The body that establishes standards of dog breeds in the United States is the American Kennel Club (AKC). The American Kennel Club decides what qualities make a dog a show quality German Shepherd. German Shepherds in dog shows are judged against these standards, and the dog that comes the closest to matching all the standards of the breed wins the dog show. German Shepherds that win certain prizes in American Kennel Club dog shows can earn the rank of American Kennel Club champion, a designation that appears on a dog’s pedigree.

The standards of the German Shepherd breed include these categories: general appearance, temperament, size and proportion, coat and color and gait. The general appearance standard of a good German Shepherd calls for an agile, alert animal with a look of quality and nobility. A German Shepherd’s size and proportion requires that it should be longer than it is tall, and the dog should look solid and fit.

According to the AKC standards, the proper size for German Shepherd males is twenty four to twenty six inches tall at the shoulder; the proper size for German Shepherd females is twenty two to twenty four inches tall at the shoulder. The German Shepherd head should have a noble, strong appearance, in good proportion to the body.

Sex should be obvious, with males looking masculine, and females looking feminine. The German Shepherd face features very dark eyes, moderately pointed ears (never cropped or hanging) and a long, strong muzzle. The nose must be predominantly black or the dog will be disqualified from competition.

The German Shepherd standard of the breed calls for a short, double coat with an extremely dense outer coat on the main body and a short coat on the head, legs and paws. German Shepherds with soft, silky, wooly and curly coats are disqualified. Variations in color are permissible, although a white dog must always be disqualified. Rich colors are preferred, and a tan face with black body is a commonly accepted color combination.

A good German Shepherd, according to the American Kennel Club, trots without effort while smoothly covering territory with minimal effort. Faults of the gait are serious and can lead to disqualification.

A dog with a faulty gait may have a skeletal disorder that could be passed on to its puppies, and an American Kennel Club champion will inevitably be used for breeding. A German Shepherd that meets the standard trots smoothly, with seemingly little effort, covering territory with ease.

The body should be deep with long ribs, a firmly held abdomen and a high, bushy tail. The forequarters are well muscled, with short, compact feet. The upper thigh should run parallel to the shoulder blade. The hindquarters are broad, with dewclaws removed from the hind legs.