German Shepherd Dog Breed History

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) November 23, 2010 -- Inspite of the general belief that the German Shepherd dog breed is interrelated in some fashion to the wolf, this breed is no more interrelated to the wolf than any other dog breed. This breed is the consequence of a deliberate venture to produce the complete shepherd. This is due to the formation in 1899, of an association devoted to controlling the breeding of the German Shepherd dog; the Verein fur Deutsche Scharferhunde, which became known all around the world as the SV.

In 1899, Captain Max von Stephanitz, who started the breed, purchased a dog which surprised him. The dog was Horand von Grafrath, originally named Hektor Linksrhein. Captain Stephanitz used this unforgettable canine as the foundation for the future German Shepherd dog. Horand von Grafrath epitomized the purpose and aspirations of the breeders at that time. He was seen as the objective towards which every German Shepherd breeder aspired to take his dogs.



On April 22nd of 1899, quickly after von Stephanitz got Horand, he got together with 10 friends and began what is now known as the Verein fur Deutsche Scharferhunde. Many will agree with me that this is the date that can be employed as the day for the arrival of the GSD breed.



Breeders worked to establish a herding dog that would shine at different jobs which required intelligence, bravery and athleticism. The GSD soon proved that it was an intelligent and heroic friend and defender.

At the time of WWI, the German Shepherd dog was put to use in many varied ways. It could be seen as a messenger dog, a rescue dog or a sentinel dog, but it was also utilized as a guard dog. After WWI concluded, soldiers took several of these German Shepherds back home with them.



Then, during the second World War, the Allied Forces used this trained dogs significantly and they traveled everywhere with them. This made this already outstanding breed, a lot more widespread everywhere in the world.



At the end of WWII and in the years right after it, the German Shepherd dog's popularity grew extraordinarily and it became the most popular breed in history. The major reasons were that no other breed could command such an adequate set of skills as the German Shepherd breed and its amazingly exceptional characteristics.

The breed changed names a few times, mainly because after the war the word "German" obtained a very bad connotation. It changed to The Alsatian Wolf Dog, but the "Wolf Dog" part of the name also had a negative symbolism, so it went to Alsatian and later in 1977 it was eventually changed back to the original it uses till this day.

The GSD was the most loved and commended dog in America for many years. It is still one of the most multifaceted dogs ever created. The German Shepherd dog has worked as a search-and-rescue dog, narcotics-or explosives-detecting dog, guide dog, guard dog, police dog, war dog, show dog, shepherd and even as a pet.

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