Old German Shepherd Dog: Everything You Need to Know

Old German Shepherd- an ancestor of today’s German Shepherds, is a breed that did not participate in the usual breeding practices back in the time. Such practices led to the development of the German Shepherds we all know today. The Old German Shepherds were known to work in German farms for hundreds of years, where they worked diligently alongside the farmers and flocks.

While many members from this breed look similar to the long-haired Shepherds, there is, in fact, a huge variation within the Shepherd breed if we talk about the physical appearance. The foundation of an Old German Shepherd’s breeding has always been its working ability only, which includes stamina, obedience, and intellect all in one. When it comes to the name, the term Old does not define a German Shepherd’s age but its place in the ancestor cycle of the German Shepherds. The name also sets them apart from the standard German Shepherds.

Origin of the Old German Shepherd

As mentioned above, one must not confuse the term Old German Shepherd with an elderly breed member. There is a very low possibility that you may have encountered an Old German Shepherd yet. Not only is the breed rare nowadays, but if we trust some sacred sources, it even lies in danger of extinction real soon.

Before the standard German Shepherds were created, any dog being used for shepherding was usually an Old German Shepherd. However, Captain Max Emil Friedrich, in the late 19th century, decided to establish a society for the German Shepherd with the purpose of breeding many superior animals. ‘Hektor Linksrhein’ was then the first bred German Shepherd, which the Captain called the original German Shepherd of the breeding society. Any dog who subsequently became a part of this program and Captain’s records was termed as the breed’s ancestor and an official ‘German Shepherd’ while all others were termed as the Old German Shepherds.

These dogs were then used for farming, where they moved flocks of sheep in different lands and even acted as guard dogs to protect the livestock from its potential predators. Without receiving input from the Captain, these Old German Shepherds were bred purely considering their working abilities and not their aesthetic physical appearance like the standard German Shepherds.

As these dogs had never been bred for their appearance, one will find great variety in the appearance of one breed member to another. They are also not uniform in appearance nowadays, or you can say, modern German Shepherds. Their owners have always relied on their traits like speed, hardiness, and intelligence.

No matter what breed standard you pick up, you will mostly find it focused on its ability rather than its appearance, with the ability to herd as the main focus. The working competence is also what sets them apart in terms of being less predisposed to certain health conditions that a standard German Shepherd suffers from. A standard German Shepherd’s features are much less exaggerated, and an Old German Shepherd resembles most long-haired Shepherds.

Although, it could all be a lie since the authenticity of the Old German Shepherd’s being a breed of its own right is often questioned and hence debatable. Some breed enthusiasts at present are reading more into the breed’s history, trying to find as much as possible. 

The Appearance of An Old German Shepherd

At first look, you may find a lot of similarities between an Old German Shepherd and a modern-day German Shepherd. The same upright standing ears, narrow and elongated snout, watchful and attentive look, and a hanging and bushy tail. The varied color shades that the Old German Shepherd comes into are also similar to the standard German Shepherds, namely black or gray and black-brown. They, too, are of medium to large height, varying between 24-30 inches for male shepherds and 20-26 inches for female shepherds. The main visual difference between an Old German Shepherd and a modern German Shepherd is its long hair.

An Old German Shepherd has tight-fitting and soft hair on the legs, tail, and ears, where the tail is specifically bushier as it forms long signs too. The thick coat on the neck of an Old German Shepherd is its well-known characteristic which is also known as the “mane.” Due to such a dense, very soft, and long topcoat, the Old German Shepherd even seems much stronger than the modern German Shepherd. The average weight of a female old German Shepherd, is known to be somewhere around 28-32 and that of a male to be 33-40 kg.

Temperament and Character of an Old German Shepherd

The nature of an Old German Shepherd does not differ much when compared to a standard German Shepherd with its nervous, faithful, and alert characteristics. An Old German Shepherd’s high resilience, safe instincts, and reliability make it a great choice to be appointed as a guard. With its balanced and friendly character at the same time, it is also considered great to be adopted into families and made a family or companion dog.

An Old German Shepherd is known to get along the best with children. Because of his alert nature and good manners, he proves to be a reliable protector of the child while also being a loving playmate. If put against the standard German Shepherd, an old German Shepherd is much calmer with a higher threshold for stimulus.

