# Shepherd vs XL Shepherd



## VickyNero (Nov 8, 2017)

I wondered if anyone had a XL German Shepherd, as I have seen a lot about the size of a dog lately.

I know there is such thing as an XL German Shepherd like some other breeds, i.e. bulldogs
But I have never seen any for sale as an XL Shepherd, in the UK anyway.

Anyone that does have experience with them, do you know of any difference good or bad.


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## car2ner (Apr 9, 2014)

the "XL Shepherd" might also be a Shiloh Shepherd or King Shepherd. I know the Shiloh fanciers are trying to make it a breed all its own.


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## Slamdunc (Dec 6, 2007)

A German Shepherd is a medium sized dog, there is no such thing as an XL Shepherd. In a well bred litter, occasionally you will have a larger dog. IMHO, any breeder that breeds for larger sizes or advertises GSD's based on a larger size is ill informed and is certainly not a knowledgeable breeder. 

There are breed standards for the GSD:

_*General appearance

The German Shepherd Dog is medium-size, slightly elongated, powerful and well-muscled, with dry bone and firm overall structure.

Important dimensional ratios 

The height at the withers amounts to 60 cm to 65 cm for male dogs and 55 cm to 60 cm for female dogs. The trunk length exceeds the dimension at the height at the withers by about 10 – 17 %.

Size/weight

Male dogs:

Height at the withers: 60 cm to 65 cm

Weight: 30 kg to 40 kg

Female dogs:

Height at the withers: 55 cm to 60 cm

Weight: 22 kg to 32 kg
*_

Once a breeder begins to breed for one trait, especially size many of the other temperament, character and health traits are lost. You asked if there are differences, good or bad? Yes, there are differences. GSD's improperly bred to be larger dogs will suffer from joint issues, health issues and will not have the speed and stamina of a properly bred dog. There will be temperament issues as well that can range from lack of drive to nerves. 

I have owned GSD's for many reasons and I train in both sport and work my dogs. I've never seen dog that was purposely bred to be oversized have any impressive traits, temperament or working ability better than a well bred dog of a correct size. I like fast, powerful, high drive dogs the can run all day. The Shiloh Shepherds or other over sized dogs will never keep up. One thing the larger oversized dogs do well is shed.


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## VickyNero (Nov 8, 2017)

Yes by XL I do mean the King shepherd that was bred between the Shiloh and German Shepherd.

I know its not its own breed which is why I have seen it called an XL Shepherd.

But I have still never seen these sold as this, is it possible this is because there is no known breeding of king to king.

I do understand the terrible traits of the miss breeding for a larger dog, but I assume this is just a cross breed.
I have never known a German Shepherd to be classed as a medium sized dog but a large.
Mine is certainly not a medium and is a very healthy dog.


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

If your seeing a lot of these extra large GSD (Looking dogs???) If you can ask, the owners about them. If they are really large 117+ and tall??? Then most likely they are "King Shepard's???" A dog that looks like a GSD but is not a GSD. Different purpose different temperament.

If you have dog shows, you could go there to see actual GSD's or at a local rescue, you could volunteer at the rescue and get familiar with actual GSD's.


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## MineAreWorkingline (May 2, 2015)

VickyNero said:


> Yes by XL I do mean the King shepherd that was bred between the Shiloh and German Shepherd.
> 
> I know its not its own breed which is why I have seen it called an XL Shepherd.
> 
> ...


First of all, what Slamdunc said. :thumbup:

I have never heard of crossing a Shiloh Shepherd to a King Shepherd, not sure what that would produce or why it would be done. There are plenty of King Shepherds being bred to King Shepherds. Have you googled King Shepherd breeders? Just because a German Shepherd is over sized, does NOT make it a King or a Shiloh Shepherd. German Shepherds do NOT morph into other dog breeds because they are larger than breed standard. An over sized German Shepherd is simply that, a German Shepherd that is larger than breed standard.

There are some breeders breeding what they call old fashioned, straight back, over sized German Shepherds and personally, I would steer clear. Shiloh Shepherds, King Shepherds and German Shepherds bred for over size for some reason are seriously lacking in the temperament department. If you really like German Shepherds, you would most likely be disappointed purchasing from one of those breeders.


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## Sunsilver (Apr 8, 2014)

The Shiloh breed started when Tina Barber crossed her oversized German Shepherds with a dog named Secret Sampson-Woo that was supposedly part GSD and part giant Malamute.

