Helpful Info

THE SABLE GERMAN SHEPHERD

The Sable German Shepherd is a recognized variation of the German Shepherd breed. The Sable color is the most dominant coat color of all Shepherds and is the only color which fits the dog’s founding member’s strong ideology of a true Shepherd dog.

Although these dogs look different to other German Shepherds (GSD), they carry the same traits and characteristics as other variations of the German Shepherd breed and are known to be very loyal. These dogs are bred to produce the perfect working dog and German Shepherd dogs have gone on to have careers in the military, the police force and as other service dogs.

If you’re interested in learning more about this dog, read on below as we go into detail about their history, their characteristics and what caring for this pup is like

HISTORY OF THE SABLE GERMAN SHEPHERD

The Sable coat of the German Shepherd is caused by a dominant gene and was the first of the German Shepherd species. It is also the only coat color which did not stray from the German Shepherd’s founder’s ideology of the breed. German Shepherds are recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC) and the sable color is recognized by the breed standard.

BREED ORIGIN

To understand the Sable German Shepherds’ breed origin, we should look at the German Shepherd’s breed origin. They were first discovered by Von Stephanitz who spotted the German Shepherd at a dog show and decided that this breed was the perfect standard for a working dog. He adopted one of these dogs and named them “Horand” and then created the “Verein für Deutsche Schäferhunde”, the Society for the German Shepherd Dog.

Horand was the first breed standard for the German Shepherd breed and was bred alongside dogs with a similar appearance to give German Shepherd litters. They are thought to have first appeared in the United States in 1906 and were recognized by the AKC in 1908.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SABLE GERMAN SHEPHERD

Because the Sable German Shepherd is not a mixed breed and simply a variation of the standard GSD, these dogs carry the same characteristics and temperament. Sable German Shepherds are, however, often more rare than other colors of German Shepherds, which can make them more expensive as puppies.

The litter size for these pups will normally be 5 and 9 puppies. For the Sable GSD, it is likely you will spend anywhere from $800 to $1500 per puppy.

APPEARANCE

As we’ve mentioned above, the Sable German Shepherd is very similar to other German Shepherds and the main difference is the color of their fur. They are a large breed dog and the males will weigh between 75 to 95 pounds and stand up to 26” tall. The females are always slightly smaller and will weigh anywhere between 55 to 73 pounds and stand no taller than 24”.

These dogs have a domed shape head with a long, square muzzle. They have erect ears and long necks, which sit low when running or prowling. They are a very strong breed and often are said to resemble their wolf ancestors.

COAT

German Shepherds will have one of two coats, either a medium coat or long coat. They are both double coats, having a more dense guard layer with a softer undercoat which helps to keep them warm when they are out as working dogs.

These dogs are known to shed so they may not be the doggie for those with allergies. However, a proper grooming regime, which we will go into more detail about below, is important to reduce the amount of shedding and the amount of cleaning up!

COLOR

The sable color of the German Shepherd means that almost all their hairs will have a black tip to them, while the rest of the hair can be a different color. Normally this other color is tan, but there are a range of colors that the GSD can come in. These include white, parti, blue, liver, red and gold. TEMPERAMENT

The color of your German Shepherd’s coat has no effect on their temperament. They are extremely loyal and very family orientated. Because they are a working dog, they will believe that their job is to protect you as a family and are known for being alert and watchful, sometimes barking if they feel like they are in danger. Although socialization is important for a dog at any age, proper socialization for a German Shepherd will ensure they can interact with the family properly. Socialization is also important around young people.

These dogs are very playful and active and love to be outside getting physical exercise. They also need a lot of mental stimulation as they are very intelligent and do not like to be left alone. If they are left alone for long periods of time they can become bored and begin to exhibit destructive behaviors, so it is important they spend most of their time with people or they are trained correctly to understand what behaviors are desirable.

LIFESPAN

The Sable German Shepherd has an average life expectancy of between 9 to 13 years.