Many people wonder if German Shepherds are related to wolves. You may even wonder if your domestic GSD has a significant percentage of wolf genetics. After all, this breed does somewhat resemble a wolf in size and physical makeup. But is your dog really part wolf?
Are German Shepherds Part Wolf?
Once called the Alsatian Wolf Dog, German Shepherds are not part wolf. They are, however, descendants from gray wolves in the same way that most domestic dogs are. Domestic dogs are part of the biological family known as Canidae, which also includes species such as wolves, foxes, and dingoes.
Clearly, some dog breeds such as the German Shepherd, resemble wolves more than other breeds. No one would look at a miniature poodle, for instance, and think, “That dog is part wolf.” However, appearances can be deceiving.
So, how can we tell how closely related the modern day German Shepherd dog is to the wolf?
Origins Of The GSD Breed
Originally, in the 1800’s, the most common herding dogs were called “continental shepherd dogs.” This group was made up of the Belgian Shepherd, German Shepherd, and Dutch Shepherd dog breeds. However, the GSD was not yet recognized as an official breed.
The German Shepherd breed was officially recognized in 1899 when Max von Stephanitz founded The Society for the German Shepherd Dog. Von Stephnaitz began breeding with a Thuringian cross show dog, which became the original sire of the GSD breed.
The Thuringian breed somewhat resembles the gray wolf in appearance, exhibiting traits like erect ears, shaggy gray hair, and a curled tail. Much of the wolf-like appearance we see in the modern GSD can likely be attributed to Thuringian genes as DNA tests indicate that this breed is more directly descended from the gray wolf.
However, there are other contributors to the genetic makeup of the GSD, including the Wurttemberg Sheep Dog and the Swabian Service Dog.
The Wurttemberg Sheep Dog was introduced into the bloodline in order to temper the Thuringian’s tendency towards high energy and lack of focus. The Wurttemberg was more docile and easily trained. This breed also added a sturdier body structure, denser bones, and higher stamina to the GSD, all ideal traits for a working herd dog.
The Swabian Service Dog is the largest of the breeds used in the GSD bloodline. The Swabian added not only size, but also an even temper and a courageous personality, both traits the GSD is known for.
Has The Breed Changed Much Over Time?
There is some debate amongst breeders and owners as to whether the GSD breed has changed much since the late 1800’s. Some question whether or not more recent breeders have added additional wolf genetics to the line. However, there is no proof, either through paper or DNA tests, to validate this theory.
So, how closely related is your GSD to the wild gray wolf? Probably no more than most domestic dogs. However, you can see some of the characteristics of the wolf in your dog’s noble appearance and courageous personality.
This is very untrue. It is rarely talked about so the breed isnt viewd as “agressive” but in the late 1800’s wolf was bred into the German Shepard bllod line. This makes a purebred German 10% wolf or maybe even a little less Over the years.So yes they are more ‘wolfy’ than your avergad dog breed.
I have one, a GSD and would love more info. I have alway felt he looks very much like a wolf. The long legs and the long lean muzzle., are very wolf like features. I would love to know more, if you have any good info beyond the internet please let me know. I know there is more info out there. Thank you so much – GSD dog and wolf lover–
Ha,in the 1700s the Indiaans had wolf pups at home,and they later mixed with the dogs brought in by the white people coming in from all over the world,so you really think only white people are to tell how dogs all over the world develop? No you better get good info from the people that owned the wolf country’s. Wolfs where killed but not the pup. And what kind of dogs where there in de America’s before the white came in??????And what kind of dogs did they came with???? All the dogs mixed with 50%,25%,75% wolfdogs in time. And ships come and go,so they brought the dogs all over Europe,what do we know about the gsd,husky,kangal,ect.BEFORE THE1600S , DO YOU? NO . A wolf is wolf correct,but what does that wolf become when from pup growing up in a good human home???? The same as a rottweiler,caucasian shp,kangal,gsd?? If you would put 10gsd’s or else together with 10wolfs ALL 6 MONTHS OLD IN THE WILD ,WHO WILL KILL WHO? NOT ONE.they will become wild and mix and mix,a wolf? No. Catch a mother wolf that has 4 pups for exp.and take away 3pups from the nest and put 3gsd pups in their place, now open the trap door and let the mom go back to her nest,will she kill the gsd’s??? If you even dare to think so,you know nothing about wolfs, family comes first ,protection. No one will touch them,ever.they will become wild dogs in the same wolf pack. So is a gsd part wolf? According to living standards of the indiaans at least 5 to 10% of the dogs where mixed with wolfs they had at least till @1year old,or longer.And that also goes for the moguls their dogs, AND THEN the white man came with THEIR DOGS,and mix mix mix , and then they started to do breeding…… ,with what?? They had their own kind already in Europe. Yes? Well they where