Nevertheless, shepherds are known for their instinctive behavior. Please remember that if your German Shepherd seems even a bit irritable, you must not leave it with your kid alone in an unsupervised situation. This, in a way, applies to all large dogs. In order to get the maximum out of the dog’s balanced, well-behaved, attentive, and reliable nature, it should be bought when really young so as to socialize early and receive consistent training from an early age. With enough employment and exercise, it will grow to develop all these characteristics better.

If you are thinking of adopting an Old German Shepherd, you should have enough experience and knowledge of its training. You must also know how to provide the dog with enough fun activities for which you should also have enough time to interact with the dog. They are enthusiastic athletes and would love to play around with you. Bike tours, hikes, and many other dog sports will keep them entertained and consequently loyal to you.

How Long Does an Old German Shepherd Live?

When compared to all German Shepherd breeds, the Old German Shepherd, in particular, has a medium to longer life. Even though they are the heavier and larger breed, they can live around 13 years, and sometimes even more. 

Are Old German Shepherds Already Extinct?

If you go by the official records, there is no such breed as an Old German Shepherd. People often use the term to differentiate a standard German Shepherd from a long-haired German Shepherd. Regardless of what the books might say, there is a huge demand for the Old German Shepherd breed, particularly its friendly and loyal nature and the bushier fur coat. While you may get confused with an Old German Shepherd to be similar to the long-haired Shepherd, they are both pretty different when it comes to their appearances. Some people believe that some of this breed’s members still exist, but the breed is close to extinction.

Diet Requirements of An Old German Shepherd

Like any other breed of German Shepherd, Old German Shepherds, too, are prone to joint problems. These are considered genetic and are also believed to be exacerbated by poor nutrition and excessive stress during the growth years of a German Shepherd puppy. Avoid feeding food that is high in fat and energy during the first few months (if you have adopted a German Shepherd puppy).

Your breeder must have already handed you an exact diet recommendation that you must follow. There is some specific puppy food available in the market which is specifically tailored to the requirements of your old Shepherd puppy. The same should be done for an older German Shepherd too.

A healthy diet will vary according to the weight, health, size, level of activity, and age of your dog. Irrespective of what food you choose- self-cooked or packed, please note that you must feed your high-quality meat to your dog as much as possible along with the fruit, valuable fats, pasta, rice, and vegetables. Do not serve a huge proportion of grain since that can hike the possibility of allergies for a German Shepherd.

Training an Old German Shepherd

Old German Shepherds are already known to be one of the smartest animals on the planet; hence, it does not take much to train them besides dedication and consistency from the owner’s end. It is better to treat them at an early age because a German Shepherd must not catch any bad habits before turning; hence, the good habits should be taught to them as early as possible. You can begin with the command training as soon as you get your German Shepherd home. You may also socialize the dog with as many people as possible; this is one point people often miss as a part of good training.

Although you must remember that one quality that sets the standard German Shepherds and old German Shepherds apart is their stubborn and independent nature, while you may find an Old German Shepherd more intelligent and easier to please, it might give you a hard time with its stubborn behavior that it inherits from its herding origin which can also make the training process harder. It is easy to overcome this if you are consistent and teach your dog with reward-based training to grow a pack-leader mentality eventually.

By using the reward method during training and by ignoring their bad behavior at times, you will be surprised to see how well the Old German Shepherds react to training.

Healthcare of an Old German Shepherd

You may not find many relevant studies on an Old German Shepherd’s health since they are rare in nature. It would also be prudent to believe that the Old German Shepherds share similar diseases as a standard German Shepherd only because they are their ancestors. It is possible that the severity and frequency of the diseases are much lower in Old German Shepherds since they have a history of inbreeding and also because people never bred them to look a certain way. There are still some conditions known to be common in Old German Shepherds, which are as below:

• Elbow Dysplasia

The term elbow dysplasia is used to define the variety of conditions that occur within the elbow joint of animals. These conditions include Osteochondrosis of an elbow joint, Ununited anconeal process, fragmented coronoid process, and medial compartment disease. If your Old German Shepherd suffers any of the above conditions, it will show reluctance to exercise and feel limping and stiffly while moving. You may take it for diagnostic imaging, such as an X-ray, to confirm the diagnosis of the same. Surgery might be required in such cases.

• Anal Furunculosis

Anal Furunculosis is when the skin around the anus becomes inflamed or ulcerated. Your dog will express a lot of pain when suffering from this and will also have smelly and matted fur under its tail. There will also be a visible draining tract that might even extend to the surface of your dog’s skin. You will have to seek medical assistance for this condition. Also, note that the success rate for the treatment of this condition varies greatly.

