German Shepherds

THE MOST VERSATILE working dog of them all, the German Shepherd Dog, owes its existence to the efforts of a German cavalry officer, Captain Max von Stephanitz who, in the 1890s, envisioned a super-herding dog that would be intelligent, sound in mind and body, and noble and elegant in appearance. At that time Germany's farm dogs were a mixed lot, valued more for their working ability than their good looks. The best of them, although they varied greatly in appearance, shared two things in common: their body structure was compatible with long hours of hard outdoor work and they had an instinct to guard and herd.

Selecting quality specimens, Stephanitz commenced breeding towards his ideal. His work attracted others and in 1899 a group of eleven men founded the Verein fur Deutsche Schaferhund (Society for German Shepherd Dogs) commonly referred to as SV. This society has grown to be the largest and most influential breed club in the world. The society draughted a breed standard for the Shepherd, set up a system of registration and established strict breeding regulations. In that same year it sponsored the first Sieger Show, an event which is held annually at which the best male and female German Shepherd Dog are named the sieger and siegerin for the year, titles which compare to the North American "victor" and "victrix." This prestigious show draws a huge entry and is attended by Shepherd fanciers from all parts of the world who pay enormous prices for top German breeding stock.

The German Shepherd was first imported to this continent early in the 1900s but did not achieve much popularity until after the First World War. Returning servicemen were high in their praise of the intelligent German breed that had served so valiantly as army dogs. Imports increased, and between the years 1918-1926 the breed's popularity peaked. Dog actors such as Rin Tin Tin and Strongheart brought fame to the breed.

The Shepherd has become renowned around the world for its loyalty and intelligence. As sentry, police dog, tracker, drug dog, search and rescue and avalanche dog the breed has no equal. It excels as a guide dog for the blind, has been used successfully to search out gasline leaks, minerals, bodies of dead servicemen buried under desert sand as well as nests of the elusive gypsy moth for the U. S. Department of Agriculture.

Despite his outstanding contribution to man, because of anti-German sentiment in Britain the breed was called the "Alsatian" until the late 1970s at which time the name was revised the German Shepherd Dog (Alsatian).

The breed was first registered in Canada in 1912.