hiped by the new mix after few years,yes mixed with their European dogs, so in fact some dogs where bigger and more wolf like ,but after starting breeding they became what you made them, because of the first partner you used, ect. So all the answers and nonsense you heard about dogs and wolves are WHAT they think and can not prove. Now days we mix them and call it wolf dog, haha do a DNA test then,and mix that wolfdog with a gsd,that pup with a gsd,then that pup with a gsd, and so on 20 times and what you have THEN ? A GSD? A WOLFDOG? DO A DNA TEST. The ears will get longer and longer,the colour will change to gsd,and so on. A gsd that was long long before all kind of gsd’s was silversable, silverblack,silverbrown and mixes of that. That’s an original gsd. The rest is made in..haha. for the colour,standing post,show,bigger, ect ect. NEP.NOT GENUINE. WHAT came out of the mixed before was original ,mix between European dogs and so called Indian dogs(some). Now what will happen if you mix a wolfdog(wolf/gsd) with a wolf,just 5 times the pup with pure wolf, ect.??? You get a wolf?? Do a dna test. A question: 10gsd pups growing up in the wild till up to 4 years of age,can you approached them,can you like normal tame them, will they eat your dogs and live stock,will they be much stronger, have more bite force, higher prey drive, and will they kill you if very hungry??? YES or NO? But still it’s not a wolf,it is a gsd a wild one. Can you steal a pup and take care of it and it will become a normal tame gsddog? YES. A wolf to? YES,if alone and with dogs. A gsd is a normal smart,strong,good bite force dog that is good as a pet with right owner,MOST dogs,but when very angry or protecting her pups she will become very dangerous, not unbeatable,but like no other dog ready to defend or kill if necessary. Only dog with the same attack stand front legs,back,teeth,neck ect right before they explode. Their are many dogs that attack for no reason at all,and kill for no reason at all, fight for no reason,,, a wolf? a gsd? Naa. …now show the world pics from all dogs and breeds from 1600 to 1700 and then from 1700 to 1800 and then from 1800 to 1900. Try old historical pics north America, Canada, Alaska.look at the dogs in the pics
I would get a fan dog test kit from a veterinarian.
Hi Corrin,
Everything you have just stated is wrong on pretty much every level.
Sorry, thank you though.
Len
People, scientist, idiots, DNA, all nonsense,a wolf is a wolf,a show gsd lowback is a made-up dog,in fact a “fake”. But a straight backgsd with the different coat colors is a good dog,and has like 40% wolf behavior and all the different wolf colfors,and many more dogs that lived in and around towns in the past,way back,when there where more dogs living in the wild then in town with humans!!!! And yes there where wolfs,and mix wolfs, and no idiots and scientist and studies you yourself did not attend!! Crap and white people lies,even North American Indians had wolfs pups and wolfdogs.
German Shepherds do have wolf in them! I have researched a ton of articles about it, including a professional dog and wolf dog trainer, owner, and educator mentioned directly about German Shepherd History. If something is similar, it’s not a happy accident, there is no such thing as happy accidents. I see this with animals all the time. I see someone tell me their horse is a qh, only to go and look at their pedigree to find 50 percent TB!. Wolf was indeed in the German Shepherd, but was bred with some domesticated dogs to wash out the obvious wolf features. Half of every article says they have no wolf, half says they do. I am sure the large majority aren’t wrong. All experts claiming these, how can two experts speak two totally different proven facts. Only the people who don’t want the ugly notion of supporting wolf dogs and wild breeds.
Yes! I totally agree with this comment. This is a good article, but anyone who claims the non existence of wolf is very inaccurate! They have more wolf recently then Huskies and Malamutes and if you look at their physical characterisitics as well as intelligance, and personality, very wolf like. Much more so then the husky or malamute. I had the chance to meet a pure breed wolf puppy at the zoo, she was out for petting, only 6 months old and she was huge. First thing I realized, is how German Shepherd she looked, she almost made huskies look tiny. Yes more wolf. I read an article that explain the cross breeding of wolves with domesticated dogs that created the early German shepherd. Used as a farm dog, loved the dog, therefore added more domesticated dog to hide some of the obvious wolf characteristics, in hopes to popularize the breed and not scare people away from it’s wolf ancestory. One lady, I love watching her, professional, works, owns, and trains dogs and wolf dogs. She mentioned the whole background of German Shepherds, I am sure she has her facts! Lols. Totally agree with you!
I had one article that said German Shepherds had zero. It was a public dog site. I knew that wasn’t correct, but mentioning wolf can be taboo to a lot of, non wild breeding of animals. But it was the same as horses. A lot of american books fail to mention some important breeds such as the Barb and Turkoman who also helped create the Thoroughbred our popular race horses! I see these kinds of things all the time.
