The German Shepherd Dog or GSD for short is at the top of the heap for the most versatile dog - a virtual Swiss army knife. But German Shepherds are not from Switzerland, they are from Germany and were developed by Captain Max von Stephanitz and Herr Artur Meyer in Frankfurt Germany - early 20th century.
They wanted a versatile dog and that goal was met.
But Horand von Grafrath is credited with being the first person to register the first official German Shepherd Dog, known as SV1, well it is a name.
German Shepherds were originally herding dogs - and they still herd sheep, but because of their versatility, their scope has grown.
Now, they are in the top 5 of all dogs, and depending on the breeders - some breed for a high drive while others breed for a low drive, you can have a German Shepherd that sits on the couch or one that's performing search and rescue missions.
Have you ever seen a German Shepherd Dog struggle at anything? I haven't!
They work - what they were intended to do - effortlessly, and cuddle effortlessly.
Of course, they are hard workers, they are part of the herding group.
But some breeds in the herding group are on 100% of the time.
The German Shepherd dog can actually cool its jet - as my mom would say.
We use the term Swiss army knife for the German Shepherd because they are one.
You need them to tend to sheep - done.
You need them to find people after an earthquake - done.
You need them to take down bad people - done.
They listen well and perform the command like they already know what they want...I don't even think they go to training, that's just how intuitive the German Shepherds Dogs are.
Keep in mind that if you are interested in a German Shepherd they do have different drive levels. Yes, they are versatile, but you want one that fits well in your environment.
The German Shepherd Dog is part of the herding group, with popular dogs like the Belgian Malinois, Border Collie, and Corgis...that is quite a mix of dogs!
But the German Shepherd Dog is the most popular, likely because of its Swiss Army Knife versatility.
The German Shepherd Dog originates from Germany around the early 20th century and was developed by Captain Max von Spehanitz and Herr Artur Meyer - in Frankfurt Germany.
SV1 was the name of the first officially registered German Shepherd Dog, which is interesting.
They still herd sheep, but they also do so much more, like lay on the couch to search and rescue missions...depending on the drive of your specific German Shepherd Dog, which is developed by the breeder.
You do not want a high-drive German Shepherd , just to sit on the couch; and you don't want a low-drive German Shepherd to perform captures; sure they'll do it, but they won't perform it as well as a German Shepherd bred specifically for that function.
German Shepherds Dogs apply their herding instincts to their job - they can practically read your mind; and are just waiting for your command to perform the task.
Yet, they still have a chill mode; whereas a dog like the Belgian Malinois is on 100% of the time.
German Shepherd Dogs are charming to be around because of their intuitiveness.
And the coat makes them a great dog to pet, too, which is what I'm into; but, they do shed their winter and summer coats - so that amounts to the upkeep.
Not a bad compromise.
German Shepherds are not good apartment dogs, because they do need daily exercise, but if you are willing to commit - it is doable.
Some German Shepherds are medium-sized but most are considered large dogs - you'll want an elevated 2-quart dog bowl.
Since they like to walk and run daily, you'll want to keep their food bowl full so they can refuel; and feed a high protein quality food for a German Shepherd with a good musculoskeletal system (bones, ligaments, tendons, and muscles).
They must have that human connection - they need to be around you - to be happy.
And an unhappy German Shepherd Dog can be destructive even against all its positive tendencies - what I'm saying is that they can not have too much socialization.
German Shepherds are not dogs you keep in a crate for long periods.
They love meeting new people, but are very suspicious - initially, which is good - they are a very alert dog from the herding lineage.
With proper training they shouldn't take action without being commanded.
The German Shepherd can compete in conformation - shows, herding, agility, scent work and obedience; search and rescue, therapy, blind leader, watch and protection dog, couch potato and this list goes on.
The breeder makes all the difference in the world with German Shepherds; so, like a German Shepherd, be alert to those breeders that don't have the interest of the breed in mind.
The German Shepherd Dog is fearless and physically very strong too, now would you consider a German Shepherd Dog as your perfect dog?
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