As breed warden, Tina was very particular about the breeding of this new breed. When a lady named Alice Fisher decided to ignore Tina's standards and breed the Shilohs as she pleased, Tina took her to court, and said if you do this, you can't call your dogs Shilohs anymore.

Tina won, and Alice changed the name of her dogs to King Shepherds. However, because of the outcross to Sampson, these dogs cannot be considered or registered as GSDs.

There was another dog involved named Super Sweet Sabrina Selah that is a registered GSD, but was of dubious purity (before days of genetic testing) and this is where some Sarplaninac blood may have gotten into both the Shiloh and the King Shepherd. Alice owned Sabrina, and intensively line-bred on her, which was not a good idea, as she was already heavily inbred, and carried quite a few faults.

Personally, I would not want anything to do with either oversized straight-backed GSDs, Shilohs or Kings.


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## VickyNero (Nov 8, 2017)

Can I just clarify, I am talking about three different breeds here.

German Shepherd, Shiloh Shepherds and King Shepherd.

And all I was asking was if any one owned or had experience with the larger, Shiloh and King breeds.

Don't confuse me with asking about just breeding of larger dogs.

And I just personally have a big dog and have not met anyone to call a GSD a medium dog.


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## kimbale (Mar 7, 2017)

VickyNero said:


> Can I just clarify, I am talking about three different breeds here.
> 
> German Shepherd, Shiloh Shepherds and King Shepherd.
> 
> ...


If you've never heard people call the GSD a medium sized dog, then you're probably not talking to very knowledgeable people. 

You will find that we here on this forum are sticklers for the breed standard, which calls for the below (this is the official standard):

"General appearance

The German Shepherd Dog is medium-size, slightly elongated, powerful and well-muscled, with dry bone and firm overall structure.

Important dimensional ratios*

The height at the withers amounts to 60 cm to 65 cm for male dogs and 55 cm to 60 cm for female dogs. The trunk length exceeds the dimension at the height at the withers by about 10 – 17%."


Something else you will find here is that our members care more about temperament and demeanor of the dog than size and looks. Also, we like our dogs to work (the original purpose of the GSD was to be a working dog) and when the dog gets to be too big, it starts to lose it's capacity for endurance, speed and strength. Which is why you will find some bias against oversized dogs here.

Anyway, what specifically do you want to know about larger GSDs, and "breeds" like the King and the Shiloh? Ask your questions and we will answer. 

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk


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## Sunsilver (Apr 8, 2014)

I owned a Shiloh at one time, which is why I know so much about them. Her temperament went to pot when she was about 9 months old, and became frightened of everything. At age 2, she still wasn't able to pass a basic temperament test, and when a small puppy came running towards her at the yearly Shiloh breed show, she was so frightened, she yanked the leash out of my hand! :rolleyes2:

She was fine up until 9 months. When she was 3 months old, we were out in the woods during the fall, and we'd frequently hear hunters firing their rifles. She'd just tilt her head, then go back to whatever she'd been doing.

Other owners also had complaints about their dogs being timid: everything from being afraid to go for walks (not wanting to leave the house) to being afraid of the dark! I mean SERIOUSLY - just about every thread in the Shiloh training forum was someone complaining about their fearful Shiloh! :surprise:

The breed is about 95% based on American show line dogs, with outcrosses to a white GSD (Hoofprint Orbit) and a black long-haired GSD imported from Germany. He was from a long-coat registry, but his ancestors were almost all registered with the SV.

Then there was Sampson, whom I suspect may have had a lot more wolf blood than Tina was willing to let on. That and the American line dogs probably account for the temperament problems encountered by many of the owners. 

The breed also has inherited some heart problems, where dogs would drop dead in their tracks at a young age. Now all pups are being tested with a Holter monitor before they are given the green light to become breeding stock.

Tina was a difficult person to get along with, and this caused numerous splits and divisions in the breed. (Her sig line in the forums was "You can agree with me or you can continue to be wrong.) Since she died 5 years ago, there's been yet ANOTHER split. Apparently her daughter, Lisa, hasn't been doing a very good job of running things, and her kennel was cited for numerous violations, and was forced to go out of business. Breeders had numerous other issues with the way she was running things, too, so they formed their own registry, and split with the I.S.S.R.

