The German Shepherd dog is a very popular breed. They can be trained to attack on command and is thus a very effective guard dog. German Shepherds are very intelligent and are used widely as working dogs for search and rescues and as military and police dogs. They are also great guide dogs for children and the blind. Originally bred in Germany, they are now found in all parts of the world, in different shapes and sizes, and serving different types of roles.
History
German Shepherd dogs came from the line of the sheep dogs that served the purpose of herding sheep and helping the shepherd. In the late 19th century, Captain Max von Stephanitz saw the potential of breeding an all-purpose working dog when he came upon admiring a beautiful and intelligent landrace herding dog. The sheep dog, Horand v. Grafrath was registered as the first German Shepherd dog. With the onset of industrialization, herding became less and less relevant so he saw the potential for other uses. He created an official governing body to control and develop the breed. This body created a trial as a breed test for the German Shepherd dogs. It also prohibited the breeding of any dog which did not pass the standards. This led to the rapid development of the breed's abilities.
After World War 1, British and American Soldier were so impressed by the German Shepherd dogs that they brought some home. This began the proliferation of the breed worldwide and its standards are still being maintained up to this day.
Breed line
There is a wide variety of German Shepherd dogs but their general qualities still remain: large, strong, and good-looking. They are usually double-coated and their fur can be long or short. Most German Shepherd dogs are cream and tan but there are variations of black and white. Some even have tri-color hair that includes white with brown or red. These dogs are called sables.
There are three major breed lines depending on their ability and appearance and behavior. The international working lines are bred more for their working ability as specified by their training rather than their appearance. International show lines are bred for appearance for the purpose of joining dog shows. Standards here can be very limiting so more or less their appearance remain the same. The North American show lines are bred also for their appearance but are markedly different from the world standards because of their sloped back and sharp angulation of the hock joint. Standards for the ideal look of the German Shepherd vary from place to place and country to country.
German Shepherds provides detailed information on German Shepherds, German Shepherd Breeders, German Shepherd Kennels, German Shepherd Puppies and more. German Shepherds is affiliated with Golden Retriever Training.
Source: www.articlesphere.com