At birth, a German Shepherd puppy of a standard litter of six to eight pups would be expected to weigh approximately 1% of the dam's pre-pregnancy weight. This varies depending on a number of factors, including but not limited to genetics, size of litter, gender, and environmental conditions for the dam and pups during pregnancy and whelp.

The German Shepherd is currently listed as the third most popular dog breed registered with the AKC. This dog resembles that of its ancestor, the Wolf, and was originally bred to be the ideal hurting Shepherd and guard dog.