German Shepherd vs Shiloh Shepherd vs King Shepherd: What’s The Difference?

 

In the guide below, we compare the German Shepherd vs Shiloh Shepherd vs King Shepherd dog breeds.

We outline what both the main potential similarities and differences between these dog breeds might be, and also provide other important information on these dogs.

 

(NOTE: the information in this guide is general information only. It is not professional advice, or a substitute for professional advice. See a qualified vet or animal expert for an expert opinion in regards to your pet/s)

 

German Shepherd vs Shiloh Shepherd vs King Shepherd: Differences, & Breed Comparison

 

German Shepherd vs Shiloh Shepherd vs King Shepherd – Origin, History, & Where They Each Come From

German Shepherd

German Shepherds are a breed of dog.

German Shepherds were first bred in Germany around 1899.

They were bred from different Shepherd breed dogs in Germany at the time (reportedly a sheep type dog, and also a service type dog), with the intention of having ideal working dog traits and working ability.

GSDs as a breed belong to the ‘herding dog’ category.

Today, GSD’s are used in a range of working fields, compete as show dogs, and are also pets & family dogs.

 

Shiloh Shepherd

Shiloh Shepherds are a mix breed dog made up of at least the German Shepherd breed, along with other dog breeds.

They were reportedly developed in New York in the 1970’s, and were bred having some key differences to German Shepherds.

Reportedly, in addition to being bigger, having a different temperament, and having a straighter back, they may have also be bred to have healthier hips and elbows than the regular German Shepherd breed. They may have been bred in part to correct behavioral and conformational issues that were bred into regular German Shepherds

Some reports indicate that the word ‘Shiloh’ came from the original breeder’s involvement in Christianity.

Shiloh Shepherds were first recognized as a breed by the American Rare Breed Association (ARBA) in the early 1990’s

Being that they are a more recently developed breed, they are not yet recognized by the AKC.

Some reports indicate that the dog breeds that have been used to breed Shiloh Shepherds have been German Shepherds, Alaskan Malamutes, Canadian White Shepherds, Czech wolf dogs, Altdeutscher Schaeferhundes, and Sarplaninacs.

 

King Shepherd

King Shepherds are a mix breed dog/hybrid breed dog, made up of at least the German Shepherd breed, along with other dog breeds.

The breed was developed in the United States in the 1990’s

Some reports indicate that German Shepherds, Alaskan Malamutes and Great Pyrenees’ were used as the original breeds to breed King Shepherds. Other reports indicate that Shiloh Shepherds were also used.

It is thought by some that the intent of developing the King Shepherd might have been to combine the working ability of the German Shepherd with some softer family companion dog traits, but also eliminate some of the health and hip problems (like Hip Dysplasia) present in the German Shepherd

They were first recognized as a breed in the 1990’s, and in 1995, the American King Shepherd Club was created for the King Shepherd.

They are currently registered and recognised as it’s own breed by the ARBA (American Rare Breed Association)

They are currently not recognized by the AKC as their own breed, or as an official form of the German Shepherd breed.

 

German Shepherd vs Shiloh Shepherd vs King Shepherd – Popularity

Every year, the American Kennel Club publishes a list of the most popular dog breeds based on dog registration data.

The 2021 list shows:

– German Shepherds as the 4th most popular dog breed

– Neither Shiloh Shepherds nor King Shepherds are on this list. So, they might be considered rarer breeds of dogs

 

German Shepherd vs Shiloh Shepherd vs King Shepherd – Size

German Shepherd

German Shepherds might be classified as a large breed of dog

Males might average 24-26 inches in height (60-65 cms), and 66-88 lbs in weight (30-40 kg)

Females might average 22-24 inches in height (55-60 cms), and 49-71 lbs in weight (22-32 kg)

 

Shiloh Shepherd

Shiloh Shepherds might be considered a Giant sized dog breed

Males and females are different sizes, but the breed overall might be anywhere from 26 to 32 inches (66 to 81 cms) in height, and 80 to 160 lbs (36 to 72 kg) in weight

 

King Shepherd

King Shepherds might be considered a Giant sized dog breed

Males might average 27 to 32 inches (68 to 81 cms) in height, and 90 to 150 lbs (40 to 68 kgs) in weight

