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All you need to know about Czech Shepherd

Czech German Shepherd

The second most popular dog breed all around the world is German shepherds. It is common to find a German Shepherd in almost all the localities across the globe. And their mixes excite people to a similar extent.

No surprise if you see a Czech German Shepherd and immediately make up your mind to raise that. It is a mix of the rare DDR German Shepherds and the Czech border dogs. Although the motive to crossbreed these dogs is to get a dog suitable for the border’s harsh climate during World War in Germany. But after the war, people started liking it more as a pet breed.

Although it was initially famous only in Germany, people worldwide are now showing interest in this fantastic pet breed.

To give complete information on this dog breed, we have come up with all the facts and questions you might have in your mind if you plan to raise a Czech German Shepherd in your backyard. In this article, you will learn all about this breed. How to train them properly, how to groom them and what types of food do they like? Do they make good guard dogs and what types of diseases are common among them? What is their breeding history and are they good with kids? In this ultimate guide, we cover everything you need to know about Czech Shepherd dogs.

Article Published on 4th November 2020 » Updated on 13th January 2022

What is the breeding history, and where does Czech German Shepherd come from?

Czech Shepherd, or what people commonly know as Czechoslovakian shepherds, is a mix of Czech border dogs and the DDR German shepherds.

DDR German Shepherd is a rare dog breed nowadays. It is hard to find East German Shepherds, but they were the parts of Germany’s history. It was part of the World war and was known as the best border dog.

Czech dogs, on the other hand, got their name because of the communist Czech and were originally bred as working dogs.

Altogether, a Czech shepherd is a mix of Czech dogs, and a German Shepherd is a great, loyal, and adorable pet breed. Communist Czech themselves bred these unique dog breeds to get a new dog, a mixture of Czech dogs’ devotion and smartness of German Shepherds.

Till 1989, this mixed dog breed was only famous in west and East Germany. Eventually, people outside Germany started raising this unique pet breed because of their composure, intelligence, and devotion. In East Germany, people are still growing them for the working line.

The reason behind breeding them is to find sturdy border dogs at the time of war in Germany with the mixed characters of German shepherds and Czech army dogs. Czech German Shepherd, or more commonly known as the East German Shepherds, is known to be agile and sturdy enough for border regions. But initially, it was only known for its capabilities on the battlefield.

Later after the war ended, and the cold war started in Germany. It gets to break into two parts East Germany and West Germany. It was the time when people started noticing this dog breed as a perfect pet.

That means it is suitable for both the show lines and the working lines. Some People significantly raise them to show lines only, while others as working dogs.

Although being a comparatively newer dog breed, this breed of shepherd dogs has made its place in people’s hearts with its characteristics and traits. They are agile, versatile, and sturdy dogs that can help their master in the little household things because of their working line.

Thus, nowadays, the Czech German Shepherd serves as a pet compared to that as an army or police dog or border patrol dog. One of its parents is the DDR German Shepherd dog on the verge of getting extinct. Thus, it is crucial to breed this wonderful species to keep it lively in everyone’s heart.

Size, Weight, Typical Color of Czech Shepherds

With an appearance similar to that of East German Shepherd dogs, Czech Shepherds has a sturdy, muscular body, strong jaw, triangular and pointed ears, and a complete and thick head.

Apart from this, the height of Czech German Shepherds lies between 22 to 26 inches. On the one hand, where male dogs have an average size ranging from around 24 to 26 inches, females’ height is a little smaller and ranges from approximately 22 to 24 inches. As usual, females have shorter sizes and weights as compared to of males.

Till the age of 12 months, you will find a fully grown adult Czech Shepherd. Its weight also varies from around 49 to 71 pounds. On the one hand, where the male can have an average weight ranging from approximately 66 to 71 pounds, females have a comparatively lower weight. Their weight ranges from around 49 to 61 pounds. The growth of female East German Shepherd dog mix with Czech border dogs is slightly lesser than males, which is visible in their health and height.

They can have variable color coats. The color of the coat of Czech German Shepherds includes the primary color of a German Shepherd coat like the black and tan, sable, black, blue, red, brown, and even a combination of the above color. Although they mostly have the Sable or black and tan color. The pigmentation of the black remains slightly higher in their coloration. Thus sometimes, it appears completely black as well.

