King Shepherd: Breed Personality, Fitness & Care

Group: Herding

About King Shepherd

Origin and History of the Breed The King Shepherd's origin can be traced to several different breeds. Although there are some differences in opinion regarding the exact breed make-up, it is generally believed that American dog breeders Shelley Watts-Cross and David Turkheimer developed this large breed from American and European German Shepherd Dogs, Alaskan Malamutes, and Great Pyrenees. An official breed club was established in 1995.

A General Description of the Breed

The King Shepherd closely resembles German Shepherd dogs. The build of this breed is heavy bodied, heavy boned, slightly long, robust, rugged and muscular; the structure is solid. The head and forehead are immense and well-defined. The cheeks are trapezoid, not too full and moderately curved. The ears are erect, thick and firm and of medium size. The eyes are almond-shaped, set somewhat aslant. The neck is carried erect when the dog is excited, normally being carried horizontally. The chest is extremely deep, broad and wide. The belly is moderately drawn up. The back (including the lumbar region) is straight and well developed. Thickly feathered, the slightly curved tail reaches at least to the hocks. The King Shepherd has round, hard, short, well closed, arched paws with short, hard, dark nails.

Color

The King Shepherd comes in a wide range of acceptable colors : Sable (a brownish tan with brown or black markings or a grayish silver with black markings); bi-colored (predominantly black with red, tan or cream); black saddle with red, tan, gold, cream, or silver markings; solid black and solid white. Strong, rich colors and pigments are highly preferred.

Coat

Coarse-haired variety : The topcoat is very dense. Each single hair stands straight and close to the body. On the head the hair is short, as also on the inside of the ear, the forward side of the legs, the paws and the toes, while on the neck the hair is longer and denser. On the hindquarters and buttocks the hair is longer, down to the pastern or the metatarsus: the thighs are moderately trousered. The length of hair varies from one dog to another, and thus there are many types within the single variety.

Long-haired variety : The coat is longer than that of the preceding variety, not always completely straight, and especially not close to the body. The individual hairs are noticeably longer, particularly inside the ears and behind them, on the back part of the forearm and often in the lumbar region. They form tufts at the ears and fringes from the elbow to the pastern. The trousers are long and dense. The tail is densely feathered with light fringe below.

Height: The normal height of the King Shepherd is 25”-29"/ 63.5-73.7 cm.

Weight

The minimum weight for these dogs should be not less than 100 pounds at maturity, with the ideal weight for male dogs being 120-145 pounds.

Minimum weight for females is 80 pounds at maturity, with the ideal weight being 90-110 pounds.

Personality

Temperament of the Breed

The chief qualities of this outstanding breed are : a well-balanced nervous system, readiness, lack of inhibition, vigilance, incorruptibility, combined with courage and cleverness in defense. It is known to be an excellent watch-dog and guard-dog. The King Shepherd is characterized by unsurpassed loyalty towards its master and eagerness to please.

They are also remarkably athletic, very intelligent and easy to train. These qualities, coupled with docility, obedience and friendly disposition, makes the King Shepherd a treasured pet.

Better suited to outdoor or indoor lifestyle?

Owing to its huge size, the King Shepherd is not recommended for apartment life. Though the King Shepherd can prove to be a good companion for kids, they should be allowed to interact with kids only under close supervision because of their stature.

Activity Level

How active is the breed?

As the King Shepherd holds tremendous energy and stamina, it needs vigorous exercise. The King Shepherd loves strenuous activities, preferably combined with training of some kind (e.g. obedience training), because these dogs are very intelligent and crave a good challenge.

They need to be taken on a daily brisk, long walk or jog. They also enjoy running alongside while its owner bicycles. If under-exercised, this breed can become restless and destructive.

Grooming

The King Shepherd's coat is highly weather-resistant. The King Shepherd sheds and requires a moderate amount of grooming. King Shepherds blow their coats twice a year. They shed their full winter coat in the Spring; starting around April/May till end of June. Then, they shed their full summer coat usually starting around the end of September to the end of October or beginning of November.

A good fifteen minute brushing twice a week and a good bath only when necessary are more than adequate.

Health and Care

The King Shepherd is normally a healthy breed.

However, there are some infrequent cases of hip dysplasia. Any male King Shepherd measuring less than 27 inches at the shoulders or any female King Shepherd measuring less than 25 inches at the shoulders, or exhibiting any unreasonable expression of, or any form of, fear or sharp shyness, dogs with hanging ears or undershot or overshot bite, blue or liver colored dogs or dogs with lack of pigmentation except solid white coated, or having a nose that is not predominantly black, a dog possessing a long, or narrow muzzle, a docked tail, or one that curls forward above the vertical line from the croup is not fully healthy or normal.

Life Expectancy: 10-11 years.