Females might average 25 to 27 inches (63 to 68 cms) in height, and 75 to 110 lbs (34 to 49 kgs) in weight

 

German Shepherd vs Shiloh Shepherd vs King Shepherd – Lifespan

German Shepherd

German Shepherds might have a lifespan of around 9-13 years on average

Although, some reports indicate some GSDs may even live up to 15 years of age

 

Shiloh Shepherd

A Shiloh Shepherd might have a lifespan of between 9-14 years

 

King Shepherd

A King Shepherd might have a lifespan of between 10-13 years

 

German Shepherd vs Shiloh Shepherd vs King Shepherd – Appearance, Physical Features, Colors, & Coats

German Shepherd

German Shepherds might commonly be known for the following appearance and physical features:

– Black and tan, or sometimes black and red coat color and saddle pattern (although other colors exist too)

– Erect ears/ears that stand up

– An angulated back and dropped hips (although body shape differs between the individual lines of GSDs)

– Generally medium length hair/plush coat, with a double coat (although, short and long haired GSDs exist too)

 

Having said that though, different German Shepherds have different physical features and appearances.

You can read about the different variations in German Shepherds, such the different lines, colors, and coat lengths/types here.

 

Shiloh Shepherd

Shiloh Shepherds have some similarities to the appearance of GSDs, but also some differences.

The obvious difference is that they are much larger, but they can have different coloring too – often having a bi-color coat, with black, silver/grey, white, gold, and tan being some of the main colors.

They may also have a squarer body than GSDs, and have straighter backs.

They may typically have a longer coat too, but still have a double coat.

They may look similar to German Shepherds in the face, and have erect ears.

 

King Shepherd

King Shepherds may look like German Shepherds, but be bigger in size.

They may often have similar coat colors to a German Shepherd (especially the black and tan coloring), and have a medium length double coat.

Their ears may also typically stand up.

 

German Shepherd vs Shiloh Shepherd vs King Shepherd – Temperament

Ultimately, a dog’s personality or temperament might be influenced by a range of factors, with genetics and breeding being key factors

So, this is why the temperament and personality of individual dogs don’t always match the general temperament descriptions found online

However, a generalized description of the temperament of each dog breed, according to either parts of the standard for each breed, or, what they were originally bred to be, might be:

 

German Shepherd

Intelligent, obedient and easier to train, loyal, confident, protective, and may be slightly aloof (without being aggressive)

May have the general temperament of a working breed dog or herding dog

Read more about what temperament GSDs were originally bred for, and what some breed standards outline for temperament and personality in this guide

 

Shiloh Shepherd

Various reports indicate that Shiloh Shepherds were bred to be softer and calmer in their nature than German Shepherds.

 

King Shepherd

Some reports indicate that King Shepherds may be a mix between the temperament of a standard German Shepherd and a Shiloh Shepherd

They may possess some typical GSD traits, such as confidence, good working ability, being loyal, and being well balanced, and also some Shiloh Shepherd traits such as being friendly, affectionate, and playful.

 

German Shepherd vs Shiloh Shepherd vs King Shepherd – Cost/Price

The cost to buy a specific breed of dog depends on the country it’s bought from, along with a wide range of other factors.

Some general information on buying each breed though might include:

 

Buying From Breeders

According to different online information at the time of publishing this guide, the general cost to buy each of these breeds from breeders in the US might be:

– German Shepherd

Anywhere from $800 up to $10,000+ (for the highest quality dogs), with the average for a regular puppy potentially being around the $800 mark

 

– Shiloh Shepherd

Anywhere from $1000 to $4000

 

– King Shepherd

Anywhere from $1500 to $2500

 

Adopting/Rescuing

Buying from a breeder may not be the only option to own each of these dog breeds.

Adopting or rescuing may be other options too.

The cost to adopt or rescue a dog can be significantly cheaper than buying from a breeder in some instances, although there’s usually still a basic cost to adopt/rescue a dog.

 

Rehoming

Buying a dog that is being re-homed might another option to buy a dog.

The cost for rehomed dogs can vary.

 

More Information On German Shepherds

It’s worth noting that some of the information in the guide above about German Shepherds comes from our ‘German Shepherd Breed Information Guide‘, which also has additional information about the German Shepherd breed.

 

 

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