<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThere are many ways to compare a Pitbull and a German Shepherd, from strength to friendliness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019re going to discuss how they stack up as family dogs to help you decide which breed to get.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Size and Weight<\/h3>\n\n\n\n The obvious difference between the two breeds is, of course, their size and weight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
German Shepherds are bigger and weigh a few pounds more than Pitbulls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
German Shepherds stand at around 29 inches tall, while Pitbulls are only around 18 to 19 inches tall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The same is said for their weight; German Shepherds weigh approximately 77 pounds whereas Pitbulls weigh 50 pounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although German Shepherds are heavier and bigger, Pitbulls are more compact and powerful because their weight isn\u2019t as evenly distributed as the former.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pitbulls are more likely to challenge you to a tug-of-war than German Shepherds, especially if they\u2019re untrained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thus, Pitbull owners need to train their Pitbulls at a very young age so they don\u2019t have to worry about issues like leash-pulling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Energy Levels<\/h3>\n\n\n\n German Shepherds and Pitbulls have just about the same energy levels, but they use them in different ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
German Shepherds, for example, love to run and jump around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They\u2019re a bouncy breed and they love to have fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They\u2019re known for being hyper, so they need more exercise than some other breeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Their active nature is the reason why they\u2019re so good at their jobs as shepherd dogs and police dogs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pitbulls are slightly less hyper than German Shephards, but they\u2019re just as high-energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In fact, challenging your Pitbull on a run can make your endurance feel weak in comparison, even if you\u2019re a great athlete!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pitbulls aren\u2019t as bouncy as German Shephards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They\u2019re physically more grounded and straightforward, so they\u2019re less likely to jump around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But since they\u2019re so muscular, they might overwhelm and even accidentally injure their playmates during rough games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Friendliness<\/h3>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\nGenerally, it\u2019s difficult to measure the friendliness of a dog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It really depends on how well the dog has been trained and socialized when they were pups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That said, German Shepards and Pitbulls are both family-friendly dogs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They\u2019re friendly and affectionate with the people they love despite their bad-boy reputations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pitbulls are generally more sociable than the former.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pitbull owners actually consider them lapdogs!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They love being everyone\u2019s best friend, and won\u2019t hesitate to steal a lick or two of your face when you\u2019re chilling on the couch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
German Shepherds are less trustworthy than Pitbulls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They don\u2019t take kindly to strangers, which is one of the many reasons why they\u2019re brilliant guard dogs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once they warm up to you, though, they become one of the friendliest dogs you\u2019ll ever encounter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Grooming Requirements<\/h3>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\nGerman Shepherds aren\u2019t as high-maintenance as Poodles, but they\u2019re up there when it comes to grooming requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They have thick, long coats that require regular brushing, lest you cover your entire home with dog fur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The good news is that they don\u2019t need to be bathed often.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On average, they should be bathed once every two to six months to maintain their skin health and hygiene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, since German Shephards are full of energy, they might end up rolling in dirt and mud more often than you want them to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If they get dirty, you have no choice but to wash them\u2014and washing them can be quite the hassle because of their double coats!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pitbulls, as you might expect, require way less maintenance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They have sleek, short fur that needs to be brushed only once a week instead of every other day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They also don\u2019t need to be bathed often.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once every two to six months is more than plenty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Final Thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\nPitbulls and German Shepherds both make great family dogs if trained and socialized at a young age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
German Shepherds are easier to train and control than Pitbulls, so they\u2019re great for families with a lot of young children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pitbulls are more suited for small families and families with teens because their strength is unpredictable around young kids.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Are you wanting to compare a German Shepherd vs Pitbull? Learn all about what sets them apart as well and what they have in common.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":11889,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[58],"tags":[26,201],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11863"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11863"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11863\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11889"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11863"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11863"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11863"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}