I've long since lost track of all the different breed registries, each claiming to breed the 'true' Shiloh. I seriously doubt the breed is ever going to be recognized by AKC, unless another person with Tina's forceful personality and sales ability pops up.

Please, stay away from it. It's in a real mess!

I dont know a lot about the Kings. I just know that Tina very strongly warned people that a little bit of Sabrina in the pedigree was okay, but a lot was not, as the dog carried some serious genetic issues. And as I said above, Alice didn't heed that warning.


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## Sunsilver (Apr 8, 2014)

Something else to beware of: many people breed oversized GSDs, and sell them as King shepherds. At times I suspect SV members are using North America a a dumping ground for their GSDs that exceed the height standard, as most N. Americans aren't aware there IS a height standard, and many think 'bigger is better' because the dog looks more threatening. Watch out for this B.S. - these dogs are NOT really King Shepherds!

Ask to see papers as proof. Ask to see health certifications, too! A larger dog has more weight on its joints, and is therefore more at risk from joint disease, so it's more important to know that the parents have been OFA certified!


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## Whiteshepherds (Aug 21, 2010)

Sunsilver said:


> I owned a Shiloh at one time, which is why I know so much about them.


Sorry to go OT but just curious..what made you decide to go with the Shiloh breed? Had you owned a GSD previously?


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## Sunsilver (Apr 8, 2014)

Yes, I owned a female GSD I'd hope to breed. But she x-rayed as dysplastic in one hip at 2 years, and I was heartbroken! A friend was expecting a litter of Shiloh pups, and asked me if I wanted one. I was looking for a dog I could do tracking and other performance events with, and possibly show. I also wanted a dog I could train as a hearing ear service dog. The full litter sister to the mother of these pups was one of the best, smartest service dogs I'd ever heard about, so of course, I was hoping one of the pups in this litter would be service dog material.

[sigh] BIG disappointment. After hundreds of dollars on training classes, and hundreds of hours of training, I reluctantly realized she was never going to be the dog I wanted, so I rehomed her to a pet home. 

I watched this puppy being born, watched her grow up, and knew the weakness in temperament HAD to be genetic. The threads on the Shiloh forums from owners with similar problems backed that up, despite the breeder trying to convince me I was the one to blame for the pup's problems.

Funny - none of the GSDs I've raise have had similar problems... :rolleyes2:


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## voodoolamb (Jun 21, 2015)

VickyNero said:


> \
> 
> And I just personally have a big dog and have not met anyone to call a GSD a medium dog.


The breed standard calls them a medium-sized dog. Males should range between 24-26 inches at the withers and fall somewhere between 66 - 88lbs. Bitches 22-24 inches and between 48 - 70 lbs. 

It's a bit of a subjective thing. I think it is important to keep in mind that the standard was written when there was a less universally accepted definition of what a small, medium, or large dog is. Heck even now they have expanded it to 5 dog "sizes". In modern vet offices, pet guide books, and back of dog food bags it's common to see something like this:

Toy dog < 10lbs

Small Dog 10 - 25lbs

Medium Dog 25 -55 lbs

Large dog 55 - 90 lbs

Giant dog > 90lbs

I guess technically that GSDs would be a medium-large breed. As the standard size calls for a range that would straddle both designations. You aren't wrong to call a GSD a large breed, I mean most vets and breed experts would recommend a pup to be put on a large breed puppy food.

I personally like to think of GSDs are "working size" a dog that has enough weight to throw around when dealing with an ornery ram or a bad guy, but still maintains speed, agility and a longer working life re:wear and tear. 

Bigger is not better with the breed, and as others have said beware anyone touting the size of their breeding dogs.


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## LoboFloppyEars (Oct 15, 2016)

Slamdunc said:


> A German Shepherd is a medium sized dog, there is no such thing as an XL Shepherd. In a well bred litter, occasionally you will have a larger dog. IMHO, any breeder that breeds for larger sizes or advertises GSD's based on a larger size is ill informed and is certainly not a knowledgeable breeder.
> 
> There are breed standards for the GSD:
> 
> ...


I did see a video of a oversized GSD trying to do work, and it was very slow moving. And when it bit the decoy, it didn't do it with anywhere near the intensity that the working lines do.


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## MineAreWorkingline (May 2, 2015)

LoboFloppyEars said:


> I did see a video of a oversized GSD trying to do work, and it was very slow moving. And when it bit the decoy, it didn't do it with anywhere near the intensity that the working lines do.


