The Shiloh Shepherd was first bred in the 1970’s in order to restore the original, larger sized German Shepherd dog. In the 1980’s a breeder by the name of Tina Barber began to breed the Shiloh Shepherd in order to improve hips, size and temperament. In addition to German Shepherd blood, the Shiloh Shepherd also has American and Canadian Shepherd blood, as well as Malamute blood in it. It should be noted that the AKC does not recognize the Shiloh Shepherd.The Shiloh Shepard is an interesting breed, which, in many ways is like the German Shepherd. The Shiloh Shepherd can be a nice alternative to the German Shepherd due to some physical as well as a few differences in temperament of the two dogs.
The Shiloh Shepherd tends to be a relatively non-aggressive dog that is quite intelligent, making it a wonderful dog for a family with children. Due to their tendency to be non-aggressive, the Shiloh Shepherd is not generally used for police attack training. It should be noted though, that the Shiloh Shepherd cannot be considered timid and in spite of their non-aggressiveness, they can be quite protective of their families. Additionally, the Shiloh Shepherd’s mild temperament makes it well suited to working in the field of animal therapy. The Shiloh Shepherd is also well suited to other lines of work, such as search-and-rescue, agility training and herding.
The appearance of the Shiloh Shepherd is very much like that of the German Shepherd. There are, however, a few important differences. Overall, the Shiloh Shepherd should have the appearance of being well proportioned. The dog should be quite muscular. The withers of the dog should be higher than the lower back. The back though, should be straight and fairly short. The Shiloh Shepherd stands anywhere from 26-32 inches and weighing upwards of 140 to 160 pounds and is a larger than average dog. It should be noted though, that females tend to be smaller than males, usually reaching less than 28 inches.
Likewise, males tend to be slightly larger, reaching over 28 inches The Shiloh Shepherd can be seen in a variety of colors, such as black, red, golden, tan, cream and so on. The dog, however, must have a black nose, eye rims and lips. The Shiloh Shepherd may have two different coat textures. One is called “smooth”, which allows for a medium length, double coat and the coat, as a whole, should be quite straight and dense. The second type is called “plush”, which allows for a double coat, with guard hairs that are quite coarse, and a soft undercoat.
A very important aspect of the Shiloh Shepherd is the gait of the dog. The Shiloh Shepherd should have a very smooth gait that seems effortless.Although it is a rare breed, the Shiloh Shepherd has its own registry, known as the International Shiloh Shepherd Registry. In 1991, the American Rare Breed Association recognized the Shiloh Shepherd as a rare breed. In the United States today, there are about 1,500 to 2,000 Shiloh Shepherds.