04/14/2024
WHAT THEY SAY AND WHAT WE SEE
The German Shepherd Dog is one of the most utilitarian dogs out there. Most novices tend to call them by the name German Shepherd but that is the name of the Shepherd commanding the dog to herd the flock. Their actual name is Deutsche Schäferhund = German Shepherd Dog. (Think Old English Sheepdog.)
WHAT THEY SAY:
After World War 1, when Rin Tin Tin helped make the breed a household name for decades, everyone wanted one. It was affectionately called “The German Police Dog”. They were used as Military Working Dogs by the United States Military and as Police Working Dogs.
According to The American Kennel Club, “Generally considered dogkind’s finest all-purpose worker, the German Shepherd Dog is a large, agile, muscular dog of noble character and high intelligence. Loyal, confident, courageous, and steady, the German Shepherd Dog is truly a dog lover’s delight. German Shepherd Dogs can stand as high as 26 inches at the withers (shoulder) and when viewed in outline, presents as picture of smooth, graceful, curves rather than angles. The natural gait is a free-and-easy-trot but they can turn it up a notch or two and reach great sp*eds.
There are many reasons why German Shepherd Dogs stand in the front rank of canine royalty but experts say that their defining attribute is character, loyalty, courage, confidence, the ability to learn commands for many tasks, and willingness to put their life on the line in defense of loved ones. German Shepherds (sic) will be gentle family pets and steadfast guardians but the breed standard says, there’s a certain aloofness that does not lend itself to immediate and indiscriminate friendships”.
Affectionate with family 5 Good with young children 5 Good with other dogs 3
WHAT WE SEE:
The German Shepherd Dog was developed in 1898 by Captain Max Von Stephanitz of Germany. Von Stephanitz studied genetics in England in the creation of his stock from amorphous herding dogs. He preferred a medium coat. Max also preferred dogs from Northern Germany as they would hold sheep by the rear leg using their molars and pre-molars. (Also making their ability to hold a criminal pronounced.) This was distinctly different from the Southern type herding dog which often grabbed sheep by the nape of the neck causing wounds. These wounds would mortify and eventually end in death if not attended to.
Due to WW ll, the British wanted nothing to do with the German Shepherd Dog so they named the breed Alsatians, which was a misnomer. They claimed the breed came from an area in Alsace-Lorraine. The genesis of the breed was by Herr von Stephanitz.
Many owners fail to realize that their are two distinct types of German Shepherd Dogs: Show Lines and Working Lines. Show lines are softer and easier to work with family pets. Working lines can be way tougher and excitable. They need to work even more so. Von Stephanitz, in his famous book, “The German Shepherd Dog in Word and Picture”, maintained that his dogs, if left to their own devices would get into mischief. His beloved breed was initially developed for herding but von Stephanitz approached the German Police in 1910 about performing police work and they laughed at him. They laugh no longer.
Around 1920, after the First World War, von Stephanitz came to America to meet with fanciers of his breed. They were all parading their dogs around and von Stephanitz pulled out a shotgun and fired it. All of the American GSD’s panicked while his dogs were calm and stable. Von Stephanitz told them that he developed the breed for working and not beauty.
So, today, we tend to see more breeders breeding for beauty and not workability. The best breeders attempt to accomplish both. The biggest thing breeders need to remember is to have a tough bitch/female that will have neural stability under stress. One other factor that affects obstacle work is over angulation of the rear legs. The Breed Standard has been tinkered with since the 1970’s. The rear hocks, right above the paws, should be parallel while in gait. The rear leg, toward the Judge, should not be over-angulated, so much so, that their hocks are on the ground. Their topline should be gradually sloping topline without roach or that newer “racy look” without a gradual slope.
NOW FOR THEIR DEMEANOR………
GERMAN SHEPHERD DOGS DO NOT LIKE TO BE APPROACHED! So if you wait for them to approach you, things become steadily better. They tend to elicit Territorial/Protective Aggression. At Canine Cadre, we tend to stay away from the term “Reactive” since it is too general. Well, we like pasta but how many types of pasta are there, and used when and why?
People walk on a dog’s territory and stare at the dog, even in admiration. This ‘fixed gaze” is often seen as a direct challenge. Then, they want to bend over and touch the dog, they do not know, on the head. This can be seen by the dog as a “stand over’ and is why many veterinarians and groomers are bitten. The best bet is to go slow with a German Shepherd Dog, or any Working Dog, and do not touch a dog you are not socialized with on the head.
One other thing that often happens with owners of German Shepherd Dogs is that they want their dog to protect them. Hence, some owners make the dog alert at every noise outside, every person entering the house.
Subsequently, the dog learns a “Failure to Discriminate” and in our specialized therapy factor for Territorial/Protective Aggression, we teach people how to take their pack back.
German Shepherd Dogs need to feel the leadership of their owners more than most dogs. Leadership should just be firm and fair without hitting a dog, or yelling at them. Your dog should be subordinate not submissive, cringing, or servile.You have one of the most all-around amazing dogs. Honor it, don’t let it become a bored crate creature. You will pay the price for boredom with The German Shepherd Dog!
