Shiloh Shepherd Dog

The Shiloh Shepherd Dog is a breed of dog that resembles a giant version of the German Shepherd Dog (GSD), although they possess a much gentler attitude inherited from the Giant Malamutes in their ancestry. more...

Appearance

Size

The Shiloh Shepherd Dog is powerfully built and well-balanced, with proud carriage and smooth, effortless gait. The male Shiloh stands 30 inches (76 cm) or more in height with a minimum of 28 inches (71 cm); he weighs 140 to 160 pounds (63.5-72.5 kg) with a minimum of 120 pounds (54.5 kg). The female is smaller, standing 28 inches (71 cm) or more in height with a minimum of 26 inches (66 cm) and weighing 100 to 120 pounds (45-54.5 kg) with a minimum of 80 pounds (36 kg).

Coats

Shilohs come in two distinct coat varieties: the smooth coat (double coat, medium length, lying close to the body, dense, straight, and harsh) and the plush coat, which is longer, with a soft undercoat, a distinctive "mane", body coat not over 5 inches (12.5 cm) long and feathering inside ears and behind the legs not over 3 inches (7.5 cm) long.

Colors

Shiloh coat colors may be "shades of black with tan, golden tan, reddish tan, silver, and cream" or "various shades of richly pigmented golden, silver, red, dark brown, dark gray, or black sable". Solid black or solid white are also acceptable as long as nose, lips, and eye rims are solid black. White markings are discouraged except for small patches on toes or the centre of the chest. Pale, washed-out colours are discouraged. Eyes are dark to light brown.

The difference between the Shiloh Shepherd Dog and its parent breed, the German Shepherd Dog, is explained as being essentially that the Shiloh is the dog for people who fell in love with the German Shepherd as it was in 1962. They claim that the breed has changed so radically since then that dogs of that type can no longer be called GSDs. Without a doubt, too, the Shiloh is larger than was ever the norm for GSDs.

Temperament

The Shiloh Shepherd is described as self-confident with superior intelligence as indicated in its breed standard. Breeders strive for a courageous yet manageable temperament. Any form of extreme aggression or shyness is severely penalized. The Shiloh Shepherd is an excellent family companion that is extremely gentle with small children as well as with other pets. Many Shilohs are used as therapy dogs and for search and rescue work, and they excel in many other venues.

History

The Shiloh Shepherd Dog has been under development since 1974 by the breed founder, Tina Barber of Shiloh Shepherds (Kennel) in New York state. Tina Barber's stated intention was to create an exceptionally intelligent companion dog, reminiscent of the trained dogs in the film and television series The Littlest Hobo.

As the breed achieved recognition and popularity near the turn of the millennium, other registries were formed, as well as a second breed club for these registries. The breed now has multiple registries, including The International Shiloh Shepherd Registry (ISSR), The Shiloh Shepherd Registry (TSSR), the National Shiloh Breeders Registry (NSBR), and the Shiloh Shepherd Breed Association (SSBA). There are two Shiloh Shepherd Dog Clubs, the Shilohs Shepherd Dog Club of America (SSDCA) and the International Shiloh Shepherd Dog Club (ISSDC).

Read more at Wikipedia.org