German Shepherd Dog History
Derived from the old breeds of herding and farm dogs, and
associated for centuries with man as servant and companion,
the German Shepherd Dog has been subject to intensive development.
Sponsored by the Verein fur Deutsche Schaferhunde, the parent
club of the breed founded in 1899 in Germany, the cult of the
Shepherd spread rapidly from about 1914 onward in many parts
of the world. Interest in the breed has been fostered by specialty
clubs in many lands as it has been in the United States by
the German Shepherd Dog Club of America.
Considering first the more important side of the dog, its
character, the Shepherd is distinguished for loyalty, courage,
and the ability to assimilate and retain training for a number
of special services. He should be of equable disposition, poised,
unexcitable, and with well-controlled nerves. For his typical
work as a herding sheepdog, he must not be gun-shy and must
have courage to protect his flock from attacks, either animal
or human. For his work as a police dog, a development which
followed upon his natural aptitude for training, he must have
this courage and in addition must be able to make use of the
excellent nose which he usually possesses. In his work as a
leader of the blind, the Shepherd must and does exhibit a high
order of intelligence and discrimination involving the qualities
of observation, patience, faithful watchfulness, and even,
to a certain degree, the exercise of judgment.
These qualities, which have endeared the German Shepherd Dog
to a wide public in practically every country of the globe,
are those of the companion, protector, and friend. The German
Shepherd is not a pugnacious brawler, but a bold and punishing
fighter if need be. In his relation to man he does not give
affection lightly; he has plenty of dignity and some suspicion
of strangers, but his friendship, once given, is given for
life.
On the physical side, the German Shepherd Dog has been developed
to a point of almost ideal fitness for the work he is called
upon to do. He is a dog of middle size with enough weight to
be effective as herder or patrolman, but not enough to be cumbersome
or unwieldy.
The impression of the dog as a whole is one of ruggedness
combined with nobility, of power combined with agility. There
should be a sense of balance, forequarters and hindquarters
compensating each other in their development. The outline should
be smooth and flowing, and the topline of the dog, from the
ear to the tip of the full tail, a single sweeping succession
of unbroken curves. The German Shepherd Dog is a natural dog,
unchanged for any whim of the show ring.
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