I own a Sherman Shepard, the guy that breed them wanted them to be more aggressive and my father choose him by following some advice to identifying the most dominant of the litter. We ended up with a beautiful Sherman Shepard that for some reason is 10% bigger than the normal size, he has also a very strong character and only obeys 1 person, when I take him to walk other dogs approach him to attack him, maybe he smells different and while he does not attack people if i left him alone he will attack any male dog that comes after him and wont respond until he gets the job done.
He also do things like ambush other dogs.
as you probably agree with me, having real wolf genes in a dog does not make them more aggressive. My husky recently died , she was the gentlest dog in the village and she was 20% wolf.
I’m so sorry for your loss!!
Yup.Did the research and many or I should say several wolves were bred into what we now call the German Shepherd dog.
Ha,in the 1700s the Indiaans had wolf pups at home,and they later mixed with the dogs brought in by the white people coming in from all over the world,so you really think only white people are to tell how dogs all over the world develop? No you better can good info from the people that owned the wolf country’s. Wolfs where killed but not the pup. And what kind of dogs where there in de America’s before the white came in??????And what kind of dogs did they came with???? All the dogs mixed with 50%,25%,75% wolfdogs in time. And ships come and go,so they brought the dogs all over Europe,what do we know about the gsd,husky,kangal,ect.BEFORE THE1600S , DO YOU? NO . A wolf is wolf correct,but what does that wolf become when from pup growing up in a good human home???? The same as a rottweiler,caucasian shp,kangal,gsd?? If you would put 10gsd’s or else together with 10wolfs ALL 6 MONTHS OLD IN THE WILD ,WHO WILL KILL WHO? NOT ONE.they will become wild and mix and mix,a wolf? No. Catch a mother wolf that has 4 pups for exp.and take away 3pups from the nest and put 3gsd pups in their place, now open the trap door and let the mom go back to her nest,will she kill the gsd’s??? If you even dare to think so,you know nothing about wolfs family comes first protection. No one will touch them,ever.they will become wild dogs in the same wolf pack. So is a gsd part wolf? According to living standards of the indiaans at least 5 to 10% of the dogs where mixed with wolfs they had at least till @1year old,or longer.And that also goes for the moguls they dogs, AND THEN the white man came with THEIR DOGS,and mix mix , and then they started to do breeding…… ,with what?? They had their own kind already in Europe. Yes? Well they where hiped by the new mix after few years,yes mixed with they European dogs, so in fact some dogs where bigger and more wolf like ,but after starting breeding they became what you made them, because of the first partner you used, ect. So all the answers and nonsense you heard about dogs and wolves are WHAT they think and can not prove. Now days we mix them and call it wolf dog, haha do a DNA test then,and mix that wolfdog with a gsd,that pup with a gsd,then that pup with a gsd, and so on 20 times and what you have THEN ? A GSD? A WOLFDOG? DO A DNA TEST. The ears will get longer and longer,the colour will change to gsd,and so on. A gsd that was long long before all kind of gsd’s was silversable, silverblack,silverbrown and mixes of that. That’s an original gsd. The rest is made in..haha. for the colour,standing post,show,bigger, ect ect. NEP.NOT GENUINE. WHAT can out of the mixed before was original ,mix between European dogs and so called Indian dogs(some). Now what will happen if you mix a wolfdog(wolf/gsd) with a wolf,just 5 times the pup with pure wolf, ect.??? You get a wolf?? Do a dna test. A question: 10 had pups growing up in the wild till 4 years of age,can you approached they,can you like normal tame they, will they eat your dogs and live stock,will they be much stronger, have more bite force, higher prey drive, and will they kill you if very hungry??? YES or NO? But still it’s not a wolf,it is a gsd a wild one. Can you steal a pup and take care of it and it will become a normal tame gsddog? YES. A wolf to? YES,if alone and with dogs. A gsd is a normal smart,strong,good bite force dog that is good as a pet with wright owner,MOST dogs,but when very angry or protecting her pups she will become very dangerous, not unbeatable,but like no other dog ready to defend or kill if necessary. Only dog with the same attack stand front legs,back,teeth,neck ect right before they explode. Their are many dogs that attack for no reason at all,and kill for no reason at all, fight for no reason,,, a wolf? a gsd? Naa. …now show the world pics from all dogs and breeds from 1600 to 1700 and then from 1700 to 1800 and then from 1800 to 1900. Try old historical pics north America, Canada, Alaska.look at the dogs in the pics
You know although I definitely agree with you over the original poster saying that pretty much that a minuscule amount of gray wolf no more than your poodle or any other breed of dog ! Now when the Thuringia and wurttemberg service dogs which is funny because both Thuringia and Wurttermberg are east-central regions of Germany and that should be been elaborated on simply so there be mess unnecessary confusion when it comes to the GSD breed ! Reason I don’t fully agree though with both of you gents os because you say 10% the other guy hints even way less ! Well majority of the breeds history in the making isn’t in any book nor website but from the land and people of Central Europe and the why ? Why the GSD was so important to breed and much wasn’t to do anything with being a show dog at all ! Farmers and gray wolves ! Takes a wolf to catch or to stop a wolf mainly from stealing your livestock ! But a pack ? Now that’s a cane changer ! 10%? You say ? Try 75% and more
