Although German Shepherds were not bred to swim, the breed is known to take to water like a fish. In fact, many working dogs like them are used in water rescue missions because of their ability to paddle around.

The lifespan for a German Shepherd is typically around 9-13 years, but they can live as long as 14 or 15 years. That’s not bad when you consider that the world’s oldest living dog was a 26-year-old Australian Cattle Dog. You can contrast their lifespan against the Great Dane at an average of about nine years and a chihuahua at about 15 years.