Sable German Shepherd: From Appearance to Health Problems

A new german shepherd dog breed? Umm… No, I would rather say, it is a color variant of it. Then why a whole breed information article on that? Well, let’s just say sable german shepherd deserves this. Obviously, I won’t spill everything right here, to know in-detail information about a german shepherd sable you will have to read the blog. However, to at least inform you in short what you are seeing, or going to deal with is, here’s a sneak-peak. 

“Sable German Shepherd is the color variant of GSD, but that affects its behavior as well as health. It has wolves as ancestors and still makes an excellent pet for houses. ”

Next is the Sable German Shepherd Breed Overview:

This table would have given you an overview of the sable GSD, now it’s time to move ahead with the details.

History of Sable German Shepherd Dog

• The history of sable GSD is not so complicated. It is the first species of german shepherd dog breed. As said, it is a color variant of GSD, so its history is the same. 
• It is not only the first species of GSD but also the one that didn’t lose its popularity with time.
• The origin of the German Shepherd dates back to 1899 in Germany when Max von Stephanitz spotted the german shepherd at the dog show and wanted to adopt it.
• He found this dog to be the perfect match for the qualities he was looking for – strength, stamina, loyalty, work ethic, confidence, and loyalty.
• Then he decided to crossbreed the dog with wolves and then those were line-bred to get the german shepherd. The original german shepherd had the sable color.
• In short, the German Shepherd isn’t purebred, but the livestock used to breed GSD is believed to have gone extinct during the second world war. So there’s no exact information on its real origin.
• Till 1977, this dog was known as the “Alsatian Wolf Dog” in the UK. It came to the USA in 1906, after seven years.

FYI: In 2018’s genetic study, it is shown that a European and few Italian herding dogs broadly contribute to the existence of German Shepherds.

Appearance of Sable GSD

• The sable German shepherd dog has a similar appearance as of GSD, the only difference is the sable color.
• Male sable DSH is larger and stronger than the female german shepherd sable. You have seen the height and weight of both in the overview table.

• They have a muscular and athletic build, as they were working/herding dogs.
• They are longer than the taller. Their body has the S-shape, where the upper body seems taller but the lower body is longer than that.
• They slay the perfect jawline, long muzzle with black nose, and erect ears on the hard skull.
• Their eyes are either dark brown, black, or the mesmerizing blue color, resembling their ancestors – wolves.
• German shepherds have double coats in two length variations, either medium coat or long coat.
• Their double coats have two layers, the upper one acts as a guard layer and has a denser coat. While the undercoat is softer, which helps them in staying warm in cold winters.
• You might have seen the highest german shepherd dogs in black and tan color patterns, however, there are more to that from original sable color to red, silver, gray, white, and even blue too.

Personality and Temperament of Sable German Shepherd Dogs

• German shepherd dogs are patient in nature, respond well to the commands, and are highly confident about their performance. 
• As they are one of the herding dogs, the prey drive is high. So, sable german shepherd puppy needs to be socialized as early as possible.
• Once that trait is eliminated, you will see how truly loving, protective, caring, and loyal they are in real life.
• They are among the most intelligent dog breeds, as they can define the situation as threatening and non-threatening to act accordingly.
• They are caring and friendly towards children as well, which makes them ideal pets for families with kids as well.
• The sable GSD will take five times teaching to actually learn the command or thing.
• They have a strong instinct to please their owners and are highly trainable (more on that later).
• As a working and herding dog, they don’t act well with strangers, so it is very important to have a proper introduction session.
• The German shepherds are family-oriented dogs, you can’t leave them alone for long as it will make them feel depressed and may result in destructive behavior.
• As said they can sense the seriousness of the situation, it will bark if necessary to alert. This watchful dog will protect you and your family with its life.
• If you socialize them at an early age, they will be friendly with other pets as well, including cats.

Exercise and Diet of Sable German Shepherd Dogs

First, let’s focus on the exercise requirements of the sable GSD:

• As said in the above sections, the sable german shepherd is from the working breed of dogs, so it is inevitable that they need a good amount of exercise on daily basis.
• Give it at least 60 to 90 minutes of the exercise session to satisfy the high-exercise needs.
• You can take in on a walk or run, play physical and mental games. This breed is intelligent will catch-up on things quickly.
• German shepherd dog loves to go on a hike, walk, and swimming with their owners. They like to stay outside too, so keep this in mind before getting sable GSD.
• The sable German shepherd puppy requires minimum exercise, as its bones are still in the developing stage. For example, a four-month-old baby dog will need a maximum of 20 minutes of exercise.
• Make sure, you don’t skip the exercise part as without hat it can get into depression and boredom resulting in destructive behavior.