What Needs To Be Considered For Grooming And Care?

Being an East German Shepherd and Czech Army dog ancestor, they both have a long coat and shed a lot. Thus, grooming is very crucial, when especially your dog has long hair. Especially during the summer and spring season, Czech German shepherds have significant hair fall, and thus caring for their coat becomes crucial.

On regular days, you can brush their hair around twice a week, but if there are shedding more than average, it is advisable to brush their hair daily. Even when they are not shedding much, brushing their hair daily is still a good habit. Not just will it retain the natural skin oil of your dog, it will make their hair shiny and massage their skin, opening the pores of your dog’s skin.

Apart from this, they have quite a pretty and shiny coat, which requires proper maintenance. Otherwise, it will become matte. Thus, it is advisable to bathe it frequently. Not just bathing will make it feel fresh, but it will keep it away from skin disease and retain the natural shine of its coat.

Let me tell you secret dogs don’t like bathing much. Thus, you might need to take them for a bath forcefully. They will start hiding here and there in the name of bathing.

Thus, it is better to prepare its bath before enclosing it in front of them so that you can directly take them to the bath without giving them time to run or hide.

While bathing, wash its hair with dog shampoo only, as it will make its hair shiny and remove all the dirt and debris from it. Also, it is advisable to condition its hair after the bath to make it shine and silky.

As they have a long coat, you can check their skin daily. Thus, while bathing it, check whether it is suffering from skin disease or eczema. If you find something serious, directly head towards a veteran to provide proper medication and treatment to your Czech German Shepherd.

Also, Czech Shepherds are prone to ear diseases like fungal ears. So, while bathing them, clean their ear using an ear wipe or ear wash to avoid serious health issues in their ears.

You can also trim its hair if you find them too long for him, although it will not like trimming much. Also, you can cut its nail and clean its teeth while making it a bath.

How Often And How Long Do You Have To Exercise This Breed?

As a Czech Shepherd falls under the category of active and energetic dogs because of its both the parent breeds, the German Shepherd, and the Czech Army dogs, it is crucial to take them out daily for its regular physical exercise and running.

It is preferable to take an adult Czech Shepherd out on a walk or running, including its other physical activities like exercising sessions and training for at least 30 to 60 minutes. If you have a puppy, then a walk of 10 minutes and 15 minutes of physical activities will be more than sufficient for it.

Being a mix of East German Shepherds and German Shepherd, Czech shepherds are active dog breeds; they need to go out once a day. As they are from the working lines, their training requirement is a little different comparatively. They also require some space for their playing and exercising sessions in your home. It concludes with two major points.

First, you will need to spend at least one hour of exercise and walk every day. Thus, it is a suitable dog breed for only those who can spend time with this dog breed. Also, it will keep you healthy and fit along with himself.

Another central point to be noted is that this dog breed is not for apartments, which means it is preferable to raise this breed if you have a backyard or a large apartment for them to jump and play there.

They can also be sometimes loud and want to go out whenever they want to. In such a scenario, a house with backyards suits them the best.

How Much Does Czech Shepherd Eat On Average Daily?

Typically, an adult Czech German Shepherd requires 2 to 4 cups of food a day. At the same time, a Shepherd puppy needs around 1 to 2 cups a day only. But there are a few things that one should keep in mind while feeding the Czech German Shepherd.

Divide their feed into 2 or 3 equal parts. Thus, in this way, you can keep them full all day long. They are active and energetic and require food to get energy. Therefore, the quality of the food is another thing that matters the most.

You can feed it with some high-quality dog food, as it is dry, comfortable to eat, tasty for dogs, and contains all the nutrients your dog needs. Apart from this, if you want to feed them with something natural, keep in mind giving them a feed containing at least 20% protein.

Protein helps to make a muscle stronger, ultimately making them fit. For taste purposes, you can also include a little fat in its feed. Fat will help to provide them with enough energy to stay active and fresh all day long.

There is a long doo list that you can feed to a Czech German Shepherd dog like a great meat lover. Not just chicken, beef, pork, hams, and even duck meat is its favorite.