• Hip Dysplasia

This condition- Hip Dysplasia, is extremely prevalent across German Shepherd breeds. Although the Old German Shepherd is not bred to have sloping hips, it is possible that they are more disposed to the condition than other general breeds. As we now know that German Shepherds are genetically predisposed to this condition, it is suggested that you hip-score all the breeding parents before buying an Old German Shepherd and accept a dog only from a breeder whose hip score seems acceptable. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with a veterinarian for the hip-scoring process. For this process, dogs are usually anesthetized or sedated while the x-rays of their pelvis and hips are taken.

You will notice the condition of your dog suffers from it as it ages, and it becomes more obvious with the progression of the disease with age. Osteoarthritis ensues varies between dogs, but it causes high immobility and discomfort to all that suffer from it. You, as a responsible owner, will have to collaborate efficiently with the veterinarian to control the symptoms of the condition. Physiotherapy, acupuncture, medication, surgery, and hydrotherapy are some ways to treat the condition. You can keep trying different treatments throughout your dog’s life to see which works best for it.

• Degenerative Myelopathy

This disorder refers to the condition where your dog suffers from nerve degeneration that results in slow progressive weakness in its hind limbs. Signs can be subtle in the beginning but will start to develop as your dog ages. You will see the dog seeming weak or un-coordinated in the initial stage, but it will be dragging its feet eventually. Dogs manage to survive the pain with therapy, but there has been no known cure for this disease.

• Digestive issues

The Old German Shepherd, unfortunately, is known to be prone to many digestive disorders. These conditions include Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, and Small Intestinal Bacterial overgrowth. You will notice your dog vomiting, losing weight, growing a poor-quality fur coat, and having chronic diarrhea when it is suffering from any of the above diseases. You will require a lot of diagnostic routines to determine which digestive condition your dog is actually suffering from.

Exercising With an Old German Shepherd

An Old German Shepherd has equal exercising requirements as a standard German Shepherd. They are similar in size but are more active owing to their herding heritage. This also means they will need more physical stimulation compared to a standard German Shepherd. To keep your Old German Shepherd happy and fit, you must ensure it gets enough exercise. Without enough exercise, an Old German Shepherd can adopt some bad habits, including aggression, chewing, and barking.

When talking in numerical terms, your Old German Shepherd will need around two hours of exercise or more every day. However, with the younger Old German Shepherds, you need to pay attention to the amount of activity as over-exertion can cause harm to the joints. You will need no particular exercises to entertain your dog buddy since anything playful can make them happy. You can take it for a hike, for a run, or you can simply play with it in your backyard. Not only will it get enough exercise with these activities, but your old German Shepherd will also bond better with you through these.

Grooming of an Old German Shepherd

Be ready with your dog’s personal brush every day, especially if you have an Old German Shepherd since they have much denser coats than the standard German Shepherds. They tend to shed their hair here and there all year long with more fur. So, if you do not brush their hair regularly, you will have to deal with the hair all over your house and the things in it.

If not brushed regularly, you do not want to deal with the knots and clumps that form in an Old German Shepherd’s hair. One good thing is that you will not need to bathe your Old German Shepherd much unless it gets all covered in the mud someday. Actually, even if it does, a good spray with some warm water will be more than enough. You may also buy your dog a brush since its teeth will need to be brushed at least once a week to prevent any dental condition. With nail clipping, Old German Shepherds do not require much, and you can do it once every 6-8 weeks only if needed.

Major Differences Between Male and Female Old German Shepherds

Generally, it is believed that male Old German Shepherds are heavier and slightly bigger than females. It is also said that the males act more territorial and have a hard time getting along with other males of the same breed. Females, on the other hand, are not only smaller but also much friendlier. However, females require less affection than males and like to be alone, being more independent-minded.

That being said, one must remember that a dog’s personality varies more depending on its upbringing, training, diet, and environment than its sex. The other minor differences are mitigated the moment you go for neutering or spaying- a process that most veterinarians recommend unless you wish to breed.

Know This Before You Buy an Old German Shepherd

Since the Old German Shepherds are not bred artificially, their appearance can vary individually, and they all do not seem much similar in terms of appearance like the standard German Shepherds. Breeders who now breed Old German Shepherds focus more on their working capabilities than their appearance. Their herding ability has been one characteristic that keeps them famous among the species.

