Breed Highlight: The Origin of the German Shepherd
The German Shepherd is one of the most popular dogs on earth, and for good reason. An excellent family dog as well as the working dog of choice, this breed easily earns the spot of top dog. Learn about the origin of the German Shepherd and find out how this breed became such a popular family and working dog.
The Origin of the German Shepherd
It's not hard to tell with a name like 'German Shepherd', but these incredible dogs were originally bred for the purpose of herding flocks of sheep. They were bred by Max Emil Friedrich von Stephanitz, a former cavalry captain in the German army.
The Start of the German Shepherd Breed
In 1899, von Stephanitz was on the lookout for dogs with the skills for herding sheep, when he found one he immediately fell in love with at a dog show. This dog was named Hektor Linksrhein.
Hektor, renamed as Horand von Grafrath by von Stephanitz, was the patriarchal figurehead of the new breed, the German Shepherd.
Von Stephanitz oriented his new breed toward sheepherding and prioritized the need for intelligence, combined with physical working ability. Horand was an exemplary specimen of both these qualities and gave von Stephanitz a big head start in his journey.
Horand was from Thuringia in north Germany - these dogs often had wiry coats and curly tails, with sharp temperaments. On the other hand, the dogs in Wurttemberg in south Germany tended to be larger and easier to handle than their north Germany counterparts, so von Stephanitz decided to breed the two types together.
His work quickly produced a breed known for its whip smart intellect, intense focus and physical robustness in the field. His motivation was always to produce a dog that excelled in working ability, as well as being of impressive appearance.
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The German Shepherd as a Working Dog
Soon after the German Shepherd was developed, the need for shepherd dogs was drastically reduced. Europe entered the industrial age and the rise of cities and modernized farming techniques greatly reduced the need for shepherd dogs in rural communities.
To continue developing this breed, von Stephanitz pivoted and explored other jobs his new breed could do as an all around working dog. The German Shepherd kept its name but branched out to other more modern professions like Police K-9 units and dogs of war.
The Impact of War
The breed went through a tricky phase during both world wars when global sentiment grew significantly anti-German. As a result, German Shepherd enthusiasts in the US began referring to the breed simply as the 'Shepherd Dog', while in Great Britain, the name was changed to 'Alsatian'.
Eventually, the Anti-German sentiment faded and the breed was once again known as the German Shepherd.
American soldiers brought these dogs back from each World War raving about the breed's bravery, loyalty and smarts. Additionally, several early theater stars, Strongheart and Rin Tin Tin, both German Shepherds, brought breed awareness to the masses. These factors helped to increase the breed's popularity even further.
One of the Most Popular Breeds
Nowadays, the German Shepherd is one of the most popular breeds in the world and has constantly ranked highly in the most popular breed lists in the US for the past few decades.
They are known the world over for their intelligence, courage and work ethic. They are employed by militaries and police departments globally and can perform most other jobs filled by dogs. Families love them for their loyalty and character too. The GSD is the dog to be!
We hope you enjoyed learning the origins of the German Shepherd breed. We have Max Emil Friedrich von Stephanitz to thank for the GSD breed that we know and love today. If you love this breed too, shop our German Shepherd Collection to shop all things GSD!
