German Shepherds are beautiful and powerful dogs. They are known for their loyalty and intelligence. These dogs are often used by police forces because they can be trained to detect a variety of substances such as drugs, explosives, or human remains with amazing accuracy. German Shepherds also excel in areas such as search and rescue, border patrol, and personal protection. They are also very loyal animals, making them great protectors for their families.
German Shepherds will impress you in more than just one way. Want to know more about the breed? Here are the top 10 interesting German Shepherd facts.
1. German Shepherds Have Many Names:
Although it is one of the few breeds whose official name contains the word ‘dog’ (the German Shepherd Dog), this breed is most usually known as the German Shepherd. To separate the canines from the people who serve as shepherds in Germany, the term ‘dog’ is incorporated in the name. However, this isn’t the only name given to it. The dog is known as a Deutscher Shaferhund in Germany, where it originated. Alsatian is the name given to the dog in England and Ireland. They’re also called the Berger Allemand on occasion.
Because the breed is so popular in the United States, from 1914 forward, Americans discussed deleting ‘German’ off of their name. In 1917, the American Kennel Club removed ‘German’, and the dog became known as the Shepherd Dog. Members of the club, however, decided in 1930 to restore the name back to its former form.
2. German Shepherds Are The Best Service Dogs:
Appollo, the first German Shepherd police service K-9 to react to Ground Zero on 9/11, is one of the most well-known service dogs. Buddy the GSD, on the other hand, was Morris Frank’s first seeing eye dog in 1928. The dedicated seeing-eye dog was trained in Switzerland by Dorothy Harrison Eustis, an American.
Eustis returned to the United States when Morris Frank returned with Buddy and had tremendous success with the seeing-eye dog. Morris Frank became the managing director of The Seeing Eye, a school dedicated to training more seeing-eye dogs, with Buddy by his side. The institution still trains service dogs for the blind today.
3. German Shepherd Dogs Are Incredibly Loyal:
German Shepherd owners, on the other hand, are never lonely since their loyal dogs are always at their side. They are compassionate and caring with their family while being hesitant to warm up to others. The breed’s friendly and committed personalities are a plus, and they have a special fondness for young kids. This implies that instead of being left alone all day, every day, your German Shepherd prefers to spend time with you. Allowing your German Shepherd to spend as much time as possible with you will bring out the best in them.
4. There Is A Sport Especially Developed For German Shepherds:
German Shepherd Dog is the only breed of the canine world that can claim to have a sport named after them. Schutzhund was the name given to this sport, and there is even a group named the United Schutzhund Clubs of America. The sport was created, according to this group, to evaluate a German Shepherd Dog’s innate skill and to detect dogs who were untrainable or unstable. The sport was developed in Germany in the early 1900s.
Even though the sport was created particularly for German Shepherd Dogs, it now attracts a wide range of dog breeds. However, the activity requires such rigorous testing that only a few varieties are capable of participating. The will to work, intellect, fearlessness, the link with the dog handler, trainability, sense of scent, perseverance, and protective instinct are some of the attributes put to the test in this sport.
5. There Are Nine Standard Breed Colors Recognized By Kennel Clubs:
Do you also imagine a German Shepherd with a black and brown coat? Black and tan German Shepherds are the most famous, especially in the United States, thanks to Rin Tin Tin. But you may be surprised to learn that these great dogs come in a range of striking and attractive colors!
Black, gray, sable, black and tan, blue, red and black, black and silver, and brown are the most common coat colors for this breed. Kennel clubs accept liver, blue, and solid liver-colored shepherds as purebreds as well.
6. German Shepherds Rank No.3 In The List Of Most Intelligent Dog Breeds:
The intelligence of German Shepherd Dogs is one of its most well-known characteristics. In fact, scientists and dog experts consider this breed to be the third most intelligent dog breed. Stanley Coren gave this score in his book ‘The Intelligence of Dogs.’ Border Collies and Poodles are two breeds that are said to be smarter than German Shepherd Dogs.
A German Shepherd Dog, according to Coren, can generally master a basic activity after only five repetitions. Furthermore, they will obey the initial order given to them 95% of the time. It’s because of their intelligence that they’ve become so popular as working dogs.
7. Some German Shepherds Can Be Affected By Dwarfism:
Dwarfism is a condition that affects the dog’s height. It can be caused by a genetic mutation or by an illness. There are many different types of dwarfism and they all have different effects on the dog’s body.
German shepherds have a high rate of dwarfism. This is a result of an autosomal recessive gene that causes the animal to grow at an extremely slow rate, resulting in stunted growth and impaired bone development.
German shepherd dwarfs are typically no taller than 12 inches and can weigh anywhere from 10 to 30 pounds.
8. German Shepherds Dogs Are Popular All Around The World:
This breed of dog is not just popular in the United States; it is also one of the most popular breeds across the world. Germany is obviously a major breeding ground for this species, with over 250,000 purebred German Shepherd Dogs registered there. Every year, it is estimated that 15,0000 German Shepherd pups are born in Germany.
They are the seventh most common dog breed registered with The Kennel Club in the United Kingdom. Fanciers are those who breed or train these dogs, and there are registered German Shepherd Dog fanciers in 78 countries across the world. There is a World Union of German Shepherd Dog Clubs since the breed is so popular across the world.
America loves the breed too. German Shepherds were the second most popular dog breed in the United States in 2014, according to the American Kennel Club. Major cities like Miami and Nashville also voted the breed as most popular.
9. German Shepherds Are Incredibly Active:
Do you want to spend some time with your German Shepherd on the couch? This won’t happen unless you’ve taken your dog for a walk to the park, or given him some type of physical exercise. These dogs can only survive if they get adequate activity on a daily basis to burn off all of their pent-up energy. If you don’t give your German Shepherd enough exercise, your dog will find a way to release that energy, and it will most likely be in ways you don’t desire. So, you must keep your German Shepherd well exercised to ensure that your pet is happy and enjoyable to live with.
10. Rin Tin Tin, The German Shepherd Superstar:
Rin Tin Tin, a German Shepherd, rose to fame after being saved from a World War I battlefield by an American soldier named Duncan Lee, who taught him how to act in silent films. This German Shepherd has appeared in 27 Hollywood films. The dog became a celebrity with such a large following that Warner Bros. would create a Rin Tin Tin film anytime they were facing financial difficulties.
Rin Tin Tin is even said to have won the best actor award at the inaugural Academy Awards in 1929.
Thank you for reading the article.
Here are other German Shepherd articles that you might be interested in.
Do you have a German Shepherd? What is living with your German Shepherd pup like? Share your experience with us in the comment section.