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Breed Characteristics
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King Shepherd
| Country of Origin | United States |
| Weight | Males: 90 –150 lbs. (41 – 68 kg) Females: 75 – 110 lbs. (34 – 50 kg) |
| Height (at withers) | Males: 27 – 32 in. (69 – 81 cm) Females: 25 – 28 in. (64 – 71 cm) |
| Coat | There are two coat varieties: coarse-haired, which is straight and longhaired, which is light and wavy. |
| Colour | The King Shepherd comes with a wide range of colours: Sable, black saddle with tan, gold, cream, and tan or silver markings. Pale washed out colours are serious faults. The undercoat is little coloured except in solid black dogs. White, blue, or liver coloured dogs or a dog with a nose that is not black are not accepted in the show ring. Puppies change colour until their final coat. |
| Litter Size | 7 - 8 puppies |
| Life Span | 10 - 14 years |
| Origin & History | Two American dog breeders Shelly Watts-Cross, and David Turkheimer created this large breed from the Shiloh Shepherd (American and European German Shepherd Dogs and Alaskan Malamutes), additional American bred German Shepherd Dogs and the Great Pyrenees. An official dog breed club was started in 1995. |
| Personality | The King Shepherd is self-confident with a well-balanced nervous system and should not be shy. Extremely intelligent and easy to train. Faithful and eager to please its owner, this breed makes a fine working dog and sheep-herder. A courageous watch and guard dog showing courage and hardiness in his role of protector, it makes a very nice companion. The King Shepherd is full of strength and vigor. Friendly toward strangers, children and other animals. A docile, obedient breed with an easy gait and plenty of stamina. The objective in training this dog is to achieve pack leader status. It is a natural instinct for a dog to have an order in its pack. When we humans live with dogs, we become their pack. The entire pack cooperates under a single leader. Lines are clearly defined and rules are set. Because a dog communicates his displeasure with growling and eventually biting, all other humans MUST be higher up in the order than the dog. The humans must be the ones making the decisions, not the dogs. That is the only way your relationship with your dog can be a complete success. |
Care Requirements
| Health | Breed health concerns include hip dysplasia. |
| Grooming | The coat is highly weather-resistant. The King Shepherd should be brushed regularly. Bathe only when necessary. |
| Exercise | The King Shepherd love strenuous activity, preferably combined with training of some kind, for this dog is very intelligent and craves a good challenge. It needs to be taken on a daily, brisk, long walk, jog or run alongside you when you bicycle. If under-exercised, this breed can become restless and destructive. While out on the walk the dog must be made to heel beside or behind the person holding the lead, as in a dog's mind the leader leads the way, and that leader needs to be the human. |
| Other Considerations | King shepherds are not recommended for apartment life. They are at their best in a yard with lots of room for running. The king shepherd takes well to strenuous activity, preferably combined with training of some sort. They are very intelligent and crave a good challenge. King shepherds need plenty of exercise, possibly more than the average breed. If this breed is not on a proper exercise regimen, it can grow restless, and even destructive. King Shepherds are much larger than German Shepherd Dogs. |
