10 Dog Breeds Similar to the German Shepherd
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Livestock was even more valuable in the past than in the present. As a result, people used herding dogs in a wide range of places. German Shepherds are just one of the dog breeds descended from these herding dogs. That means interested individuals should have no problem finding similar dog breeds.
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1. American Alsatian
Alsatian is another name for the German Shepherd. For those unfamiliar, the First World War caused a wave of anti-German sentiment in the United Kingdom and the United States. Dog breeders in these countries decided to rebrand the German Shepherd as the Alsatian to protect its image. The name refers to the region of Alsace, one of the bitterest points of contention between France and united Germany for much of the latter’s existence.
Under these circumstances, the name “American Alsatian” makes it clear these dogs descend from German Shepherds. Wag confirms that an American woman used German Shepherds and Malamutes to create the first of these dogs. Later, she and other interested individuals introduced English Mastiff, Great Pyrenees, and Anatolian Shepherd to the mix. In 2010, the resulting dogs received the new name “American Alsatian” because their old name made them sound too much like designer dogs.
People created these dogs because they wanted dire wolves. Strictly speaking, dire wolves weren’t wolves because the two species diverged about 5.7 million years ago. Still, the two winded up with similar appearances because of convergent evolution. In any case, dog breeding is a sensible way to recreate the look of the dire wolf without the inevitable complications from breeding wolves and other wild canines. American Alsatians are gentle, good-natured dogs that get along well with humans and other animals. They are nowhere near as scary as they look despite their size. If anything, American Alsatians are bad at guarding and watching because of their general temperament.
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2. Belgian Malinois
Germany has the German Shepherd, so it makes sense that Belgium has the Belgian Shepherd. Specifically, there are four kinds of Belgian Shepherds. Some kennel clubs consider them a single dog breed. In contrast, others such as the AKC decided different coats meant different dog breeds. The Belgian Malinois is one kind of Belgian Shepherd.
The four kinds of Belgian Shepherds have more or less the same build. Fortunately, it is easy to distinguish between them. The Belgian Malinois is the one with a short-haired coat. Primarily, these dogs are fawn-colored. However, they have black-colored faces and other extremities. In other respects, the Belgian Malinois’ build suggests endurance rather than short bursts of power. It shares this look with its close relatives.
Generally speaking, Belgian Shepherds behave like how most people expect sheepdogs to behave. They are smart, trainable dogs. Furthermore, Belgian Shepherds have a protective side to them, thus enabling them to find a secondary niche in security work. Supposedly, the Belgian Malinois is most notable because of its great need for activity even when compared with its close relatives. That makes them more similar rather than less similar to the German Shepherd.
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3. Bohemian Shepherd
Some people might find the Bohemian Shepherd strangely named. After all, “Bohemian” often means unconventional in an artistic way, which isn’t exactly the description that one would use for a dog breed. Everything makes more sense when one learns Bohemia is a historical region in Central Europe. The other meaning originated in French comparisons of certain circles of young artists and intellectuals with Romani people in the early 19th century. At the time, the French believed the Romani people had arrived in the country via Bohemia.
Regardless, the Bohemian Shepherd descends from Bohemian sheepdogs. Specifically, their ancestors belonged to the Chodové, who settled on the border between Bohemia and Bavaria to deter the latter’s expansion. Thanks to this, their ancestors worked as not just herding dogs but also patrol dogs and tracking dogs. Even when the Chodové lost their original role, they retained their connection with their dogs. Bohemian Shepherds wouldn’t have made it into the present without that.
Appearance-wise, Bohemian Shepherds have a fair amount of resemblance to their German counterparts. That is unsurprising. Pure proximity meant there would have been plenty of interaction between Germans and Bohemians. Never mind how Bohemia was a part of the Holy Roman Empire and the Habsburg monarchy. Still, Bohemian Shepherds have their differences. For instance, they are slimmer than German Shepherds. Furthermore, they are less active and less aggressive, thus making them an even better choice for the home.
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4. Carpathian Shepherd
Several sheepdogs trace their roots to mountainous regions. That makes sense because land can be fertile enough to feed livestock even if it can’t support crops. Indeed, this is one of the reasons shepherds move their livestock from place to place, thus preventing overgrazing from destroying these locations’ usefulness. The Carpathian Shepherd traces its roots to Romania’s Carpathian Mountains.
Carpathian Shepherds are one of those sheepdogs that do double duty as livestock guardians. Reportedly, their masters expected them to fend off bears, wolves, and other predators. It is interesting to note that Carpathian Shepherds don’t always interact with those predators in a hostile manner. Some people claim they have some wolf in them, similar to the claims about other livestock guardians that spend a great deal of time outdoors. Whatever the truth, Carpathian Shepherds are powerful dogs that develop loving bonds with their family members, thus making them a good choice for a guard dog.
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5. Dutch Shepherd
Dutch Shepherds came into existence at around the same time as the Belgian Shepherd and the German Shepherd. Initially, they could have a coat of any color. Later, Dutch dog breeders decided to mandate a brindle coat to distinguish these dogs from their counterparts in the early 20th century. Since then, the dog breeds have diverged. As a result, the Dutch Shepherd looks similar to the German Shepherd without being the same.
