German Shepherd FCI Standard No. 166

FCI CLASSIFICATION

How the FCI Classifies the Breed

A SHORT HISTORY

How the Standard Evolved

Max von Stephanitz and Arthur Meyer wrote the very first version of the standard in 1899, at the SV's inaugural members' assembly in Frankfurt am Main. It was revised again at the assemblies of 28 July 1901, the 6th assembly on 28 September 1909, and once more on 5 September 1930.

WUSV then took the standard through a further revision, adopted at the 30 August 1976 assembly, before it was reformulated and re-catalogued on 23-24 March 1991.

The text in force today — FCI Standard No. 166 — dates from June 1997 and remains the international reference for judging and breeding selection.

TEMPERAMENT

Character and Temperament

For this breed, character comes first. Before a judge even looks at conformation, the dog's temperament has to check out — only mentally sound dogs are eligible for breeding selection at all.

The standard calls for a dog that is balanced, nerve-strong, confident, thoroughly natural, and even-tempered outside of provocation — alert, yet easy to handle. Courage, fighting spirit and hardness are all required if the dog is to serve as companion, guard, protection dog, working dog or herder.

Kampftrieb — fighting drive — is treated as non-negotiable. A dog lacking it is considered to have a serious character fault.

CONFORMATION

General Physical Traits

Head

Wedge-shaped and in proportion with the body — roughly 40% of the height at the withers in length — never coarse, never overly long. Overall it should look clean-cut and moderately wide between the ears.

Nose and Teeth

The nose is always black. Teeth should be strong, healthy and complete — 42 in total per the dental formula — meeting in a scissor bite, where the upper incisors close over the lower like a pair of scissors.

Eyes

Medium-sized, almond-shaped, set at a slight angle and not bulging. As dark as possible in color, with an expression that reads alert, intelligent and confident.

Ears

Medium-sized, wide at the base, set high and carried erect and symmetrical, with pointed tips angled forward. Folded or drooping ears are considered a fault.

Neck

Strong and muscular, with no loose skin or dewlap, meeting the body at roughly a 45-degree angle.

TRUNK

Body and Frame

Topline and Back

An unbroken line runs from the base of the neck, over a clearly defined withers and a straight back, down to a gently sloping croup. The back itself should be firm, strong and well-muscled, with a loin that is broad, powerful and equally well-muscled.

Chest

Moderately wide, with as long and pronounced a sternum as possible. Chest depth should sit around 45-48% of the height at the withers. Ribs are moderately sprung — a barrel chest is just as much a fault as a flat one.

Tail

Should reach at least to the hock, but never past the middle of the metatarsus, with slightly longer hair underneath. Carried in a gentle downward curve; it may lift during movement or excitement but should never rise past horizontal.

GAIT AND LEGS

Legs and Movement

Front legs

Straight and perfectly parallel from any viewing angle. Shoulder blade and upper arm match in length, both well-muscled and firmly set against the body. The scapulo-humeral angle should ideally be 90 degrees, though up to 110 is seen in practice.

Rear legs

Set slightly back from directly under the body, and perfectly parallel when viewed from behind. Upper and lower thigh are close to equal in length, meeting at roughly a 120-degree angle, with a strong, firm hock.

Gait — built to trot

The German Shepherd is fundamentally a trotting breed. Leg length and angulation need to be balanced so the hindquarters drive the body forward while the front legs cover an equal stride, all without disturbing the topline. The result should look confident and effortless, with a long, sustained reach.

COAT, COLOR, SIZE

Skin, Coat and Coloring

The standard recognizes only one coat type — the double coat with undercoat (Stockhaar). Guard hairs should be as dense as possible, straight, coarse, and lying flat against the body, with shorter hair on the head, inner ears, and the front of the legs and paws.

Black with markings ranging from reddish-brown through brown and yellow to pale grey is standard. Solid black and solid grey, with darker shading, are also accepted. A black mask and saddle are required. Minor white patches on the chest or inner legs are tolerated, though not desirable. The nose stays black regardless of coat color.

Males stand 60-65 cm at the withers and weigh 30-40 kg. Females stand 55-60 cm at the withers and weigh 22-32 kg.

FAULTS

Faults and Disqualifying Criteria

Serious faults

• •Sexual characteristics out of type (males lacking masculinity, females lacking femininity)
• •Ears that fold, hang to the side, or droop
• •Marked pigmentation faults
• •Noticeably poor overall stamina
• •Dental faults: missing one P3 plus another tooth, or a canine, P4, M1/M2, or three or more teeth total
• •A level bite running the full jaw

Disqualifying faults

• ✗Aggressive or excessively timid dogs
• ✗Documented severe hip dysplasia
• ✗Monorchidism or cryptorchidism
• ✗Ear or tail deformities
• ✗Any malformation
• ✗Dental faults: overshot or undershot jaw, wry mouth
• ✗Height off standard by more than 1 cm, in either direction
• ✗Albinism
• ✗White coat (even alongside dark eyes and nails)
• ✗Long coat lacking an undercoat
• ✗Long coat with undercoat (accepted only where the undercoat is genuinely dense)