About The Breed: German Shepherd

As the name of the breed suggests, the German Shepherd originates from Germany. The history of the breed dates back to the late 1800s. In the 1850s, German dog breeders were trying to standardize dog breeds to preserve the best traits that assisted their job of herding sheep. This was practiced within small communities of people in Germany where shepherds bred dogs. 

German breeders wanted to have a dog that had the necessary skills for herding sheep such as intelligence, strength, speed, endurance, and a strong sense of smell. The breeders got results but the ability and the appearance of dogs differed from one community to another. As a result, the Phylax Society was formed in 1891 with the purpose of creating native dog breeds but it was disbanded in just a few of years due to internal disagreements on the traits of the dogs the organization should promote. Nevertheless, Germany’s efforts to create a dog breed of the nation’s own continued. 

In 1899, Max von Stephanitz, an ex-member of the Phylax Society and a former student of the Berlin Veterinary College, was shown a dog during one of his visits to a dog show named Hektor Linksrhein. The dog was agile, loyal, fast, intelligent, and appeared pleasing to the eye. The dog satisfied his beliefs of what a working dog should be, and he purchased him. 

After purchasing the dog, he founded the Society for German Shepherd Dogs (Verein für Deutsche Schäferhunde) and changed the name of the dog to Horand von Grafrath. Horand became the first German Shepherd Dog and was bred with other dogs. The dogs that shared similar characteristics as Horand from Franconia, Thuringia, and Wurttemberg were bred with him and fathered many pups. During the years of breeding, there had been inbreeding which was seen necessary at the time in order to fix the qualities being endeavored in the breed. 

The first German Shepherd was imported to the United States in 1907 as part of a German Shepherd Dog exhibit. The American Kennel Club recognized the breed a year later, in 1908. The first championship awarded to a German Shepherd was in 1913 and German Shepherds became quite popular in the United States. In the same year, the German Shepherd Dog Club of America was formed. This accelerated the popularity of the breed, but when Germany joined the First World War in 1917, anything German was boycotted – including the dogs. The club changed its name to Shepherd Dog Club of America. This didn’t stop German Shepherds from gaining popularity in the United States.