How do you know it wasn't working lines?


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## VickyNero (Nov 8, 2017)

Sunsilver said:


> I owned a Shiloh at one time, which is why I know so much about them. Her temperament went to pot when she was about 9 months old, and became frightened of everything. At age 2, she still wasn't able to pass a basic temperament test, and when a small puppy came running towards her at the yearly Shiloh breed show, she was so frightened, she yanked the leash out of my hand! :rolleyes2:
> 
> She was fine up until 9 months. When she was 3 months old, we were out in the woods during the fall, and we'd frequently hear hunters firing their rifles. She'd just tilt her head, then go back to whatever she'd been doing.
> 
> ...



Thank you for actually giving me some information about the Shiloh Breed.
Large breeds seem to be a touchy subject in this forum.
I love my big black GSD hes a massive but healthy softy.

I'm not really concerned with working dogs or breeding 'standards', I don't need to be, just simply wanted to know a but about the breeds and the similarity or differences to GSD.

So thank you Sunsilver, if anyone has much knowledge about the King Shepherds I would be interested.


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## Slamdunc (Dec 6, 2007)

It's not that "large breeds" are a touchy subject. There are plenty of excellent large breed dogs if you want a large breed. You could look at Bernese Mountain dogs, Irish Wolfhounds, Saint Bernards, etc. Those are large breed dogs. 

The reason you feel is that "large breeds" are a touchy subject is because a GSD is not a large breed dog. As a GSD owner for many years I feel a certain responsibility to adhere to breed standards. I'm not a breeder, but the GSD is my breed of choice. When I look at a German Shepherd I look at the entire dog, that includes temperament, structure, health, drive and working ability. When I look at a Lab or a Saint Bernard I see a different dog. I expect to see a different size, structure and temperament and working ability. 

While what a GSD is supposed to be, and bred to be may not concern some people it should concern GSD breeders. The breeders should adhere to the standards of the breed, in size, structure, temperament and working ability. Unfortunately, the vast majority of breeders do not adhere to any standards and have "GSD look alikes." A nice dog with a lab like personality, if your lucky, with pointy ears and black and tan coat. Often you don't even get a lab like personality but a nervous insecure dog that barely resembles a GSD in looks, structure and color. 

Breeders that advertise their dogs based on a large size, over sized or for a specific color or look, while not taking working ability or temperament into consideration do the breed a HUGE disservice. Working ability is important for a GSD, for it is a working breed. This is why you see fewer and fewer GSD's being used in LE work. 

There already and has been for years a distinct split in the breed, between American dogs, SL dogs and WL dogs. The split continues to grow. Soon, there will be furry dogs that resemble what the GSD used to be but will never actually be. 

The Shiloh shepherd or the King shepherd are good examples of poor breeding and producing dogs with poor health and questionable temperaments. They have nothing to offer except size, which is really a shame for the unsuspecting buyer that always thinks "bigger is better." For the GSD I can say that "bigger is not better." There is nothing that a 100+ lb GSD can do better than my 82 lb dog. I guarantee it will not run faster, work harder, bite harder, track better, jump higher, protect better, be more obedient, search for narcotics better, or be more agile. 

Yes, I suppose I am touchy about people that breed over sized dogs. To me it is just another inept breeder doing a disservice to the breed that ai have owned for over 30 years. This is not directed to the OP, it is a general statement to GSD breeders and the clientele for over sized GSD's. I would much rather have a conversation about temperament, structure, working ability or drives and what people do with their dogs than how big their dog is.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

Slamdunc said:


> It's not that "large breeds" are a touchy subject. There are plenty of excellent large breed dogs if you want a large breed. You could look at Bernese Mountain dogs, Irish Wolfhounds, Saint Bernards, etc. Those are large breed dogs.
> 
> The reason you feel is that "large breeds" are a touchy subject is because a GSD is not a large breed dog. As a GSD owner for many years I feel a certain responsibility to adhere to breed standards. I'm not a breeder, but the GSD is my breed of choice. When I look at a German Shepherd I look at the entire dog, that includes temperament, structure, health, drive and working ability. When I look at a Lab or a Saint Bernard I see a different dog. I expect to see a different size, structure and temperament and working ability.
> 
> ...



slamdunc that was one excellent post .