I would like to see proof, not heresay that grey wolf was introduced into the GSD. I have spent a lot of time around wolf/GSD hybrids and GSD’s in my lifetime, and am facinated with grey wolves. I have owned many “wolf-like” dogs:(especially gsd’s and Siberian malamutes.) These two breeds exhibit very wolf-like behaviors. It is also believed that German Shepherds cannot be part wolf because they are gentle. It is a myth that wolves are not gentle. They are very protective of and gentle with their own pack members. They have also been known to take in and nurture humans and other animals throughout history. When a wolf pup is brought up around humans from birth, it will bond with and accept the humans as part of its pack. However, it is still a wild animal and can be unpredictable. Now let’s look at the GSD: the pup when not properly socialized during its upbringing will behave just as unpredictably as the gray wolf. And as for the Siberian Malamute, many people think that these are unintelligent dogs because they are so elusive in behavior. They behave this way because they are highly intelligent and independent and do not look to humans to solve their problems. This is very wolf-like behavior. I once owned a purebred Siberian Malamute. He behaved very much like a gray wolf but he was more docile. Working with him was very much like working with a wolf hybrid. I currently own and am working with a GSD rescue; a 90 lb. black male. When he is in the house or on leash his behavior is typical GSD. However when he is in his closed in yard left to his own devices his behavior is very wolf-like. Under these conditions he is very cunning, evasive, and highly intelligent. He is always ten steps ahead of you and will not let you catch him, not even with high value rewards. This behavior is very wolf like. We have had his DNA done and the results did not indicate that he is a wolf hybrid , he is purebred GSD. This is an ingrained GSD behavior. most of the GSD’s that I have worked with in my lifetime exhibit this behavior under the right conditions. One can not help but wonder why they are so wolf-like. It is also very difficult to believe that they are not genetically connected to the gray wolf in some way. These dogs were bred specifically to outsmart the wolves that preyed on the flocks of sheep. In order to outsmart the wolves they had to be able to think like the wolves. If you were going to breed a dog that could do this wouldn’t you introduce wolf? Also, other sheep dog breeds also exhibit this behavior. It is necessary for the dogs to behave like a wolf to control the sheep. The sheep recognize this body language and respond to it. If sheepdogs did not behave like walls they would not be able to do their jobs as effectively as they do. How is it that all these dogs exibit behavior that is so wolf like? Very interesting subject hi, I would like to know more.
Apparently, proof does exist that wolf was bred into the line. Good luck getting it. The documents are the breeding records of Max Von Stephanitz, and in 2 pages there are 4 instances of wolf crosses.
Horand von Grafrath’s father was “Kastor”. Kastor was grey. Kastor’s father was “Pollux”. According to his pedigree, he was described as “a well-built, strong and tall dog, grey. Having a course head, he resembled a wolf, and his opponents considered him “more suitable for the Zoo than for guarding the herds”.
Wow, I had never seen that. I’m guessing the answer would lie in Pollux, but I see no records…..
do you ever think the “proof” is hidden for a reason. they act like this breed didnt come to exist until after being recognized by a kennel. all breeds created start out for years existing prior to being recognized. theyre hiding this dogs genuine back ground.
Apparently the z pohranicni straze kennels, working line gsds (east german boarder patrol) breed wolf’s into their lineage in the late 60s – 70s. This is documented on the internet. Very interesting read.
This isn’t uncommon, this is common with a lot of breeds, a good example is horses. A lot of breeds are left out and types of animals are left out of dogs, cats, and especially horse bloodlines. I see this stuff all the time. Like for instance, Turk and Barb were often left out of horse books for creation to the Thoroughbred, often mistakenly claimed to be Arabians, were indeed barbs and turks. They left turks out, because turks were considered to be ugly and weak in characteristic but were actually incredibly strong and durable. Which was why middle eastern people loved them! And Valued them! German Shepherd, I clearly researched an article as well as a professional dog and wolf dog handler, trainer, owner, and educator, that the German Shepherd was domesticated dogs and wolves, used as a farm dog, they loved them so much, they added more domesticated dog in order to hide the obvious wolf features, fearing it would hinder their chances in popularity from the public. These were nice dogs, but knowing they were essentially wolf dogs would have scared people off.
