The German shepherd is known for its diverse qualities as a popular breed and a preferred choice for people globally. From athletic nature, strength, guarding abilities to the love, passion, and care it shows towards their owners, it all makes them a perfect breed. But not all of us are well acquainted with German shepherds, and we want to have a similar dog breed instead.
No longer a mystery now; here you are going to finally know what dog breeds are similar to the German shepherd.
Dogs breed similar to a German shepherd
Having quite fascinating similarities to a German shepherd, there are a number of breeds you will find sharing the same heritage, physical attributes, and personality traits. Let’s go through the breeds having the most resemblance to German shepherds in different aspects.
Belgian Malinois
Hard to differentiate between the two, Belgian Malinois is often taken as a German shepherd without the person realizing it. Originally used to herd sheep just like the Germans shepherd, Belgian Malinois share the same strength, energy level, muscularity, temperament, and even color, giving it the same look.
Belgian shepherds also require regular exercise to stay fit, healthy, and energetic. Moreover, they are also being used as military dogs based on qualities, just as German shepherds have.
The feature that differentiates between both is that Malinois are short-coated with less fluff than the German shepherd. Besides, Malinois are slightly small in size and have less weight that makes them possible to identify.
Dutch Shepherd
Having the same level of energy, determination, and need for exercise, a Dutch shepherd is another breed similar to a German shepherd. Though they are not as popular as German shepherds, they form a great connection with their owners because of their human-friendly nature.
Sharing the same level of loyalty and protectiveness, the feature that helps differentiate them is their brindle coat. German shepherds usually have long hair, while Dutch shepherds can have long as well as short, wired hairs.
Other than that, the height difference is negligible, but the weight varies between both breeds, with Dutch having a lower weight than a German shepherd. Furthermore, a Dutch shepherd has dark gray or silver color tan stripes that help recognize it easily.
Shiloh Shepherd
Slightly larger in size, the Shiloh shepherd looks very similar to a German shepherd. Even though they are not as popular as other dog breeds, the Shiloh shepherd shares various features and qualities that look like a German shepherd.
Having the same energy level, Shiloh also needs regular exercise to relieve their excess energy and to stay in shape. They require more brushing because of their bigger body size. As with height, Shiloh carries more weight as well.
Bohemian shepherd
Sharing similar coat colors that make them resemble a German shepherd, Bohemians are highly trainable but tend to be less active when compared. Being a double-coat breed like the German shepherd, Bohemians are shorter in height, and they are not as aggressive as German shepherds. In the same manner, they have less weight, due to which they do match the muscular strength of their counterpart.
Northern Inuit
Belonging to a large breed, not only does the Northern Inuit dog resemble a German shepherd, but they are also a good match with a wolf. Having an athletic body with a rugged appearance, they form a similar look and share the same height.
Having the same herding group, the Northern Inuit dog is non-aggressive, but it requires proper training. The major difference between the two is that the German shepherd has a long coat, whereas the Inuit dog has a short and dense double coat.
King shepherd
If you are looking for a dog breed having more strength and power than a German shepherd but with a less aggressive attitude, look at King Shepherd. Having a long and rough coat, it looks very similar to a German shepherd and shares the same characteristics such as learning ability and intelligence.
The feature that helps differentiate them is their height, weight and that King Shepherd can have diverse coat colors.
Belgian Tervuren
Highly sensitive but as smart and intelligent as a German shepherd, Belgian Tervuren looks very similar at a glance. Like German shepherds, Tervurens are also widely used as police dogs because they share the same qualities.
Tervuren can be a perfect guard, and as well as having an easy-going personality, they can be a great family dog. The noticeable factors that differentiate them both are their height and weight. Tervurens are usually shorter in height, but they have more weight than German shepherds.
Panda shepherd
Having an athletic body, sharing the same level of intelligence, Panda Shepherd is among the list of most-alike German shepherds. Also known as the Phenom Shepherd, they share almost the same height and weight as the German shepherds. Both initially used for herding, the two breeds make a perfect police dog as they have similar qualities.
Panda Shepherd is a rare breed, and the only perceptible differences that you will see are the coat colors and size; only then will you be able to identify between the two breeds.
Conclusion
Amazed with the super qualities of a German shepherd, it is completely normal if you want a similar type of dog but with some other traits. Having said that, you will find plenty of dog breeds like German shepherds; some of the most prominent are highlighted above. Let us know which dog breed you have and whether it looks similar to a German shepherd or not.