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## VickyNero (Nov 8, 2017)

Slamdunc said:


> It's not that "large breeds" are a touchy subject. There are plenty of excellent large breed dogs if you want a large breed. You could look at Bernese Mountain dogs, Irish Wolfhounds, Saint Bernards, etc. Those are large breed dogs.
> 
> The reason you feel is that "large breeds" are a touchy subject is because a GSD is not a large breed dog. As a GSD owner for many years I feel a certain responsibility to adhere to breed standards. I'm not a breeder, but the GSD is my breed of choice. When I look at a German Shepherd I look at the entire dog, that includes temperament, structure, health, drive and working ability. When I look at a Lab or a Saint Bernard I see a different dog. I expect to see a different size, structure and temperament and working ability.
> 
> ...


AGAIN......I AM NOT ASKING ABOUT BIG GERMAN SHEPHERDS, OR ABOUT ME JUST WANTING A BIG BREED.

I am simply asking about different types of Shepherds.
A Shiloh Shepherd is a different breed just like a Caucasian Shepherd.
I know a King is a mix, but just want to know any knowledge any one has about them.

I don't care if a dog is 30lb or 100lb as long as its healthy.
If anyone wants to give knowledge on what its like to own any of these three breeds as a FAMILY PET, please share.


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## sebrench (Dec 2, 2014)

I've never met a Shiloh or King Shepherd, so I can't comment on their temperaments. I have no problems if someone wants to found a new breed, as long as they have a purpose for that new breed, adhere to a breed standard, breed responsibly, and are able to home all their puppies. 
I am interested in discussions of new breeds, but I can't see myself ever owning one. I like the predictability of having an established breed. If I were interested in a large or giant breed dog, I very much admire Malamutes, Leonbergers, Newfoundlands, Bernese Mountain Dogs, Irish Wolfhounds, Great Danes....the list could probably go on. I wish that some of those breeds were longer lived. I have two standard-sized GSDs living with me. They are plenty big enough for me, any bigger, and they wouldn't fit in the house. haha.


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## Leon big boy (Feb 1, 2017)

I think i have a XL Shepherd, unless you Think that 120 lbs for 14 months old isnt big enough.

Its a beatiful boy, Leon, dont you Think so?

People usually says its the bigger dog they ever saw and he is Just a lovely boy. He Stills growing so i Think hes gone be a little bigger yet.


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## Nigel (Jul 10, 2012)

sebrench said:


> I've never met a Shiloh or King Shepherd, so I can't comment on their temperaments. I have no problems if someone wants to found a new breed, as long as they have a purpose for that new breed, adhere to a breed standard, breed responsibly, and are able to home all their puppies.
> I am interested in discussions of new breeds, but I can't see myself ever owning one. I like the predictability of having an established breed. If I were interested in a large or giant breed dog, I very much admire Malamutes, Leonbergers, Newfoundlands, Bernese Mountain Dogs, Irish Wolfhounds, Great Danes....the list could probably go on. I wish that some of those breeds were longer lived. I have two standard-sized GSDs living with me. They are plenty big enough for me, any bigger, and they wouldn't fit in the house. haha.


Malamutes are great dogs. Mine was pretty laid back overall. He also lived fairly long at 14.5 years. He ended up pts for HS. I recall the vet who had taken his last X-ray just before he passed and could not believe he was 14. He was amazed at his skeletal structure and would have guessed he was much younger.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

VickyNero said:


> AGAIN......I AM NOT ASKING ABOUT BIG GERMAN SHEPHERDS, OR ABOUT ME JUST WANTING A BIG BREED.
> 
> I am simply asking about different types of Shepherds.
> A Shiloh Shepherd is a different breed just like a Caucasian Shepherd.
> ...


Shilohs are NOT a recognized breed. To date "the breed is still being developed". 
Basically, they are still mutts. Planned crosses to be sure, but not to be considered a breed.
I have met several, and several more that may be or may be poorly bred GSD's. They were sold as Shiloh's. Temperaments are a crap shoot. I can say the majority seem rather dull. But two that I know were Shilohs were aggressive and out of control enough that they lived out their lives in a large dog run. One that I met was pts for killing the other dog in the house, one could not be near kids, two were afraid of vehicles.
Three of the ones I know were pts due to severe HD, one died of bone cancer, two lived to be quite old, two had heart issues.
Kings. Good luck with that. Every idiot on the planet has an opinion on what they are and where to get one.