Thank you for your response Dr. I apologize for taking so long to reply. I set this aside and forgot about it. I would love to view these records but I have not seen them yet. I have always felt that there is more to the GSD than meets the eye, and not everyone can see just how different they are from most dogs. I think most GSD owners get it, although they may not know exactly where it comes from. The proof of wolf DNA in the GSD remains to be seen, however I will remain intrigued by the subject whether proof as given or not. Most dogs at one time or another exhibit small examples of wolf like behavior, after all they are all descended from wolves. However, this behavior stands out in the GSD. Malamutes may be more wolf-like, but I think because they look like wolves we just expect it. But because the German Shepherd is so refined these traits really enhance the breed. F Y I: the GSD rescue that I am currently working with is now 100 pounds and remains a Willey and cunning challenger to my patience and training ability. This behavior is relentless……dog or wolf; you be the judge!
Yes Capt Max did use a white wolf in 1876. If you can locate books from 1900-1930 with their ancestry you will see, he did use a wolf twice to create the breed, early on. I’m sure most of it has been eradicated like most other history is now being swiftly removed or written.
Where is the DNA proof of this?
You are totally correct! Plus most dog tests don’t always pick up wolf in them, even if they have wolf.
Wolf… (traits at least) as compared to most dogs. It’s common knowledge that all dogs are defendants of wolfs. In fact their domestication marked a huge advancement in our history by facilitating migration. These domesticated wolves allowed us to venture further out into unknown territory as we had someone to stand guard as we slept.
I’m in my mid 50s. I bought a 7 week old GSD puppy 8 months ago. He’s my 8th dog and have raised 6 of them from pups. This dog was my most expensive and is pure breed from imported German sire and dam. He is a stunning black and red, large boned beauty. What a challenge he’s been compared to my other dogs. Smart, strong and independent minded.
After many years in deed restricted communities we moved out to the country and my wife wanted another larger breed for peace of mind. I wanted to share that he has little in common with my other large dogs including a Black Lab and full-sized Labradoodle. All dogs I’ve owned do a great job of being God’s origional alarm system. But…all I’ve owned so far would more likely lick an intruder to death than aggressively bite. And BTW, these dogs are not into licking but would rather mouth you. This can be a bit alarming to visitors. As far as obedience goes, my Labradoodle was my first large dog that could be off leash in public. I can only hope my GSD will get there one day… As an early poster stated, this guy will only return when he wants too. It is a liability that people should consider when deciding what breed to buy or adopt. These dogs are intimidating and need to be closely managed as you don’t want them free, scaring the neighborhood. My GSD also has a prey instinct; all my dogs have chased and sometimes cornered small animals but this is my first that will actually kill and consume them. Also noteworthy is the dog’s teeth; they are much larger than my previous dogs.
I love my German Shepherd and will stick by him. It’s fun to interact with and train such a smart animal. I can say I may not have chosen a GSD if I knew how demanding they are. They will not be denied your time and attention. All of this being said he is the right choice for what my wife was looking for. He’s a step above just another alarm and I believe he would defend with intelligent force if needed.
I have a pure bred black shepherd myself which i got when he was 10 weeks old. The training began the day i got him. He is now 5 months, and top of his service class training to become a service dog. He has been off leash since 11 weeks. His barking is minimal and his territory is nothing out of hand. He has been in obedience class, he goes to dog park three times a week, and he goes out in the city three times a week. Socialization has been key in reducing aggression, attention demand, and behavioral issues. I have denied him my time and attention on many occasions in a healthy format for the benefit of himself and being independent. My GSD contradicts almost everything you spoke of. So I’m going to take your reply as a case by case thing. It depends on the upbringing and it sounds like your shepherd was significantly more sheltered than mine was.
I agree that it’s a case-by-case thing. My GSD is 17 months now and is much more focused on “people pleasing”. He often sticks to my side like Velcro. Our other 2 dogs are chihuahuas which was fine when he was a pup but probably leaves him longing for a playmate. I exercise him many times a day to fill the void; & for both our benefit. I will start trying a dog play park. He has had considerable obedience training. In the end a correction collar was recommended to get his attention refocused when needed My GSD has a calm disposition but remains much more independent minded than the other large breeds I’ve had.
I have a east german black gsd. He’s awesome. Best dog ever and very wolf like. We call him the beast.
No one here can seem to spell WOLVES, which is plural for a wolf. Wolf is what a dog says.
Von Stephanitz choose not to use wolf crossings because he could only get poor prodgeny. The gray color doesn’t come from the wolf but from a mix of dominant and ressesive traits.
The German Shepherd dog has no major or minor Wolf traits, ie,a dorsel gland,oblique eyes, course top line fur, undefined stop,overly thick undercoat,which is three times as thick as the German Shepherd undercoat.
Also, German Shepherd inner ear canal is much smaller than a wolf or wolf-type dog.