Apart from this, you can also feed it with natural food items like fruits, green leafy veggies, potatoes, carrots, bread, and any other food item that you eat daily.

But keep in mind not to feed them with something extra spicy or extra sweet, as Czech German Shepherd is more prone to bloating and has a sensitive stomach.

Ectara spicy or sugary food will affect their digestive system, ultimately making them ill. Thus, it is better to avoid such a situation than to go to a veteran.

Also, don’t include too much fat or protein in its meal, as again, it will ultimately become harmful for the Czech German Shepherd. Provide it with a balanced diet that will keep it healthy, fit, and active all day.

Is This Breed A Great Family Dog?

Although a Czech German Shepherd was originally bred as a working dog yet, no other dog breed can match the compatibility, devotion, and friendliness of the Czech German Shepherd as a pet breed. There is nothing to doubt about a Czech German shepherd when you raise it as a pet.

Not just one, it has all the qualities that an ideal pet should have in them. Like, first and foremost is that Czech German Shepherds are adorable. They have good looks that can easily attract anyone towards them in a single glance.

Apart from this, they are loyal. If you give it love and affection, they can even give up their life to return it to you. Also, being obedient, they will follow all your commands and orders.

Czech German Shepherd dog is easy to handle and train dog bred, which is another crucial trait that all pets should have. Because of their intelligence and smartness, it is not at all hard to train them. They learn everything they see around them. A study shows that it takes at most three to teach something new to a Czech German Shepherd, which is pretty impressive as a dog. Czech German Shepherd dog has a great understanding of everything, making it suitable as a pet breed.

Last but not least, its calm nature. Czech Shepherds are mild-tempered. But the only constraint that can affect its calmness is terrible training. All the dogs are aggressive to some extent. It is the proper training that makes them calm and controls their temperament. And so is the case with a Czech Shepherd. Thus, a Czech German Shepherd puppy requires adequate training.

Czech German Shepherd can also be a little aggressive. It is just their proper training, which makes their traits and qualities suitable as a pet dog.

What Is The Average Life Expectancy Of Czech German Shepherds, And What Health Issues Does It Suffer?

The average life expectancy of a Czech German Shepherd lies between 12 to 15 years. They pass a long and healthy life, but there are a few things that you should follow to avoid any health problems within Czech German Shepherds.

Proper visits to the veteran are very crucial while raising a Czech German Shepherd. Not just will it provide you with an appropriate track of the health of the Czech German Shepherd, but it will also avoid the situation to worsen.

The common problems that this dog and all other German Shepherd mixes suffer from are hip dysplasia. It is also prone to diseases like cataracts, fungus in the ears, cloudy eyes, bloating, and other stomach and digestion-related health issues. As they start growing old, almost all dog breeds are prone to suffer from hip dysplasia, keeping track of the same before worsening the situation.

Apart from this, to provide a longer life to your German Shepherd Czech dog, it is crucial to provide them nutritious food and take them out for exercising sessions to keep them fit. As obesity also brings various other health problems with it. Thus, it is better to stay fit than to suffer from health issues.

Conclusion

The new and latest dog breed is always in the demand of most pet lovers, and thus this mix of DDR German Shepherds and Czech border dogs can excite all the dog lovers with its perfect traits.

Being a new breed, it is natural to know more and more about the Czech German Shepherds. And we hope you will know almost everything about Czech German Shepherds.

But if you are still doubtful about raising one of the Czech German Shepherds, then there are a few questions you can answer to make your choice clear.

Do you have a large backyard for them to play in?

Will you be able to spend time with them to groom them or to take them out for exercise and a walk?

If the answer to the above questions comes out to be yes, then it is the best dog breed one can raise as a pet because of the intelligence, smartness, cuteness, and devotion of Czech German Shepherds. Also, being a working dog, it is going to help you in household work as well.

sargey

Sergey Uhanov, a certified veterinarian, has authored all of the content here. With over 20 years of experience in dog care and breeding three dogs of his own, he has a deep passion for these furry friends. Sergey owns a pet clinic in Israel where he provides care and treatment to dogs. He enjoys sharing his expertise and knowledge to assist others in caring for their dogs.

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