The German Shepherd Dog, Partner to Mankind

The German Shepherd breed today is a far cry from the original flock dogs used in Germany in earlier times. Sheep herding dogs were a necessary part of the German agricultural scenes and were quite a mixed lot. It wasn’t until the formation of a group known as the Association for German Sheepdogs SV, (now a large group of fanciers numbering more than 50,000) that a more uniform dog began to evolve. The German Shepherd Dog standards and breeding policies are strictly regulated by this club as are most breeds in Germany. This regulation includes the registration of litters and approval of the quality of each puppy within a litter. In former days the “culling” of the litter meant that puppies who did not qualify would be destroyed, nowadays such puppies can only be sold as pets and may not be registered. This strict supervision of the German Shepherd Dog in Germany has led to a very uniform breed in both physical attributes and instinctive abilities.

German Shepherd Dogs have proved themselves in many aspects of modern civilization to be very versatile and loyal human companions and often partners, being useful in nearly every walk of life. One can find the German Shepherd on Police rosters, in Search Dog units, as Guide Dogs for the Blind, as Therapy dogs and in the Military Services, among many other pursuits.

The German Shepherd exhibits a deep intelligence and common sense. Its history as a dog of many talents is in part due to the high intelligence of the breed, this is a dog with a quickness to learn and an eagerness to please its owner. It is often a one family or one owner dog and truly is considered a partner by many handlers in the police professions. This is an adaptable and flexible breed, a dog with many talents and skills.

Unfortunately its popularity has led to a huge amount of indiscriminate breeding in the United States and in Great Britain, where there is no such thing as a club which mandates and approves the registrations. For many years the dog was in the number one position in A.K.C. registrations . There are some health problems now which can no doubt be directly associated with so much popularity. Among these major problems are Hip and Elbow Dysplasia, Epilepsy, Panosteitis, Pyoderma and various gastrointestinal difficulties. Buyers should buy from reputable breeders who have tested for and will only use stock which is free from these conditions.

In this country and in Great Britain, the German Shepherd quickly became a popular show dog. Show dog breeders often have a tendency to breed for the physical attributes of the dog, sometimes this can lead to an emphasis being placed on one particular physical attribute to the neglect of other aspects of the breeds such as attitude, temperament, or working abilities. Unfortunately there has been some dilution of physical health and temperament in the German Shepherd Dogs bred for the show ring in the United States. For some years the rear angulation was so over emphasized that the dog’s athleticism and strength of movement were in jeopardy. There now exists in the United States a distinct separation of philosophy between the breeders who breed for the show ring and those breeders who breed for the working abilities of the breed. It is to be hoped that common sense will prevail and that this fine dog which is so capable in so many different areas will continue to maintain the conformation necessary to do these many varied and important jobs. This is a trust which must be placed with the responsible breeders of the dog and an important aspect of this is a determination on the part of the public to purchase only from breeders who display such responsibility.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Dogs