King Shepherd? - Page 1

I got the results from my little darling's DNA test back in the mail: I thought that she was a wonderfu mutt, but it turns out that she is a King Shepherd.  70% GSD, 20% Malamute, and 10% Great Pyrenees, and 100% full tilt black and tan. The local veternarian was amazed that I acquired her off of Craig's list for free, as these canines generally go for $800 to $4000 from a reputable breeder; on the downside, she is 10% below the breed standard, as she is 1 inch under size and 10 lbs short of being 25" and 90 lbs for a female. Even though she is a runt, she can run a sustained 30 mph and burst upwards of 40 mph, and jump over 4 feet in the air fron a sitting position. Considering that the male best of breed can weigh in excess of 140 lbs, these canines have potential beyond belief; I cannot believe that I have never heard of the King Shepherd before now. One thing is certain; the King Shepherd is NOT a dog for typical americans - the intelligence and power of this breed is phenominal, and far beyond the ability of most people to keep as a companion. They need real estate for proper excercise, and constant human companionship, or they will become destructive...VERY destructive.

This is a joke right?

 King Shepherds are also a joke and they are not GSDs. They are mutts. Love them, do with them as much as you can as a responsible dog owner. But understand they are not GSDs. They are creations, just like the Klee Kai, of people who want some claim to fame for creating a dog breed from mixes but yet want to continue in their ignorance about what the real breed is or should be like. Anyone who pays $4000 for a King Shepherd, or any GSD without exceptional merit, is crazy. Craig's list is populated with people wanting to dump dogs, or sell dogs to people who are ignorant enough they have no clue what they are buying. If we are lucky, some of the people who try to pass their poor examples of GSDs off here will jump to Craigs' list and spare us. LOL

No joke; I posted this on the GSD messageboard as the GSD is closest to her breed; google "king shepherd" and do some research. The breed was originated in 1995 by Shelly Watts-Cross, and David Turkheimer, and seems do be doing well.

BTW: avoid the Wikipedia article on the King Shepherd; it seems to have been cut and pasted by someone that has yet to learn to speak english.

I agree with you completely Hodie!!

I had never heard of the Klee Kai before today, but yes, that breed IS a joke; if I wanted one of those, I would get a long haired Chihuahua or a Norwegian Elkhound.

Trust me; a black and tan working dog that weighs 150 lbs and can rip a timberwolf a new one is no joke, no matter where the DNA comes from. If I were an Idaho sheep rancher, I would have a Llama and 2 King Shepherds guarding my flock from the growing wolf packs in the Pacific Northwest.

 Having a dog, any dog, that is utilitarian in that it does what you need it to do is one thing and fine with us. But please, don't confuse the so-called King Shepherd with a GSD. Secondly, dogs who are as large as the Kings often are will not be doing too much when it comes to the more agile wolves.

I had always been under the impression that DNA testing was used to prove parentage, not breed...

The problem is you came to a GSD board: A place for lovers of the pure breed GSD bragging about your mutt .  A mutt as clearly proven by the DNA tests you site.  A bastardization of the GSD and IMO an insult to the breeders who spent their lives maintaining the breed   I'm sure you have a wonderful pet/working animal but it is no different than any other designer cross breed like ‘doodle’ crosses.  Enjoy your dog, work your dog, love your dog, even brag about its accomplishemts but don't expect a fanfare about Kings here.

 jc.carroll,

There is now a DNA test available that can pinpoint the genetic make up of many, but not all dogs, with some certainty.