Fortunately, this intent to breed them for their capabilities and not their appearance has kept them less prone to many diseases that a standard German Shepherd usually inherits. What always confuses people is that they refer to any long-haired German Shepherd to be an Old German Shepherd when that is much farther from being a fact. This is the reason why one needs to be very careful in finding a reliable breeder who can confirm that you are purchasing an Old German Shepherd puppy and not some random long-haired modern Shepherd.

You must also remember that this breed has been bred as working animals and will require much more exercise than just a quick walk around the park.

The Average Price of An Old German Shepherd

While modern German Shepherds can vary in price based on their breeding line, the Old German Shepherd is sold for a much higher price since they are not just sold to be kept as pets like modern German Shepherds. The Old German Shepherds are rare; their prices can go as high as $2500 dollars while the average stands at $2000. If you are getting it at a price lower than that, you are probably being fooled for a long-haired modern German Shepherd and not an Old German Shepherd.

Moreover, before you make this hefty purchase, you may want to count on all the other expenses you will have to make. These include toys, vet appointments, and vaccinations. Expect the budget to go higher by at least $500, counting all these expenses too.

Three Lesser-Known Facts About an Old German Shepherd

• They are inherent working dogs

Since Old German Shepherds were originally bred for herding and not for their appearance like the modern German Shepherds, their abilities to work around the house are much more. Although the modern German Shepherd still stands to be one of the most bought and also renowned working dogs, the world is unfamiliar with the much better capabilities of an Old German Shepherd. This is mainly because they are found to be very rare.

• They are extremely intelligent.

A neuropsychologist- Stanley Coren, once wrote a book- “The intelligence of dogs,” that stated a standard German Shepherd to be the third most intelligent dog on this planet. The author is believed to have assessed over 100 dogs for this research. The top-ranked dogs were given a command only five times which they obeyed 95% of the time accurately or even better. While the standard German Shepherd was on the list after Border Collie and Poodle, there has been no mention of an Old German Shepherd. If there were, who knows if it would be leading the list? But, we can assume, for now, that the Old German Shepherd is an ancestor to German Shepherds, that they will lie somewhere around the same or slightly higher intelligence rankings.

• They are not a recognized breed.

Neither the American Kennel Club nor the Federation Cynologique International has recognized the Old German Shepherd as an official breed of the species. It is, in fact, considered merely a variant of German Shepherds. While the breeders are still working hard to get this breed officially recognized worldwide, the authenticity of this breed is debatable and extremely controversial. Finding these dogs these days is anyway difficult since they are not only rare but also in real danger of extinction.

Are Old German Shepherds Good to Be Domesticated with Families?

An Old German Shepherd is said to be much calmer, easy-going, and mellower than the modern species of German Shepherds. These characteristics make them ideal to be welcomed into your family. When it comes to an Old German Shepherd has a higher threshold for frustration and is not easily spotted to be upset. However, none of this makes them safe to be left unsupervised with a kid. They will still make a great playmate for you and your children and will also protect your family since they are born with qualities for that too.

Do Old German Shepherds Get Along with Other Animals?

We can never ignore the natural hunting instinct that the Old German Shepherds are born with. Although they can keep this trait in check when they are around small children, they cannot be expected to keep the prey instinct in check when they spot a kitten or a puppy. If you still want them to socialize with other animals, you may adopt the breed very early in age so they get the time to know different animals as their playmates. Thanks to its loyalty and eagerness to please its owner, you will probably find your dog ignoring this instinct for you only after proper training.

How To Look for The Right Breeder to Purchase a German Shepherd?

Different breeders specialize in a variety of breeding practices, including breeding for appearance or performance. You should hence be clear with your purpose of adopting a German Shepherd so the breeder can promote the required characteristics in your dog. You can also enquire about the place where the breeder breeds or pure breeding happens to get it to match your requirements. If you are someone who does pay attention to the FCI rules and regulations, you may already know that the Old German Shepherd is not a recognized breed. It would be best if you are looking for a breeder who not only is affiliated with FCI or SV but also labels their dogs as long-haired German Shepherds.

If you are looking particularly for an Old German Shepherd and want to be certain that you are purchasing that breed only, you should look for independent breeders who have no affiliation with the FCI. In this case, since no official certification is involved, you must pay close attention to the breeder to recognize his work. Your breeder should provide you with a pedigree certifying that the puppy has been descended from your required breed. You should also get a list of the puppy’s recommended vaccinations and health tests.

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