1. German Shepherd

(Image by Magnus Bråth under a CC attribution licence)

German Shepherds trace their ancestors to long-haired, short-haired, and wire-haired herding and farm dogs from Bavaria, Wurtemberg, and Thurginia. The first offspring were presented in 1882. It was in 1899 when the first Deutsche Schaferhunde (German Shepherd) named Horan was registered. For many years, both long-haired and short-haired GSD were shown. Today, only the short coat is officially recognized in shows. The breed was given official recognition by the AKC in 1908. GSDs are very intelligent dogs. They love strenuous activity and love a good challenge. They need regular exercise to prevent them from becoming restless and destructive. They thrive well in a lifestyle where they are expected to do a job such as a guard dog, police work, guide dog, and as a military dog. They also excel in many competitive sports including obedience, tracking, and agility competitions.

German Shepherds need a consistent Alpha leader who can train and control them and who is a consistent pack leader.

Today a German Shepherd can cost around $3,000 – $24,000.