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The German Shepherd and You
Out of all of the German Shepherd's qualities, the one that sets it apart from all other breeds is its intelligence. They are among the smartest of all breeds. this keeps them at the top of the list for police work and for helping persons with disabilities. Only the smartest, most talented dogs are succeeding at those jobs. By nature, the German Shepherd is wary of strangers though once excepted by, that person is a friend for life. The breed is an efficient obedience worker, it quickly learns, whatever the dog has been taught will never be forgotten. The German Shepherd is an active breed that thrives on work and little is beyond its capabilities. The breed has a fleet foot, it is powerful yet graceful and nimble and it represents those qualities that are considered to be ideal within a dog. The German Shepherd loves |
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human companionship and will respond to the owner's mood whether it would be lying quietly by his side or running across the fields. Plus, at all times, the German Shepherd has only one desire which is to please you and to be with you. The breed has a keen sense of humor and enjoys playful games, but he will still defend the ones that he loves. The German Shepherd can become a frightening advisory that all would be well advised to keep clear of. |  |
| This breed can fit into any type of home whether it would be a flat one story house or a mansion because to them wherever you are happy is where they are happy. The German Shepherd will quickly feel right at home and fell apart of the family. Once you have your German Shepherd, all of your possessions and all that you own will, from then on, would be in the dogs special care. The German Shepherd needs your love, but he also needs the correct attention for grooming, exercise, food, and general welfare. when you give him that, he will devote his very life to you and you will be grateful for this and for the companionship and love you will both share. |  |
The History of the Breed Captain Max von Stephanitz is the father of the German Shepherd breed. The name of the first dog in the breed was Hektor Linksrihein. Later on, the name was changed to Horand v Grafeth by von Stephanitz. He was greatly admired by many breeders who were quick to become apart of the breeding programs. The German Shepherd became the dog that best exemplified the goals of early breeders. Horand v Grafeth's most celebrated son was Hektor v Shwaben, who in turn sired Heinz v Starkenburg and the litter brothers Beowolf and Pilot. |
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Each dog in turn sired many progeny and became pillars in the development of the German Shepherd. Von Stephanitz directed the breeding programs for the German Shepherds. The dogs Thuringia, Frankonia, and Wurttemburg were all used in each area providing dogs that had special merits of tail and ear carriage, size, color, and temperament. The degree of inbreeding was necessarily high at this time. Although it carried risks of incorporating faults, it enabled the breeders to fix permanently those qualities which today are such features of the breed. Von Stephanitz believed above all else that the German Shepherd should be bred for utility and intelligence. This was to be Von Stephanitz motto. |
It was this adaptability that was later used to make the German Shepherd the world's greatest all-rounder. With the oncoming of the twentieth century and having seeing the SV develop into the largest single breed club in the world, Von Stephanitz was turning his attention to the long-term future. He was able to foresee that in the growing industrialized nation, the role of the pastoral shepherd dog would decline and the breed must be able to adapt to other work if it was going to continue as being a functional animal. The very qualities that made the German Shepherd such exceptional sheepdog could well be put to good use by the government departments. This was the thinking of Von Stephanitz and was to be the next campaign. |
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He achieved this. During World War l, the breed was seen as a messenger dog, a rescue dog, a sentry dog, and a personal guard dog. The service men from the USA, UK, and Commonwealth would see first hand the breed's bravery, intelligence, and steadfastness. Many stories were taken back home. A number of the dogs were acquired by service men and transported home with them. When the English Kennel Club gave the breed a separate register, some 54 were included in 1919. |
| By 1926, ranks had swelled to 8,058, this was something that was an unpredicted success for the German Shepherd. The breed would not flourish if the word German was in the name. It was decided to call the breed the Alsatian Wolf dog after the German French border area of Alsace-Lorraine. The "Wolf dog" tag was later dropped and again felt this would prejudge the breed. In 1977, after following numerous campaigns by breeders, the name of the breed changed back to the German Shepherd Dog by which it is know in USA, Austria, and most other countries. |
| Its sterling qualities as a sheepdog were largely overlooked. Britain already had a string of quality working sheepdogs such as Collies, Corgis, and the Old English Sheepdogs. The pattern of the development of the breed increased in the USA, UK, and Austria was to be dictated by its adaptabilities. German Shepherds were predominately The seeing eye dogs in the U.S. and in Britain until Labradors changed the position. At the outbreak of World War ll, the trained dogs of the Allied Forces were seen wherever troops traveled, they spread the breeds popularity like a blanket around the world. |
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The German Shepherd's Success Since the World War ll, the German Shepherd has gone from one strength to another and is now one of the world's most popular breeds. No other breed has mastered such a wide range of skills as the German Shepherd's breed has done. It is large enough to tackle and win a contest yet agile enough to cope with a flock of sheep. Even though it is not able to outrun a Greyhound, it can still show an amazing turn of inpecitable speed. Having developed from natural working strains , it can maintain in a steady canter far longer than most of the other breeds. It can be seen from the foregoing that our modern German Shepherd is a king among dogs, noble of head, and athletic in body. This was a dog developed to be functional and the epitome of dedicated because of such carefully planned breeding. Problems that have confronted post-war breeders, had in their own way, been as great as those confronting the early pioneers. Most of the early German Shepherd dogs were predominately working dogs and was therefore not difficult to ensure working qualities were maintained and that the breeds natural intelligence was put to practical use. Once established, it was difficult to retain the qualities, let alone improve the breed, yet the breeders strived to do it. The German Shepherd had working trials, obedience trials, qualifications such as a companion dog, a tracking dog, a police dog, and a utility dog could be earned. Many kennel clubs gave great service to the breed and to its success. |