Historically speaking, the Dutch Shepherd did various kinds of farm work. For example, it kept the sheep away from the crops. Similarly, it pulled the carts ladened with cow’s milk. On top of these things, the Dutch Shepherd served as a watchdog for suspicious strangers. That versatility enabled the dog breed to survive in other roles when modern farming techniques and technologies replaced them. Unfortunately, their numbers plummeted during the Second World War because of the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. Even now, the Dutch Shepherd remains rare.
Those who get a Dutch Shepherd can expect a versatile companion. These dogs are intelligent enough to learn and independent enough to put that learning to good use. Better still, they are obedient to humans, though they need mental stimulation to prevent them from getting bored.
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6. King Shepherd
According to Dogtime, American dog breeders created King Shepherds using German Shepherds and other dog breeds. The latter include the Great Pyrenees, the Malamute, and the Akita. King Shepherds are currently under development. As such, it is unclear how their finished form will look. Still, it seems safe to say that King Shepherds will continue to resemble German Shepherds.
Health-wise, King Shepherds suffer from some of the same issues as German Shepherds. However, this is one of the things that dog breeders are working to correct. After all, American dog breeders decided to create King Shepherds because they wanted to eliminate the health issues that have crept into German Shepherds. Said concern is widespread. The gist of it is that some dog breeders have been breeding German Shepherds for their appearance with minimal concern for maintaining basic soundness. Different people have responded to the problem in different ways.
On the whole, King Shepherds are good companions. They are protective of their family members without being hostile towards strangers. Moreover, they are smart, trainable, and hard-working animals. People should know King Shepherds have a great need for human companionship. Leaving them alone for too long can make them destructive and otherwise problematic.
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7. Miniature German Shepherd
Miniature versions of existing dog breeds don’t have the best reputation. For instance, The Dodo criticized teacup dogs for being so small that they can’t function the way dogs are supposed to. A situation worsened by their lack of exercise and socialization. Fortunately, Miniature German Shepherds aren’t the products of repeated inbreeding. Instead, they are mixed-breed dogs created by breeding German Shepherds with smaller dogs such as Collies and Poodles. As such, they aren’t particularly unhealthy.
Of course, interested individuals need to choose the source of their Miniature German Shepherd with care. There is no standard for these dogs. That means one Miniature German Shepherd isn’t necessarily the same as another. If people are lucky, they will get a healthy dog from someone who knows what they are doing. Unfortunately, that is far from being guaranteed because plenty of dog breeders pursue profit at the expense of their dogs’ wellbeing. People need to be particularly careful about the latter when buying miniature dogs because the latter are so high in demand.
Please note that Miniature German Shepherds aren’t lapdogs. They crave physical activity and mental stimulation. If they don’t get that, they will become bored and worse. On top of this, Miniature German Shepherds are guard dogs, so they aren’t the friendliest towards unknown individuals.
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8. Northern Inuit
Dogs went everywhere with humans. Thanks to that, there are several circumpolar dog breeds still in existence. Given the name, chances are good that interested individuals will guess the Northern Inuit is one of these. Alas, that isn’t quite the case. The Northern Inuit descends from several circumpolar dog breeds. Even so, it is a modern creation.
In short, British dog breeders started the project in the 1980s. They imported dogs of unknown ancestry from North America. Subsequently, they bred those dogs with German Shepherds and several circumpolar dog breeds. Both Alaskan Malamutes and Siberian Huskies contributed. Similarly, Samoyeds might have contributed. Some speculate that the Northern Inuit also descend from wolf dogs.
There are different descriptions of the Northern Inuit. Some say they are good family dogs. Others say they are smart, stubborn animals of considerable size, meaning they need handling by an experienced dog owner. These different descriptions may come from how the Northern Inuit project splintered into several lines. Examples include the British Timber dog, the Tamaskan dog, and the Utonagan.
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9. Tervuren
As mentioned earlier, there are four kinds of Belgian Shepherds. The Tervuren is one of the two kinds with a long-haired coat. It tends to have a fawn-colored coat with black-colored extremities. Some examples of the Tervuren have greyish fur instead. Both color schemes are different from the solid black of the Groenendael, the other long-haired Belgian Shepherd. Behavior-wise, the Tervuren is like other Belgian Shepherds. They do stand out in that they are supposed to be snappier than either the Malinois or the Laekenois, thus making them less suitable for interacting with young children.
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10. Shiloh Shepherd
Love Your Dog says the Shiloh Shepherd is another attempt at improving on the German Shepherd. In its case, the relevant people had two priorities. One, they wanted a friendlier dog. Two, they wanted a healthier dog free from the health issues caused by breeding for showing with minimal regard for soundness. In particular, there was mention of the pronounced slopes in many German Shepherds’ backs. An issue that many interested individuals have commented upon.
Shiloh Shepherds look like their German predecessors for the most part. However, they are bigger because of their Alaskan Malamute heritage. Moreover, they have straighter backs. Personality-wise, Shiloh Shepherds tend to be calmer, friendlier animals. That said, they do have some potential complications. For example, they are big dogs, so people should always supervise when they interact with small children because of the chance of accidents. Likewise, they still need regular exercise to prevent them from becoming bored. Finally, Shiloh Shepherds are relatively new on the scene, so some of them are closer to German Shepherds in temperament than they are supposed to be.
