All 56 German Shepherd breeds with pictures [2024] –

Shepherd dogs are dogs that were specifically bred for herding and herding animals. Below is a list of all 56 German Shepherd breeds:

Dogs, which are only responsible for protecting herd animals, have been neglected in this list. The above breeds are therefore also suitable for driving animals. [1]

Division depending on fur length

Division depending on color

Division depending on size

Division depending on popularity

Below you will find a list of all German Shepherd breeds.

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#1 Anatolian Shepherd Dog

The Anatolian Shepherd Dog originally comes from Turkey. With a body weight of up to 60 kg, it is also one of the heaviest dog breeds in the world.

However, this German Shepherd breed is known for its strength and courage. Because a single dog of this breed can take on a wolf.

However, these four-legged friends are very calm and loyal towards their own family. However, due to their independent nature, an experienced master is necessary here. [2]

Fun fact: Garden lovers fear this breed. If they get too hot, they like to dig huge holes and then cool down in the cold earth.

#2 Australian Cattle Dog

With the Australian Cattle Dog, the country of origin is already in the name. In their homeland they are kept as shepherd dogs, family dogs and as guard dogs.

According to research, this German Shepherd breed is also one of the 10 most intelligent dogs in the world. In addition, they get along very well with children. [3]

However, they sometimes react aggressively towards strange dogs. This is because they are descended from the Australian dingo. But they can be trained well.

Fun fact: These dogs used to pinch the heels of the stubborn animals when they were herding. Nowadays they also do this to people from time to time, for example when they want food.

#3 Australian Kelpie

The Australian Kelpie is also known as the “Farmer Dog” in its native Australia. Because these dogs can take on a wide variety of tasks with almost no supervision.

This German Shepherd breed is also very popular internationally. According to statistics, there are around 3 million individuals of this breed worldwide. [4]

They also make great family and guard dogs. Due to their excellent trainability, they are also ideal for first-time owners and beginners.

Fun fact: Since these dogs come from Australia, it's no surprise that they also hold the world surfing record. The longest wave ridden by a dog was a whopping 107 meters.

#4 Australian Shepherd

The Australian Shepherd is considered to be particularly energetic and active. This also explains why they are less suitable for apartments and big city life.

This German Shepherd breed is very easy to train, but still requires a strict master to obey. First-time owners are therefore advised not to do so. [5]

And yet the animals are very popular internationally. They are among the 20 most popular breeds worldwide. They are also considered to be very trusting, sociable and loyal.

Fun fact: These dogs have their origins in Austria… No, you thought wrong! This breed, paradoxically, comes from the USA.

#5 Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog

Wendy Hodges, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog is still kept primarily as a farm dog. Incidentally, it got the name “Stumpy Tail” through a genetic mutation.

Because these dogs are born either with a short tail or without one at all. However, this German Shepherd breed is less suitable as family dogs. [6]

The reason for this is their independent nature. Compared to other dogs, they only develop a moderately close relationship with their master. But they are very brave and obedient.

Fun fact: If you read the description of this breed on Wikipedia, you will read about a “blue-spotted coat”. Or maybe the author was just drunk.

#6 Basque Shepherd Dog

The Basque Shepherd Dog comes from the north of Spain and was once primarily used as a shepherd and guard dog for sheep. Because he is considered particularly protective.

In addition, this German Shepherd breed requires a lot of activity and attention. They are obviously happiest when they are around people.

Because they are easy to train, the four-legged friends are also suitable for beginners and seniors. They are also considered very friendly, familiar and loyal. [7]

Fun fact: When this breed is very happy, they often spin in circles on the spot. You see this particularly often in the presence of children.

#7 Bearded Collie

The Bearded Collie was once primarily used to herd animals in its Scottish homeland. Today, however, they are mainly kept as domestic and family dogs.

These dogs owe much of their fame to their ability to learn quickly. Because of this, they have been used very frequently in films in the past.

However, if this German Shepherd breed gets bored, you will have to get used to barking or gnawing on furniture. They also need a lot of exercise. [8]

Fun fact: The fur of these dogs naturally grows so long that after around 5 months their eyes are no longer visible from the outside.

#8 Beauceron

The Beauceron has its origins in France. With a shoulder height of around 70 cm, these four-legged friends are also among the largest dogs in the world.

Due to their excellent nose, this German Shepherd breed is also suitable as a search and rescue dog. But they also make very trusting family dogs. [9]

In addition, these animals love to make their masters happy through their obedience. They also usually get along with other dogs and pets.

Fun fact: Although the fur of these dogs is considered waterproof, you can hardly get them out of the house when it rains.

#9 Bergamasco Shepherd Dog

The Bergamasque Shepherd Dog comes from Italy and is primarily known for its flat dreadlocks. These develop completely automatically once the fur reaches a certain length.

The heavy coat of this German Shepherd breed is certainly not ideal when running. However, it used to offer additional protection against potential attacks from other predators.

According to statistics, they are also one of the 10 most unpopular breeds in the world. And this despite the fact that they shed little and are very sociable and gentle. [10]

Fun fact: These four-legged friends are so attentive that their regular naps are also described as a “vegetative state”.

#10 Berger Blanc Suisse

The Berger Blanc Suisse originally descends from the German Shepherd dog. However, they were bred in Switzerland and have completely white fur. [11]

Visually, this German Shepherd breed therefore has strong similarities to Arctic wolves. What sounds great at first also means a lot of maintenance work.

In addition, they shed relatively heavily and are not suitable for apartment life. They are very loyal and are suitable as both guard and family dogs.

Fun fact: The loyalty of these dogs knows no bounds. You'll notice this at the latest when they accompany you to the toilet in the middle of the night.

#11 Berger de Picardy

The Berger de Picardie comes from France and is considered very rare with fewer than 3,500 examples. The animals almost completely died out during the Second World War.

Visually, this German Shepherd breed is easy to recognize because of its pointed ears. In addition, they love being busy and having people around them. [12]

In the past, the four-legged friends were sometimes used to smuggle tobacco. Nowadays, however, these customs tricks have long been known.

Fun fact: Due to their rounded eyebrows, the neutral facial expression of these dogs usually looks like a friendly smile.

#12 Berger des Pyrénées

The Berger des Pyrénées is one of the most efficient German Shepherd breeds in the world. Just two dogs of this breed are enough to look after around 1000 animals.

These animals are also so lively that they often appear nervous. They also bark quite a bit and have a strong hunting instinct.

Their fur is suitable for both heat and cold. They don't like loneliness at all – on the contrary. The more attention they get, the better. [13]

Fun fact: These dogs would love to run one marathon after another. Due to their active nature, they are also known internationally as “Ball of Fire”.

#13 Bobtail

The bobtail originally comes from England and was used primarily for herding sheep. This also explains its international name “Old English Sheepdog”.

Compared to the other German Shepherd breeds, they are also absolute couch potatoes. In addition, they bark and shed very little and are easy to train. [14]

These four-legged friends are usually very trusting and loving towards the family. Their guardian instinct is often so strong that they even look after children.

Fun fact: These dogs run similarly to bears. Compared to other dogs, it looks very clumsy and unathletic.

#14 Border Collie

The Border Collie is not only one of the top 10 most intelligent dogs in the world, but also learns particularly quickly. This also explains why they hold numerous world records.

Among other things, this German Shepherd breed is the record holder for opening manual sliding windows in cars and balancing a can on its head. [15]

They are also considered to be very persistent, need a lot of exercise and bark…