Now, let’s have a look at its dietary needs:

• Like every dog, the dog food must be according to its age and size. Large german shepherd will need a good amount of food and vice-versa.
• The dietary needs of a sable German shepherd according to its weight is as below:

(You should consider 1 lb = 20 calories to know the exact amount of calorie intake of your pup.)

• A sable German shepherd puppy requires three to four meals a day, for proper growth and to avoid bloating (which can be fatal).
• As your pup grows adult, reduce the meals to two meals/per day. 
• You should always look for food that is healthy, nutritious, and high in proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.
• Food recommendation: Go for the high-quality dry kibble for your pup to give it the right amount of nutrients in the safest way.

Training and Grooming Needs of German Shepherd Sable

Training is as important as exercise needs for Sabel GSD. Let’s take a look at their training requirements:

• You should not worry about spending a fortune or hours to train this intelligent pup. They are intelligent and clever enough to train easily.
• You will have to start training from its young age, to avoid any mistakes and proper results. Like other dogs, positive reinforcement and treat techniques go well with this pup.
• It might act as stubborn sometimes, but you shouldn’t scold or beat him, it will turn him aggressive.
• Before you start training, give them exercise they will react actively to the things you teach.
• You can train it for finding things, they are very good detectives and can fight anything.
• Early socialization is very important for sable german shepherd dogs to reduce high prey drive.
• Socialization will also lead it to protect you effectively from strangers. Introduce it to the sights, sounds, people, and pets around you.

Grooming needs of sable GSD:

• The german shepherd shed a lot as they have a double coat, you will need to take proper care of its coat for tangles and knots.
• If you have got the medium coat sable then, brushing twice a week will do the work. However, if it is with a long coat, you will need to brush it on daily basis.
• You can be assured with one thin, that this breed standard doesn’t come with any allergies.
• They shed entirely twice a year, and the rest of the time you won’t see much shedding.
• Brush its teeth every day to prevent tooth decay and gum diseases, even dental chews will also work.
• Clear its erect ears on a daily basis as it is prone to catch dust and dirt easily.

Common Health Problems of Sable German Shepherd

You read everything about the sable german shepherd from its history to training and grooming needs. As always, here are the health issues related to this breed. 

• Every dog has some genetic and prone diseases that they suffer from, it is better to keep an eye, rather than regret.
• There are two main health problems that this pup is highly prone to: 
• Elbow dysplasia 
• Hip dysplasia
• The reason for the above-mentioned disease is the malformation of joints, it can be painful, or worsen the situation causing lameness.

Just like all the large dog breeds, they are highly prone to hip dysplasia, so stop it from jumping in and out of the car or any high object recklessly. 

Apart from this, to avoid any other issues get the sable german shepherd from a reputable breeder, don’t forget to check the background and ask for necessary information.

101 Interesting Facts About Sable German Shepherd

• Sable German shepherd dogs are the real working line dogs, while the black and tan color is the American line GSD.
• A sable German shepherd puppy can cost you roughly around $500 to $1500, however, the standard breed costs between $300 to $700.
• Even though people say there’s a relation between the pigmentation and behavior of the dog, no evidence or proof has been found till now. 
• The pigmentation is because of cross-breeding and not any other serious genetic ways. Both GSDs have the same temperament, behavior, and needs.
• You can find Sable GSD in three different patterns, namely, clear, tipped, and shaded.
• As the sable puppy grows, the pigmentation also changes. How? Read the two points mentioned below.
• As the coat grows longer it can either get darker, the lighter, or develops into a mahogany color. You will see the change in fur color as it reaches three years of age.
• If the sable is born with light coat color, it will darken with the age. However, if it is born with a silver coat, it will go lighter in the shade. It will develop red color if the pigmentation doesn’t go lighter or darker with time.

Final Statement :

This was all you needed to know about the sable GSD. To sum up the entire breed in one statement, I would like to say:

“Sable German shepherd dog is nothing but one of the breed species of GSD, that has stayed around for the longer and is loved and will always be loved by everyone. You can’t neglect the protection, love, and care it gives you and your family.”

There’s a reason it makes the best family pet for active couples, individuals, and even families with children as well. You need to provide it with open space to let it roam and wander around freely. Make sure your house has high fences, as it might just jump out.

Discover more :

• German Shepherd Golden Retriever Mix: Ultimate Dog Breed Guide

• Best German Shepherd Mixes: 30+ Different GSD Crossbreeds