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German Shepherd Dog breeders

The German Shepherd Dog is a large herding breed in The Royal Kennel Club’s Pastoral group.

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Advertise your German Shepherd Dog puppies, litters and stud dogs

Do you breed German Shepherd Dogs? List your kennel on caninebreeder.co.uk so buyers searching for German Shepherd puppies for sale, and owners looking for a German Shepherd stud dog, can find you. Advertise planned litters and stud dogs, and tell buyers about the hip scores, elbow grades, DM results and breed survey classes behind them. A free Basic listing shows your kennel name, location, website, social media links and the breeds you work with; a paid Premium profile adds extras such as a photo gallery and health test certificates. Add your listing or see pricing.

No breeders are listed here yet, so the first profiles get the page to themselves.

  • Free basic profile: your breeder or company name, website, social media, location, breeds and industries.
  • Litters and stud dogs advertised in their own sections, never mixed with puppies for sale.
  • Premium showcase for your services and prices, previous customers, awards, video, gallery and health certificates, with your phone and email shown to buyers.
  • Sponsored articles about your breed or industry, written and published by our team.
  • Featured placement at the top of this page, labelled as sponsored.

Create your free breeder profile Advertise a litter Advertise a stud dog

Is it free to advertise here?

Yes. A breeder profile and your litter and stud dog adverts are free. Premium profiles, featured placement and sponsored articles are optional paid extras; see pricing.

Do I need a licence to advertise puppies?

In England you need a dog breeding licence from your council if you breed three or more litters in 12 months or breed and sell dogs as a business, and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own schemes. Licensed breeders show their licence number and issuing council on every advert. Puppies must be at least eight weeks old before they go to new homes.

Is my listing already here?

We add licensed breeders from councils' public registers. Search for your kennel name; if it is listed you can claim it and edit everything.

About the German Shepherd Dog

The German Shepherd Dog is a large herding breed in The Royal Kennel Club's Pastoral group. The RKC credits Max von Stephanitz and his followers with developing and promoting it, initially for herding and afterwards for police and military work. Since the First World War its courage and temperament have earned it recognition worldwide, and it has also shown its value guiding blind people, following a track and competing in obedience. The RKC also notes that the breed's appearance has changed over the last fifty years and that a marked split in type has provoked fierce debate. For the working side of the breed, see our guides to police dogs, guide dogs, working trials and IGP (Schutzhund).

Size and build. The breed standard, last updated in August 2025, asks for a powerful, well-muscled dog, slightly longer than it is tall, built for a far-reaching, enduring gait, with working ability never sacrificed for looks. It must be able to stand calmly without support, with both rear pasterns vertical. Ideal height is 63 cm (25 in) for dogs and 58 cm (23 in) for bitches, with 2.5 cm (1 in) either way tolerated.

Coat and grooming. The standard describes two coat varieties: a standard coat with a straight, hard, close-lying outer coat over a thick undercoat, and a long coat. The RKC says the long coat was once frowned upon in the breed's native country but is now recognised in the standard. It recommends grooming more than once a week, and the breed sheds. Breed standard colours include black, black and tan, black and gold, bi-colour and several sables and greys.

Exercise and home. The RKC suggests more than two hours of exercise a day and a large house with a large garden, in town or country.

Temperament and suitability. The standard calls for a steady-nerved, loyal, self-assured, courageous and tractable dog, never nervous, over-aggressive or shy, with keen scenting ability. The RKC gives a lifespan of over 10 years. With more than two hours of daily exercise and frequent grooming on the RKC's list, the breed suits owners with plenty of time to give it. Compare Pastoral group breeders, the Belgian Shepherd Dog (Malinois) or the full breed directory.

German Shepherd Dog health tests

Hip and elbow dysplasia are the main screening priorities. The RKC lists X-rays under the BVA/KC hip and elbow schemes as Good Practice, the minimum it strongly recommends before breeding, and names the German Shepherd Dog among the breeds most commonly at risk of both conditions. Dogs must be at least a year old when X-rayed. Each hip is scored from 0 to 53, giving a total of 0 to 106 where lower is better, and totals can be compared with the breed median; elbows are graded 0 to 3, and the BVA's Canine Health Schemes recommend breeding only from dogs graded 0.

Best Practice adds an eye examination and a DNA test for degenerative myelopathy (DM), a progressive spinal cord disease that usually starts when a dog is 7 to 14 years old, first showing as poor coordination in the hind legs. The DM test measures risk rather than giving a definite result. The RKC also points breeders to a breed club health scheme, and sells a breed DNA package covering DM, MDR1 and a DNA profile.

The breed has been in Breed Watch Category 2 since 1 September 2025. Judges are asked to watch for incorrect hind conformation or poor rear movement, and for nervous temperament. No test can guarantee a puppy's future health.

Choosing a German Shepherd Dog breeder

A good German Shepherd breeder will show you the actual hip scores and elbow grades of both parents, not just say they are tested, and explain how the hip scores compare with the breed median. Ask for DM DNA results and eye examination certificates too, and confirm everything on the RKC Health Test Results Finder. Some breeders also present their dogs for the GSD Breed Council breed survey, which assesses temperament, structure and movement in dogs aged 18 months or more and asks for hip and elbow certificates. Temperament matters in a large, powerful breed, and Breed Watch flags nervousness, so meet the mother and watch how she greets visitors. Given the split in breed type, ask whether the lines are bred for showing, work or family life. Be wary of adverts for blue, liver or white puppies, as the standard calls these colours highly undesirable. Puppies must be microchipped and recorded on a database by eight weeks, and in England a council licence is required for anyone producing three or more litters within 12 months and selling any puppy from them. Our buyer safety guide covers deposits and scams.

  • What are both parents' BVA/KC hip scores and elbow grades?
  • Have both parents had a DM DNA test, and when were their eyes last examined?
  • Has either parent been breed surveyed, and which class did it receive?
  • Can I meet the mother and see how she behaves with strangers?
  • Are your lines bred mainly for show, work or companionship, and how are the puppies socialised?

German Shepherd Dog questions

How big does a German Shepherd Dog get?

The RKC breed standard gives an ideal height of 63 cm (25 in) for dogs and 58 cm (23 in) for bitches, with 2.5 cm (1 in) either way tolerated. The RKC reminds buyers that the standard describes an ideal, so an individual dog may be larger or smaller.

Are long-coated German Shepherds accepted?

Yes. The breed standard describes two coat varieties, the standard coat and the long coat, both with a thick undercoat. The RKC notes that the long-haired variety was once frowned upon in the breed's native country but is now officially recognised.

What health tests should German Shepherd parents have?

The RKC lists hip and elbow X-rays under the BVA/KC schemes as Good Practice, and a DNA test for degenerative myelopathy (DM) plus eye testing under the BVA/KC/ISDS Eye Scheme as Best Practice. You can check a registered dog's results on the RKC Health Test Results Finder.

How much exercise does a German Shepherd need?

The RKC suggests more than two hours of exercise a day and a large house with a large garden, in town or country. It also recommends grooming more than once a week, as the breed sheds.

More for German Shepherd Dog owners and breeders

Official sources