[Tax-chick]

How unfortunate. 8 years old would be late-middle-age for a German Shepherd, right?

[Dysart]

A photo of the dog and handler is available on the link provided.

[the OlLine Rebel]

Yes, pretty much. Don't expect them to live beyond 11 or 12.

[MissEdie]

That's what I'm thinking, although according to my vet it's past late-middle age. My German Shepperd was supposed to have hip-replacement surgery this summer, but my regular vet has talked me out of it because he's 8 as well. She feels he is too old for the surgery, and that he will risk injuring his other joints during the recovery process. She also said his arthritis would get worse. The surgeon my husband took him to for an orthopedic consult was a bit too much of a champion for surgery. We're going with our regular vet, right now because our dog doesn't seem to be in much pain (he regularly chases squirrels in our backyard) and we have medication on hand to help him if he needs it.

[Joe 6-pack]

8 years old would be late-middle-age for a German Shepherd, right?

A lot depends on genetics...for some shepherd lines, 8 is old age; for others it's late middle aged, but as some others here have indicated, I look at a German shepherd who lives beyond 11 as a person who lives past 100...doesn't happen as a rule, but certainly not unheard of. A shep that lives beyond 12 is like a person that makes it past 110...exceptionally rare, but possible.