Comparison: German Shepherd and Saarloos Wolfhond

German Shepherd and Saarloos Wolfhond are marked as similar in our database. The table compares only the data we have on the breeds.

	German Shepherd	Saarloos Wolfhond
FCI group	1. Sheepdogs and Cattle Dogs (except Swiss Cattle Dogs)	1. Sheepdogs and Cattle Dogs (except Swiss Cattle Dogs)
Country of origin	Germany	Netherlands
Category	Large	Large
Height at withers	55–65 cm	60–75 cm
Weight	22–40 kg	–
Life span	9–13 years	–
Recognition features	Medium-large dog with a straight topline and a gently sloping croup Erect pointed ears and a bushy, sabre-like tail carried low Most often saddle or black-and-tan coat with a dark mask	Strongly built dog with a wolf-like frame and long limbs Winter and summer coats differ greatly; heavy ruff in winter Reserved with strangers, independent, with a wolf-like avoidance of unknown situations
Coat	Double coat with dense undercoat, medium or long, straight and harsh outer hair.	Dense coat forming a distinct ruff; summer and winter coats differ greatly; wolf-grey (light to dark black-tipped game colours) or brown-tipped game colour; typical wolf markings are light creamy white to white.
Purpose	Standardised in Germany in the late 1890s (Max von Stephanitz, 1899) as a versatile herding and working dog; today mainly a police, service and guide dog.	A Dutch companion with a wolf-like look and manner, created by crossing a German Shepherd with a she-wolf.

Breed page: German Shepherd · Breed page: Saarloos Wolfhond

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The information is indicative. Texts are based on available sources and may contain inaccuracies; for binding details (e.g. for breeding or shows) use the official breed standard.