This subject has been and always will be controversial, but the physical traits,and more importantly the innate and reflex behaviors of the two canines,albeit autonomic system don’t constantly match.
John, you seem to be referencing the conformation frog leg GSD’s. So unfortunate. Anyone reading/contemplating a GSD, please get a straight back working line. My Izzy comes from the Easten European line of working GSD’s. Ask yourself, when you see military working dog GSD’s, what is the dominant color? Umm, bi-color. As a former supervisor of mine in the USMC MIlitary Police and Handler/trainer once told me, there are dogs and then there are German Shepherd Dogs! I do appreciate the Belgian Malnois as well, however, too high strung fior a family pet compared to GSD. As I am typing, Izzy, my 6 year old Bicolor GSD is underfoot as she always has been. When I get up to go anywhere in our home, she follows and patiently waits for her pack leader to return. She has never been left alone for more then 3 hours. When she wants her belly rubbed, she rolls onto her back and gains my attention by vocalizing the way GSD owners can understand. You must socialize early and often, give them as much daily exercise as they can handle, provide them with constant training and reward positive behavior. Never, ever, discipline this or any other breed, physically. Finally, as a former United States Marine/US Intelligence community, I have earned the required experience to speak to this matter. May God continue to bless you all! YODA!
OH BUT YOUR WRONG LAST YEAR ON HULU ME AND MY SISTER WATCHED A DOCUMENTARY ON GERMAN SHEPHERDS AND WOLVES IT SAID THEY ARE THE CLOSET THING TO A WOLF BESIDES HUSKY AND MALAMUTES WE USED TO HAVE 2 MALAMUTES SPIRIT SILVER EAGLE AND JAKE I MISS THEM ALOT BUT THEY’VE GOT NEW OWNER’S WHO ARE SISTERS AND MY SISTER HAS A BEAUTIFUL PURE BREED GERMAN SHEPHERD PUPPY NAME SHEBA SHE’S A JOY AND THEY HAVE SAID THAT GERMAN SHEPHERDS ARE RELATED TO GRAY WOLVES SO DON’T UNDERESTIMATE IT
Apparently the z pohranicni straze kennels, working line gsds (east german boarder patrol) breed wolf’s into their lineage in the late 60s – 70s. This is documented on the internet. Very interesting read.
Those were Czechoslovakian Wolf dogs, wolf crossbreds. Look it up. They were used for Border Patrol to tear apart people trying to escape from Communism. They let them out two at a time without a handler. Even the commies stopped using them and did away with them because they were nearly impossible to train.
Yes no they don’t constantly match in every characteristic but even with wolf interbreeding, that wouldn’t make every characteristic exactly like a wolf. Especially their long domesticate breeding afterwards helps wash out some spot on identification much like in any animal that has been selectively breed, that doesnt mean they don’t have them in their bloodline. They have wolf much stronger and closer then most dog breeds. This is a fact. With cross breeding features would not be identical. However I saw a wolf puppy and noticed remarkable similarities that are not in other breeds of dogs. Their is not happy accident in the animal or human world, if something is similar most likely their is a reason. I see this with horse breeds all the time, breed books to your ears even today still miss or avoid certain information. But any mixed bred animal isn’t going to have identical features. It just doesn’t work like that, unless people were selectively breeding tGerman shepherds to have only those outward qualities, which they didn’t.
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I have a gsd black and tan that I have for 2 months now. He is 4 months old now from a German working line dad and a mix of American and German working line mom. He is a bit feisty as you would expect in a gsd this age but easy to train if you are willing to be persistent and firm. My wife has raised many GSDs and understands them well. You cannot let this puppy be the boss of the house. I will recommend a daily regiment of walks, play, mind games if u want. This is definitely a dog you want to raise inside the house, they want to be loved and they will please you. It is a great family dog. I have so many dogs in the neighborhood and proud to say mine is maybe the best behaved. And if possible feed them raw food only. You will thank me- they will shed less, have shiny coats, no bad smell, small hard poop that is easy to pick. And yes, as far as I know they are 10% or less wolf. How would you explain such wolf like features and behaviour.
