Dog Breeds That Have German Origin

Many famous dog breeds have originated from Germany. The German Shephard is a given, but did you know many modern-dayfavorite dog breeds can also be traced back to Germany? These breeds include Rottweilers, Dobermans, Great Danes and Dachshunds. The German Spitz breed also originated from Germany, and many other well-known breeds have descended from it, such as the Indian Spitz and the lovely Pomeranians.

Here are some modern-day dog breeds that have German origin.

German Spitz

The German Spitz breed belongs to the Spitz category that originated in Germany. The German Spitz is a small-sized dog. The average male is between 19-23 inches in height, while the female is 15-19 inches tall. This breed has a double coat, with a long, straight outer coat and a cotton-like short inner coat. There are five sub-varieties of the German Spitz, and these varieties sometimes vary in size. The five sub-varieties include:

• Wolfaspitz – This dog is medium-sized and weighs between 55 to 65 lbs. It is between 17 to 22 inches tall.
• Giant Spitz – The Giant Spitz is also medium-sized and weighs between 35 to 40 lbs. Its height is also between 17 to 22 inches. It can come in black, brown, or white colored coats.
• Medium Spitz: This is also a medium-sized dog weighing 20 to 30 lbs. and standing 12-16 inches tall.
• Miniature Spitz – The medium Spits weighs between 15 to 20 lbs. and is usually above 9 inches in height.
• Pomeranian – The Pomeranian is a small-sized dog weighing between 3 to 6 lbs and is 7-9 inches in height. Pomeranians come in many colors, such as white, brown, gray, orange, and black.

German Shephard

The German Shephard originated in Germany in the 19th century. This breed was originally in charge of herding sheep and keeping them safe from predators. Initially, these dogs were not considered human companions but instead assistant dogs for farmers. The German Shephard had a sharp sense of smell, high intelligence, and great strength. This made them perfect sheep herding. Once the German Shephard breed was domesticated and bred, they proved to be one of the most intelligent, obedient, and responsive dogs. Today the German Shephard is a great make great pets. They are also kept as police dogs due to their courage and character, and superb sense of smell.

Rottweiler

The famous Rottweiler breed originated from Rottweil, Germany. Rottweilers are a working dog breed that has descended from Dover Dogs. Drover dogs were cattle driving dogs that were left behind by Roman legions. The Romans abandoned that region during the 2nd century AD. In the middle ages, Rottweilers used to accompany butchers on buying expeditions. They used to carry money in a neck pouch attached to their collar.This role of the Rottweiler continued until the 1900s, after which the breed also started serving other purposes. Today Rottweilers are used as guard dogs, rescue dogs, police dogs, and draft dogs.

Doberman

Doberman’s were bred in the 1880’s in Thuringia, Germany by Karl Freidrich Louis Doberman. Karl was a tax collector by profession but also ran the Apolda dog pound. He had access to many dog breeds and wanted to create a breed that would be perfect for protection. He wanted to develop an impressive dog breed with outstanding stamina, intelligence, and strength. After Doberman’s death, Otto Goeller, a breeder, ended up perfecting the breed Doberman was working on. Goeller also created the National Doberman Pinscher Club for that refined the breed in the 1890s. Doberman mixed many breeds to create this one, including the Rottweiler, the German Shephard, German Pinscher, etc.

Great Dane

The Great Dane is also known as the German Mastiff and is a dog breed that originated from Germany. Today great Danes are one of the largest dog breeds. These domestic dogs are also known as gentle giants or the Apollo of dogs. Even though Great Danes look imposing, they are gentle and loving. They are also great with children. Originally the Great Dane was bred in Germany approximately 400 years ago. The breed was largely used for boar hunting. However,from the 17th century onwards,the European nobility enjoyed keeping these large dogs in their estates. Soon after that, Great Danes began their journey from massive hunting dogs to domesticated companions that could be kept at home. Great Danes have massive heads with square jaws. They also have an elegant appearance and come in various colors. They have a short coat that can be maintained easily. The average Great Dane grows to 28-30 inches in height and can weigh between 54 to 68 kgs.

Dachshund

The Dachshund breed can be traced all the way back to medieval Europe. Dogs with elongated bodies, hound-type ears, and short legs were used for hunting badgers in various situations. From the 1500s onwards, this breed was brought to Germany. The Dachshund was specifically created through selective breeding over the course of a century. In German, the word ‘Dachs’means badger, and ‘hund’means dog. Hence the Dachshund was created, literally translating to ‘badger dog.’ Originally the German Dachshunds were larger than the dachshunds we see today. But present-day dachshunds are equally fearless as they were many centuries ago. By the 19th century, the Dachshund was brought to the United States and the United Kingdom. In these countries, the Dachshunds were bred more as domesticated pets than hunting dogs. As a result, they also started weighing 10 lbs. lighter.