a clipboardOn a clipboard
4 pages · PDF + XLSX · US Letter + A4

Feeding & Weight Tracker

Weight log, weekly feeding log and food-switch planner, plus a spreadsheet that charts the weight for you.

Buy on Etsy ↗
Free printable · PDF · US Letter + A4

Free: the
mini-pack.

Two pages for your fridge: a “My dog’s case file” sheet with a cut-out emergency card (poison-control numbers included), and a 7-day routine tracker with mini badges.

Optional: join The Dept. Briefing for new printables.
Download · US Letter PDF · 364 KBDownload · A4 PDF · 364 KB
Mini-pack page 1: my dog’s case file and emergency cardMini-pack page 2: 7-day routine tracker and mini badges
The sources

Where this comes from.

  1. Morrill et al., Science (2022): Ancestry-inclusive dog genomics challenges popular breed stereotypes ↗
  2. AKC: German Shepherd Dog breed page ↗

Sources checked October 4, 2026. Dept. of Dogs is not affiliated with any organization cited. General info for dog owners, not veterinary advice: ask your vet about your own dog.