Dog breed guide
German Shepherd
The Royal Kennel Club standard describes a powerful, well-muscled dog with a weather-resistant coat, steady of nerve, loyal and self-assured. The breed information page lists grooming more than once a week and more than two hours of exercise a day.
Also searched as Alsatian, German Shepherd, GSD.
German Shepherd at a glance
- Adult weight, male
- 29 to 41 kg
- Adult weight, female
- 23 to 32 kg
- Size
- Large, 25 to 40 kg
- Height
- 58 to 63 cm
- Coat
- straight, hard, close-lying hair as dense as possible, with thick undercoat
Ratings
Petboost editorial ratings from 1 to 5, drawn from the breed standard text under Sources. A breed with no basis in the sources for a rating shows none.
- Grooming effort
- Energy
5 means it needs the most grooming
5 means it needs a lot of exercise
Next steps
- Find a local groomer or daycarePet businesses near you that take bookings online.
- Check a German Shepherd puppy's weightWhere a puppy sits against the breed's adult range.
- Dog age in human yearsFrom a formula, not the seven-to-one rule.
Sources
- Petboost breed reference data, adult weight ranges (breed list snapshot).
- Royal Kennel Club, German Shepherd Dog breed standard, https://www.royalkennelclub.com/breed-standards/pastoral/german-shepherd-dog/, read 5 Oct 2026
- Royal Kennel Club, German Shepherd Dog breed information, https://www.royalkennelclub.com/search/breeds-a-to-z/breeds/pastoral/german-shepherd-dog/, read 5 Oct 2026 (via search summary)
General information about the breed, not veterinary advice. Speak with your vet about your own pet.