What Is the Heaviest German Shepherd Breed?

Did you know that the biggest German Shepherd can end up weighing over 100 pounds? German Shepherds are large, agile, and known to be highly intelligent creatures.

Some German Shepherd dog breeds grow to be some of the biggest dog breeds with their muscular stature, long legs, and weight.

However, breeders mixed multiple types of German Shepherd breeds with other gene pools to create larger German Shepherds.

The standard German Shepherd dog wasn’t nearly as big in stature or size as the hybrids. The heaviest German Shepherd breed is the King German Shepherd, which weighs between 48–90 lbs.

Below, we’ll give you a breakdown of the standard German Shepherd breed and the largest German Shepherd type.

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How heavy is the biggest German Shepherd?

How Heavy

The German Shepherd lineage has multiple breed types that range in color, temperament, and size.

To date, the heaviest German Shepherd is up to 88 lbs. for males and 71 lbs. for females. They often don’t pass that size unless they are obese or suffer from other health issues.

But, if we are looking for the largest German Shepherd breeds, we’re going to have to look at hybrid species and genetically mutated breeds.

These larger breeds are crossed with other large dog breeds that become heavier, larger, and in some cases, healthier.

Depending on what the dogs are mixed with, they end up changing in features.

The heaviest German Shepherd will be the breed called King German Shepherd. The King is in the German Shepherd family but is a relatively new hybrid breed that isn’t recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC) yet.

Other hybrid breeds aren’t consistently recognized by the AKC, either.

Unlike the standard German Shepherd, other hybrid breeds and mutated breeds tend to grow to become bigger, taller, and weigh more.

Others include the Black German Shepherd, Czech Shepherd Dog, Giant German Shepherd, and The Panda German Shepherd.

German Shepherd vs. King German Shepherd

Great Pyrenees

The King German Shepherd is a German Shepherd developed in 1990 by Shelley Watts-Cross and David Turkheimer.

The breed is a mixture of German Shepherds and other large dog breeds, including the Great Pyrenees, Alaskan Malamute, and Akita.

Due to the crossbreed, the dogs still retain their German Shepherd appearance but become bigger, heavier, and genetically healthier.

The King German Shepherd’s temperament is gentler than your standard German Shepherd. However, the King is significantly bigger by a few inches and up to 20 lbs.

So, understanding this difference is key to choosing which one would work best for you and your family.

Aside from temperament, the King German Shepherd also differs in terms of physique. Their fur is either straight and coarse or wavy and long-haired.

The type of fur will depend on what other breeds the dog was crossed with.

The female versus the male King German Shepherd

The German Shepherd breed tends to weigh anywhere between 66–88 lbs. The typical weight is 75–90 lbs. for males, while females can be anywhere between 48–70 lbs.

German Shepherd female

As you can see, there is a massive weight difference between genders, and when weighing the King German Shepherd, the weight jumps almost 10-20 lbs.

Other big breeds of German Shepherd

The Shepherd family breeds exhibit loyalty, confidence, and good behavior. Every German Shepherd owner can attest to this, even with larger dog breeds that may stand over 26 inches in height.

However, there can be temperament and physical changes when cross-bred or when a mutation occurs.

The following breeds result from the classic German Shepherd being either bred for specific traits or being crossbred with other canine types.

While there are more, we’ve only listed the largest German Shepherd breeds. Below, we’ve gathered information on some of the biggest German Shepherd breeds which have gained recognition globally.

Black German Shepherd

The Black German Shepherd features the same characteristics as the standard German Shepherd.

However, the main difference is that the dog breed has a stunning black fur coat. The Black German Shepherd weighs between 65–90 lbs. for males and between 50–75 lbs. for females.

Compared to the standard German Shepherd, the Black German Shepherd is relatively similar in weight and size.

black German Shepherd

The main physical characteristics that set this apart from the traditional breed is that they tend to be 1–2 inches taller than the standard, and their weight can vary depending upon the birth parent’s genetics.

Czech Shepherd Dog

The Czech Shepherd Dog, also known as the Chodsky pes, is one of the bigger German Shepherd breeds recognized by The Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI).

The average weight of a male is between 60–80 lbs., while the females are between 50–70 lbs. Due to the weight, they can be sorted as a medium shepherd breed.

As you may have been able to tell, Czech breeders created the Czech breed on the border of Czechoslovakia.

Their breed was bred with high intelligence, similar to the DDR dogs used as police dogs. The Czech Shepherd’s temperament is much more patient, trainable, and disciplined than others in its gene family.

Shiloh Shepherd

The Shiloh Shepherd dog is loyal, gentle, and comes in various colors. Its general height for males is 30-inches, while females reach 28-inches.

The weight for males ranges from 120–160 lbs., while females range from 79–120 lbs. So, this breed has the potential to become one of the biggest German Shepherd breeds but falls just a bit short of the King.

 Shiloh Shepherd dog

This breed was created by combining the German Shepherd with the Alaska Malamute.

The breed ended up with a larger physique but a calm temperament from the German Shepherd’s genetic makeup.

Currently, the only organization recognizing the Shiloh Shepherd as an official breed is the American Canine Association (ACA).

Panda German Shepherd

One of the biggest breeds of German Shepherds is the panda German Shepherd, which reaches a height of 26 inches and weighs anywhere between 7–85 lbs.

The appearance change in this breed results from a rare genetic mutation that provides a mixture of white, black, and tan fur.

The coat color change is predominant in their belly, chest, and mouth areas.

Unlike the other breeds listed, the Panda German Shepherd isn’t bred as often and is rare. Dogs in this breed have the same traits as standard German Shepherds, the only difference being their fur color.

That is why the AKC or any other association does not recognize it.

Final Thoughts

If you’re thinking of getting a German Shepherd, it’s worth getting to know what the temperament is like for each German Shepherd breed.

German shepherd breed

They may look identical and have similar genetic makeup, still, their mutations and hybrid breeds tend to give them different temperaments.

As a potential dog owner, you’ll want to pick the best that works with your lifestyle.

If you’re looking for the largest breed of German Shepherd, it would either be the King German Shepherd or the Shiloh German Shepherd.

Both breeds are crossbred with large dog breeds, which results in a larger German Shepherd.

Hopefully, we’ve helped you understand how heavy the biggest German Shepherd is.