by Kristopher Chambers

Created on: August 03, 2007

The German Shepherd Dog, also known as the Alsatian Shepherd, is the most recognizable dog in the world. It is also one of the most popular. German Shepherds are famous for their loyalty and sensitivity, as well as their keen senses, physical strength, and beauty. They are well liked both as professional working dogs and as personal companions.

German Shepherds are amazingly versatile. The breed got its name from their early days herding sheep, a task which they still excel at, but they have been used in more ways than any other breed of dog in the world. They are guard dogs, warding off intruders, and seeing-eye dogs, helping people who are blind across the street. They are used professionally by law enforcement to find bombs and track escaped criminals, and by Search and Rescue workers to help locate lost hikers and survivors of natural disasters. A few have even learned to parachute with their owners, riding in special harnesses. In the end, however, they are still perfectly suited for domestic life.

A German Shepherd's fur may be golden or fawn, sable, all black, or all white. It has a double coat, which acts as good insulation for the dog. This coat also sheds a lot, especially in the Spring and the Fall. However, apart from their shedding habits, German Shepherds are very clean. They do not drool like some other dogs, and are easily house-trained. They are long lived, sometimes living fourteen years. They are also large, weighing between 60 and 100 lbs, and very strong. If untrained, a German Shepherd could jump on and knock over a child, or even an adult if unprepared. However, they are known for their gentility as well as their strength, and when properly trained make excellent pets. German Shepherds are protective of their family and wary of strangers, but they are not actively hostile to them, and once you have won them over they will be your friend for life.

While shepherding dogs date back to the bronze age, the breed that was to become the German Shepherd had its origin in Germany in the 19th century. Captain Max von Stephanitz was an avid dog fancier who, in 1895, co-founded the Verein fur Deutsche Schaferhunde, the Society for German Shepherd Dogs. The society was formed on the same day he met Hektor von Linksrhein, a silent wolf-like dog who was to be father of the entire breed. Von Stephanitz bought Hektor, mated him, and much of the early work of the society was devoted to developing the new breed.

Following World War I, the dog shows in England

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