I have a 16 month old blask gsd from czec lines..He is so amazing! Trainable..crazy drive..sweet.fierce..his whole focus is gusrding me and kids..when he was 11 weeks old we all went to park..kids played on equipment..I tried to walk him away to sniff aroung trees..hw wouldnt budge..had to sit and watch kids..was so cute..and he did until they came back to me..also: a couple weeks ago he witnessed something he has never seen…me snot crying over a tragedy..he buried his head under my chin then lifted his head and howeled..I have to watch him when stragers come into my space when he is on leash..he will bite if i dont correct him.this is something we are working on with treats.though he is super friendly otherwise..once I give approval he is all lovey dovey..its just the initial introduction..he is super dominant..always challenging me..but I stick to my guns..he has never given his belly to another dog (or person)..even as a pup he would not submit..pissed a lot of dogs off..one went at him when he was 4 months old..he stood his ground..lowered his head..groweled and snarled..cried..until i intervened (he was screaming and other dog was attacking)..but did not submit even though he was scared..I love this dog! He will do anything for me..even if he doesnt like it..such HEART! Cant wait till we do bite work..he will love it
I have my 9 month German Shepherd i got it when he is 12 Weeks old in his 9th month he sized as we cannot imagine this breed is King Champion line very intelligent and obedient, i could train him as quickly, i amazed many times. His appearance is as same like Grey Wolf, And before i had Black American Labrador, She was very lovely and gentle with my 1 1/2 year son. My German shepherd also very gently with my son if he sits on him also allowed by my GSD. I love my GSD really a very interesting and lovely pet. He will call us for his exercise all the time when he wanted and always in active mode, If you doing something in computer he will come and lay down and place his head on my legs, really it is very lovely breed i have ever had. I am staying in Abu Dhabi where restrict for pets to keep and take in public which authority allowed, but in my area he is very calm and quiet and on leash he will walk without any bad behaviors which i never trained to be a good shepherd, he got his all good behaviors from the blood line. Really it is very amazing pet that you can keep with your family. If he looks like Grey Wolf even.
I was told at one time gsd were bred to the boxer collie/sheep dog is this true
I have a white German Shepard and he built more like the original German shepherds he has a straight back most colored GSD have a Sloped back which is worked in over the years with breeding
I have a black east german gsd. He comes from amazing lineage. He’s a great great grandson of pluto pohranicni straze and is linebred from Grim. My best mate is always with very protective, strong nerve. Nice straight back, solid build. Can’t fault him. His breeders only breed for the police and army. Am very lucky to have him as they are family and know I grew up with these amazing dogs.
This article is false. If you read the stephanitz stud book you will find notes and references to do not add more wolf blood as this is a perfect percentage. Hektor Linksrhein was a quarter wolf from a grandmother who was pure wolf, also one grandfather was white color which is considered undesirable characteristics.
Yes, this is exactly what I read. They don’t have a lot of wolf in, and he didn’t want more wolf put in them. I raised wolf-hybrids for 22 years. I had 5 generations of them. I combined Arctic Wolf, Timberwolf, and Alaskan Grey Wolf. I used hybrids with German Shepherd, Alaskan Malamute, and a bit of Siberian Huskey, even a few that had a little Chow Chow in. Even though I did sell the extra pups, I bred mostly to see what I could creat. I had one 50% wolf, a few 60 some percent, mostly 70 some percent, a few 80 some percent, and 5 that were 90 some percent. All total I had 71 wolf-hybrids and 14 dogs. I had some with white in their faces and I had some with black in their faces. Some had coats that were 3 plus inches long. Those were my favorites. Some people thought the black nosed ones were Shepherds, and they could be the same percentage of wolf as the white nosed ones. The 70 some percenters had 15 percent German Shepherd in. I had white ones, black ones, and grey ones, and greyish brown ones. I had several that weighed over a hundred #’s. One weighed 147 #’s. I am sure crossing them this way would have brought out the wolf, that was in the German Shepherds also. I only bred certain pairs together. I didn’t breed all the ones I raised.
I did forget to mention in my first post, that another party also bred a line of German Shepherds, and those did not have any wolf bred into them. So there were 2 lines that were bred. They usually do this when starting new breeds, so there are enough animals to cross back too, to keep the breed from getting too inbred, or you would have a lot of health problems. In the wild a breed will die out, if they get too inbred. TODAY THEY RAISE “RED WOLVES” AND “MEXICAN GREY WOLVES”, IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE UNITED STATES, JUST SO THEY CAN TAKE SOME OF THE TINY PUPS AND GIVE THEM TO A WOLF OUT IN THE WILD, SO THEY CAN ADD NEW BLOOD TO THE ONES IN THE WILD, TO KEEP THEM FROM GETTING TOO INBRED.
I studied this in great detail. I think the emphasis here is that he didn’t did not want more wolf bread into the German Shepherd dog. But that statement in itself indicates that someone blood was already ran into them.
All very interesting reading – evening the all caps shouting reply 🙄
I had the honour of owning three GSDs over the last 25 years (1 beautiful Black and Tan called Zoeie and 2 stunning straight back whites (mother and daughter) unfortunately all have passed on. Vikki, my last white GSD who weighed in at 49kgs of pure muscle, passed away on the 23rd Nov 2019 due to rapid advanced Degenerative myelopathy (DM). The DM, which suddenly reared its ugly head just in March of this year, and progressed so aggressively, meant my last furby daughter was put to sleep at home due to no longer being able to control her locomotory functions. It was heart breaking to see her go from a happy loving and protective member of the family to struggling at the end as her breathing was becoming affected as the DM spread up her spine.
