The Shiloh is bred to be the ultimate family companion, a gentle giant with a heart of gold, great with children and other animals. They are confident, stable, friendly dogs who are among the most intelligent of breeds, very easy to train. Our Leo is very much in line with this description. We have taken him to dog shows and canine festivals and he is a calm, well-mannered ambassador for the breed with children, adults, and other animals. He is on the smaller side for a male Shiloh--between 28 and 29 inches at the shoulder and weighing around a hundred pounds.
Leo is what is called a "plush" coat, which means he is longer-haired. Shilohs also come in the classic "smooth" coat, which is a typical German shepherd-style coat. Both do shed quite a bit! The plush coat is actually easier in this way--you need to brush it to get the dead undercoat out, but at least it comes out in the brush, not all over your floor. The smooth coats shed effortlessly, though daily brushing does a lot to reduce the fur.
Shilohs do need some exercise and we notice a direct link between how much running and chasing ours do and how well-behaved they are! A good solid half-hour walk or jog will do a lot to make your Shiloh happy if he or she is the typical "couch potato" example of the breed. Shilohs do also come in higher-energy packages, so make sure that you work with a good breeder so they can match your lifestyle with a puppy that fits it. All ISSR Shiloh breeders do a Litter Evaluation Report (LER) at eight weeks, during which they rate a pup's energy level, prey and play drive, urge to please, sociability, intelligence and sound sensitivity. They then use this information to match you up with your perfect pup!
One thing that attacted my husband and I to the breed was their longer lifespan for a giant breed. Shilohs live an average of ten to twelve years, and many make it to age fourteen. The ISSR registry has a Genetic Task Force which works to reduce and eventually eliminate diseases from the lines, so Shilohs have a lower rate of hip dysplasia and other disorders.
Shilohs are not cheap (if you're getting a good one, the real deal, expect to pay as much as you would for any quality dog from a reputable breeder--if you're not, be suspicious!). As giant breeds, they are not cheap to feed. Like German shepherds, which Shilohs are strongly related to, they can have sensitive stomachs and you may have to try several foods to find one your dog does well on (and when you find it, it may be one of the pricey ones) so be prepared for this possibility.
Shilohs train easily and, depending on the type of dog you ask for, they can excel in obedience, agility, herding, therapy, or search-and-rescue work. Our female Shiloh, Kyrie, is an example of a little more high-drive Shiloh; her dam does herding and her sire is a search-and-rescue dog. Our Leo, on the other hand, is more a couch-potato type Shiloh, and is being trained for Therapy Dog work.
If you are looking for a watch dog, Shilohs do the job admirably--they are large, intimidating-looking (who wouldn't be leery of a 120-pound shepherd?), and have a nice, big, deep bark to alert the household with. If, however, you are looking for a guard/attack/Schutzhund dog, this is NOT the dog for you. Shilohs can "fake it" if this sort of training is treated as a game, but their temperaments are soft, not hard, and they generally love people too much for this sort of thing.
So, in summary: If you are looking for a dog to be a great companion for your kids, if you are looking for a dog that's super-intelligent but not as high-energy as some other herding breeds, if you are looking for a jack-of-all-trades that will love to hike with you or just sit with you while you while you watch TV, if you are looking for a very "human-centered" dog who will listen, watch, and respond to you, if you are looking for a giant breed with a longer lifespan and fewer health issues--the Shiloh shepherd may be the right breed for you!