The Rise In Popularity Of The German Shepherd Dog
Dec 28, 2021
German Shepherds are currently the 3rd most popular dog breed in the USA, and the 7th most popular in the UK. Where did it all begin and what led to the German Shepherd to being one of the most beloved breeds in modern human history?
Horand von Grafrath (January 1, 1895 – after 1899, formerly named Hektor Linksrhein) was the first German Shepherd Dog and the genetic basis for all German Shepherd Dogs. The founder of the breed was Max von Stephanitz, an ex-cavalry captain and former student of the Berlin Veterinary College. He believed strongly that dogs should be bred for working and that Horand von Grafrath was the best dog to model a new breed after. Von Stephanitz was so impressed with the strength, intelligence, loyalty, and beauty of Hektor Linksrhein that he purchased him immediately and changed his name to Horand von Grafrath. Soon after, Von Stephanitz founded the Verein für Deutsche Schäferhunde (Society for the German Shepherd Dog). Horand thus became the first German Shepherd Dog, and was the first dog added to the society’s breed register.
The popularity of Von Stephanitz’s vision for a united German Shepherd breed, a working breed of high character, exploded almost overnight. So much so, that by 1923, the Verein für Deutsche Schäferhunde had 50,000 dues-paying members in more than 500 branches in Germany and many more in neighboring countries.
The German police had a high demand for police dogs and after seeing German Shepherds work in person decided that they were the ideal breed for police work and opened up the first dog training school in 1920 in Greenheide. From that program, many German Shepherd police dogs were trained and found their calling. It was only a matter of time before citizens seeing these handsome, fearsome, brave dogs serving their communities started to want such a dog for themselves.
Credit: YouTube Screenshot
Visitors to Germany found these dogs to be quite impressive as well, with the first German Shepherds being imported into the US as early as 1906. The first German Shepherd Dog registered in the United States was Queen of Switzerland. Her offspring suffered from defects as the result of poor breeding, which caused the breed to suffer a decline in popularity. But not even that could stop the demand for the German Shepherd Dog.
Credit: YouTube Screenshot
Popularity increased again after the German Shepherd Sieger Pfeffer von Bern became the 1937 and 1938 Grand Victor in American Kennel Club dog shows, only to suffer another decline at the conclusion of World War II, due to anti-German sentiment. Oddly enough, what boosted their popularity again were the very soldiers who came home after facing German Shepherd war dogs and their handlers. American G.I.’s had a profound respect for the bravery and loyalty of the German Shepherds they came across.
Before, during and after WW2, German Shepherds were still an “it” dog in Hollywood and media. In 1921 Strongheart became one of the earliest canine film stars. In 1922 Rin Tin Tin, who is considered the most famous German Shepherd of all time, joined Strongheart on the big screen. Both canines were honored with stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Batman’s dog Ace the Bat-Hound appeared in the Batman comic books, initially in 1955, through 1964. Comic book fans couldn’t get enough of Ace and that again boosted popularity of the breed post-WW2.
As of 2020-2021, the German Shepherd is the third-most registered breed by the American Kennel Club, 7th in the UK as was mentioned before. What a long way the breed has come in such a short time. But they’re not done yet, thanks to a recent change of rules.
German Shepherds have a double coat which is close and dense with a thick undercoat. The coat was formerly only accepted in 1 variant, the standard coat. Long-haired dogs have existed since the beginning but couldn’t be shown. As a result, they were sold for less money and very popular to see as police dogs in Germany. The length of their coat had no effect on their temperament, and long-haired dogs with an undercoat still had protection from the weather.
11 years ago, it was decided to recognize 2 variants: medium and long coated dogs (as long as the coated dog has an undercoat to keep their fur weather resistant). The gene for long hair is recessive, and therefore the long-haired variety is rarer. Long hair in German Shepherds is accepted, but does not compete against standard-coated dogs under the German and UK Kennel Clubs while it can compete with standard-coated dogs, but is considered a fault, in the American Kennel Club. The FCI accepted the long-haired type in 2010, listing it as the Variety B, while the short-haired type is listed as the Variety A. It will be interesting to see where the AKC goes from here forward as far as separating the groups, or perhaps letting long and short-haired varieties to be shown together without considering long-haired dogs as a fault. These new rulings alone are likely to boost the popularity of the breed.
The German Shepherd Dog Community
Did you know….
Pictured in this collage is Greif von Sparwasser, who was selected by Max Von Stephanitz himself during the development of the German Shepherd breed.
Greif is the grandfather of Horand (Hektor) Von Grafrath, the first German Shepherd ever recorded in the studbook of the SV!
German Shepherds Protecting Children Compilation
“There is nothing that these dogs won’t do for the kids they love”
German Shepherds are all-around amazing dogs. Smart, loyal, and protective, there is a reason they are one of the most popular breeds in the world.
They can work for the police and military, in search and rescue, drug and bomb detection, arson detection, herding, airport security, personal protection, service dogs, and so much more.There is really not too much in the dog world that a German Shepherd can’t be taught to do. They are quick learners, love to please their handlers, and have a natural athletic ability that allows them to go almost anywhere.Despite their strong work ethic, they also make great family pets and love to spend time with their people. Their devotion to their favorite humans is unmatched and there is nothing that they won’t do for them.
Although they do make great pets, they will use their protective instinct to watch over their family. There is not much that can sneak past an alert German Shepherd dog, which gives most owners a lot of peace of mind.
Take the German Shepherds in this video, for example. They are happily chilling out with their people but also very watchful over the littlest ones. Whether they are working or chilling out, they are always observant.
In one segment, a German Shepherd jumps into a pool to “save” a child from drowning. In another, one performs bite work with a little girl nearby who easily leads the dog away on a leash, demonstrating the dog’s gentleness with her.
In other segments, German Shepherds tenderly play with babies, watch over them, and protect them from anything that they think might become threatening. Only a fool would intend to do one of these babies harm while their dog is nearby.
German Shepherds prove over and over that they are the best breed in the world. They do take some dedication, training, and socialization to raise them right, but they are worth every minute that is spent teaching them. We hope that you enjoyed watching these beautiful Germans Shepherds protecting their kids. They are certainly special dogs that are devoted to their family. As always, please feel free to share with your friends. (From ilovegsd.com)