I’d strongly advise anyone considering a GSD to get them tested for DM as soon as possible. I had tried to get the local vets here where I am in Europe to test her for DM but they were unable to provide a test except without spending €1800 on MRI scans which they couldn’t guarantee a result.
Ironically a web search located a genetic testing company in the States who were able to send, receive samples,, test and provide confirmatory results all within two weeks.
I guess it made no difference in the end yet I wanted to rule out DM in case it was something more like compression of the spine. She was 10.5 years old at the time of her passing and didn’t exhibit any arthritic lesions or issues with her hips.
People, scientist, idiots, DNA, all nonsense,a wolf is a wolf,a show gsd lowback is a made-up dog,in fact a “fake”. But a straight backgsd with the different coat colors is a good dog,and has like 40% wolf behavior and all the different wolf colfors,and many more dogs that lived in and around towns in the past,way back,when there where more dogs living in the wild then in town with humans!!!! And yes there where wolfs,and mix wolfs, and no idiots and scientist and studies you yourself did not attend!! Crap and white people lies,even North American Indians had wolfs pups and wolfdogs.
The military and police are moving to mallinois, because German shepherds think for themselves and will choose to go against someone’s orders and do it how I think it will work. I’ve met a few wolf dogs over the years, and I got the same vibe from them as I do from shepherd.i am currently owned by 2 GSD . They are smart, but they will also tell me when they disagree. My female rescue even pouts in a corner. Love the breed, no matter what they have in them
They’ve gone to Mals because Mals will work for any handler, German Shepherd need the bond and they tend to be faithful to it. Also, German shepherds heavier build and coat tend to overheat in more southerly climates (like Iraq and Afghanistan and the southern US)
As a boy and a young man my family had GSDs. I thought all dogs must be like GSDs but when I grew older and associated with other breeds I was shocked by the differences. GSDs are very, very different in so many ways good and bad.
This whole article is just a bunch of misinformation. German shepherds ARE part wolf. The breed was created by mixing sheep dogs with wolves. I can’t imagine why anyone who likes shepherds would try to hide this fact, as it’s the wolf blood that makes German shepherd dogs so useful and so special. There’s nothing wrong with them having wolf parentage, and it’s bizarre and sad to see that someone is publishing articles like this.
They have no wolf DNA. Look it up.
Really you have to understand the history here. In the 1800s and later, wolves were feared. They were predators and they were not admired. They were trapped and killed wherever they could be found. It is a fact that the German Shepherd dog today has at least three wolves if not more bread into its bloodline. However some organizations such as the AKC have worked very hard at sewing this information about the German Shepherd dog and trying to distance it from its wolf relatives. They have wanted to make the dog more appealing to the public since wolves were so much despised and still are in ranchlands in other places. People did not like the stigma placed on their dogs as being part wolf where is it now in 2020 and 2021 people are more fascinated by the prospect. I look at organizations such as the AKC and I see the damage they have done to dog breeds. I am migrated from Europe and I can tell you that the original Shepherd‘s when I was young did not have a Slovak the way American German shepherds do today. This is a fault that has been brought into them by the AKC for looks. However replaces a ton of stress on the dogs hind legs disappointed he is not even able to run nearly as fast as he was bred to run. Can you say the same thing with boxers. When I was young the average Boxer wait anywhere from 90 to 100 pounds. The dog was as bath as a large bulldog. Today because of the AKC, the boxer has become a very dainty room and skinny Doug for the most part. We see the same thing occurring now with the Doberman pincher. Thanks for the AKC this dog is now no longer looking like a cross between a Doberman and great Dane. It is not as large and ferocious looking as it once wasBut as it has been a shrinked into being a dainty dog…not nearly as large, heavy or powerful as it once was. And it is not worthy to say that if the physical discrepancies between today’s dogs and those of maybe 40 and 50 years ago or more different to the degree that they do, that the personalities and temperament of the dogs being breaded they also give her significantly. Do you have some so-called experts writing articles here and they are in denial of the German Shepherd dogs relation to wolves. But it is a absolute fact and photos can be found…And I have several… That show the two or three wolves read into the dogs that created the modern day German Shepherd dog.
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Some working line gas’s have wolf in them but don’t admit it. Over seas they are known to cross breed Timberwolf in some lines to up the bite force. Just like they are known to cross breed Pitbulls and bully breeds with Belgian melon Wah‘s to keep them from getting too lean and keep the bite force heavy. It’s not talked about with working line dogsBut it does happen. Because unlike show dogs are working line breeders do what it takes to keep the breed at an optimum level.
Belgian melon Wah‘s ?