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## VickyNero (Nov 8, 2017)

sebrench said:


> I've never met a Shiloh or King Shepherd, so I can't comment on their temperaments. I have no problems if someone wants to found a new breed, as long as they have a purpose for that new breed, adhere to a breed standard, breed responsibly, and are able to home all their puppies.
> I am interested in discussions of new breeds, but I can't see myself ever owning one. I like the predictability of having an established breed. If I were interested in a large or giant breed dog, I very much admire Malamutes, Leonbergers, Newfoundlands, Bernese Mountain Dogs, Irish Wolfhounds, Great Danes....the list could probably go on. I wish that some of those breeds were longer lived. I have two standard-sized GSDs living with me. They are plenty big enough for me, any bigger, and they wouldn't fit in the house. haha.


Haha, Thank you anyway for giving me a pleasant opinion and not making me feel like a monster for asking.
A dog is a dog to me as long as its healthy it doesn't matter to me how it was bred.
I do think it is very sad that some people breed stupid unhealthy fashion problems, such as short noses.

I did look into those breeds before deciding on a GSD, really wanted a newfoundland, but the problems they can have are also very bad and life span bad. Malamute or Bernese were also on the list, I love them.

I did go for a normal size GSD but I guess being an all black might have something to do with his size.


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## VickyNero (Nov 8, 2017)

Leon big boy said:


> I think i have a XL Shepherd, unless you Think that 120 lbs for 14 months old isnt big enough.
> 
> Its a beatiful boy, Leon, dont you Think so?
> 
> People usually says its the bigger dog they ever saw and he is Just a lovely boy. He Stills growing so i Think hes gone be a little bigger yet.


He is a big boy and must of had some kind of King or Shiloh in him somewhere, cause he doesn't look too big.
Hes quite dark tan as well which is nice.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

Leon has some features that don't look GSD including feet , head shape between eyes--- something , somewhere in the background.

don't burden the dog with excess weight .

good strong bone though !


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## Leon big boy (Feb 1, 2017)

carmspack said:


> Leon has some features that don't look GSD including feet , head shape between eyes--- something , somewhere in the background.
> 
> don't burden the dog with excess weight .
> 
> good strong bone though !


on strong bones, I forgot to say that when Leon was about 8 months old I passed the wheel of the car over his hind paw and it did not break. the vet said that his bones are very strong because the normal thing would be to have had serious fractures and crushing of the paw. became swollen and limping for about 15 days but recovered perfectly in less than a month. I Gave bom artrin


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## r3tro23 (Dec 30, 2017)

Interesting


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## Stephanie N (Aug 7, 2021)

2 months ago I bought GSD pup with a decent pedigree and am shocked at how big he is now. He is not quite 4 months and weighs 45lbs. He is not fat at all...has a stomach tuck and I wonder if I should be concerned about him being so huge? He was not advertised at xl or anything. Just a pup with a solid pedigree. I'm feeding him Pedigree Pro large breed puppy kibble and some raw foods mixed in it. He's a picky eater. Any suggestions on care or things to look out for with his size?



voodoolamb said:


> The breed standard calls them a medium-sized dog. Males should range between 24-26 inches at the withers and fall somewhere between 66 - 88lbs. Bitches 22-24 inches and between 48 - 70 lbs.
> 
> It's a bit of a subjective thing. I think it is important to keep in mind that the standard was written when there was a less universally accepted definition of what a small, medium, or large dog is. Heck even now they have expanded it to 5 dog "sizes". In modern vet offices, pet guide books, and back of dog food bags it's common to see something like this:
> 
> ...


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

This is an old thread and many of the members are no longer active here.Read about proper nutrition in this forum:Feeding Our Puppy


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## Stephanie N (Aug 7, 2021)

Thanks ...I was basically wondering if I needed to do anything different because of his size.   I'll take a look at the link.


dogma13 said:


> This is an old thread and many of the members are no longer active here.Read about proper nutrition in this forum:Feeding Our Puppy


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

Stephanie N said:


> Thanks ...I was basically wondering if I needed to do anything different because of his size.  I'll take a look at the link.


Nothing different. He'll grow to the size his genetics have pre programmed.Keeping him toned,lean, and fit just like all GSDs should be equals a healthy dog.


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

Just wanted to add that the high end of the breed standard (80-88 pounds) would be considered a large breed imo.
There are plenty of active healthy dogs in the middle or lower end of the spectrum that I would consider medium sized.


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