Origin Of German Shepherd

The German Shepherd is still classified as a relatively newer breed dating from 1899. They are a working class breed apart of the herding group, specifically sheep herding. In Europe during the 1850’s, attempts were being made to standardize breeds. The dogs were bred to preserve traits that assisted in their job of herding sheep and protecting flocks from predators. In Germany this was practiced within local communities, where shepherds selected and bred dogs that they believed had the skills necessary for herding sheep, such as intelligence, speed, strength, and keen senses of smell.  The first German Shepherd exhibit was in 1882 in Hanover. Credit for the formation of the modern breed is given to German fancier Rittmeister von Stephanitz. In 1899 while at a dog show Stephanitz saw Hektor, who became the product of a few generations of selective breeding and completely fulfilled what Von Stephanitz believed a working dog should be. He was pleased with the strength of the dog and was so taken by the animal’s intelligence, loyalty, and beauty, that he purchased him immediately. Stephanitz coined him as the official German Shepherd Dog. The German army later modified this breed for work as a military dog. This breed gained popularity in the United States after WW1 when many of the dogs returned home with the soldiers. After which, the AKC changed their name to Shepherd Dog for scrutiny over Germany.

Temperament

The German Shepherd is known as a one owner breed, their high train-ability and loyalty is why they are mainly used as police dogs, service dogs or agility and conformation. They are courageous and make a fantastic guard dog, perfect for search missions. They are highly intelligent and rank third behind the Poodle and Boarder Collie for intelligence. They are the largest breed used for police, detective work, scouting, tracking criminals and servicing people with handicaps. They have a real willingness to learn with an eagerness to have purpose and joyfully carry out their duties.

Size

Males – stand 24-26 inches

Females – stand 22-24 inches

Weight

Males- Average 75-95lbs

Females- 75-95lbs

Fun Facts

A five-day-old puppy was found in France in a bomb-riddled kennel by an American corporal (Lee Duncan). This soldier took the dog home, trained him and turned him into the famous movie dog named, Rin Tin Tin. Rin Tin Tin appeared in 26 movies and was instrumental in popularizing the breed throughout America. He starred in his own live radio show in 1930 called “The Wonder Dog” At the peak of his Hollywood popularity, he had 15 trained stand ins and had a private chef who prepared daily lunches of tenderloin steak to classical music. He eventually died at the ripe age of 14 and returned to his birthplace in France where he was entered into “La Cimetiere des Chiens” Today his blood line continues at a kennel in Texas with 8-11 puppies born each year.

Training Tips

German Shepherds are extremely smart and love learning new things. It is important you teach them one command at a time to prevent confusion and no longer than 15-20min as this will prevent frustration and boredom. Sound praise should always be offered after every task well done. They respond very well to positive reinforcement. And as with all breeds, socialization as a young pup is very important to get them adjusted to new things and other pets, as this instills confidence and self assurance.

Stories

We always love to hear stories about your German Shepherd, share a tale with us.