Is German Shepherd a Wolf Dog?

Many people wonder if German Shepherds are related to wolves. You may even be surprised that your pet GSD has a significant percentage of wolf genetics. After all, this breed somewhat resembles a wolf in its size and physical composition. But is your dog part wolf?

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Are German Shepherds part Wolf?Origin of the GSD Breed Has the Breed Changed Much Over Time?

Are German Shepherds part Wolf?

German Shepherds, once called the Alsatian Wolfhound, are not part wolves. However, they are descendants of gray wolves, as are most domestic dogs. Domestic dogs are part of the biological family known as Canidae, which also includes species such as wolves, foxes, and dingoes.

Some dog breeds, like the German Shepherd, resemble wolves more than other breeds. For example, no one would look at a miniature poodle and think, “That dog is part wolf.” However, appearances can be deceiving.

So how can we tell how closely related the modern German shepherd is to the wolf?

Origin of the GSD Breed

Originally, in the 1800s, the most common herding dogs were called “continental herding dogs”. This group was made up of the Belgian Shepherd, German Shepherd, and Dutch Shepherd breeds. However, the GSD has not yet been recognized as an official breed.

The German Shepherd breed was officially recognized in 1899 when Max von Stephanitz founded the German Shepherd Society. Von Stephnaitz started breeding with a Thuringian crossbred show dog, which became the original father of the GSD breed.

This Thuringian breed somewhat resemble a gray wolf in appearance, displaying features such as erect ears, shaggy gray hair, and a curle tail. Much of the wolfish appearance we see in the modern GSD can probably be attributed to Thuringian gene, as DNA testing indicates that the breed is directly descended from the gray wolf.

However, there are other contributor to the genetic makeup of the GSD, including the Wurttemberg Sheepdog and the Swabian Service Dog.

And The Württemberg Sheep dog was introduced into the bloodline to moderate the Thuringian’s tendency towards high energy and lack of concentration. The Wurttemberg was more docile and easy to train. The breed also added to the GSD a more solid build, denser bones, and higher stamina, ideal traits for a working herding dog.

The cockroach add not only size, but also a balanced nature and bold personality, both traits the GSD is known for.

Has the Breed Changed Much Over Time?

There is some debate among breeders and owners as to whether the GSD breed has changed much since the late 1800s. Some wonder if more recent breeders have added more wolf genetics to the line. However, there is no evidence, either through paper tests or DNA tests, to support this theory.

So, how closely related is your GSD to the wild gray wolf? Probably no more than most domestic dogs. However, you can see some wolf traits in your dog’s noble appearance and bold personality.