The Origins Of The German Shepherds

You must have heard and watched a lot about German Shepherds and you've come to know them as pets, guides, police dogs, or military dogs - some are celebrities too! But there is little we know about their origins. Some of these dogs look really noble, good looking in black or tan colors. Some look fierce. There is so much to learn about these dogs and where they came from.

The German Shepherds trace their roots to the Phylax Society in 1800, which wanted to develop German breed. The group experimented on combinations but failed to come up with a final one until the members grew apart in 1894. But their efforts were not futile since their experiments pave the way for the formation of another breeding group.

Captain Max Von Stephanitz formed the group by the end of the 19th century and they focused on a breed that will use the best traits of the sheepdogs. The breed came out to be the German Shepherds that we know today. This breed was used for herding but when the need for them lessened and lessened, Von Stephanitz found that the dogs can actually be very good for any military or government-related tasks. This was how the German Shepherd became a police or military dog.

During the earlier stages of developing the breed, the German Shepherds went through heavy inbreeding that so many defects came out of the offspring. This was a necessity though, in order to overcome the problems in the breeding and eventually develop the perfect line. Thanks to those experiments, the German Shepherd breed is now stable and very dependable, and is registered with AKC and other kennel clubs.

The World War II saw a change in the name of the German Shepherd to Alsatian Wolf Dog because there were some issues with the Germans. The name was derived from the German-French Alsace-Lorraine. It is the same breed only a different name. The original name was used again in 1977 and has become the official name of the breed.

People who own German Shepherds refer to them as GSDs or German Shepherd Dogs so that it will be easier to say. Dog lovers are of course familiar with such shortcuts and can understand immediately.

As a breed, the dogs have short, wiry coats, markings of black and tan, and pointed ears. They are very gentle and calm. Some of their best traits include obedience and tendency to want to please, intelligence, and they're being trainable. Since these dogs have been developed as working dogs, they constantly want to be doing something. They need to be active and their minds, stimulated. Outdoors, these dogs are very active and playful.

Had the Phylax Society known that they were the frontrunners of the German Shepherds breed, they will be congratulating themselves now.