The German Shepherd
The Comeback Kid
Okay, kid, hereโs the scene. โYouโre the fallen heroโyou were everybodyโs favourite guy, decorated for bravery in every war since WWI, police and rescue work, assistant to the blind, protector of the family, rugged, athletic, handsome, good breeding, a movie and TV starโthe whole nine yards.
โBut that was yesterdayโs news.
โNow youโre downโreally down. Your success attracted the wrong kind of people and they took you under. You lost your health, your temper, your reputation. There were rumours of people hurt, even killed. Stories that you were so crippled you couldnโt walk. You got bad press. You got people crossing the street to avoid meeting you. Things donโt look bright.
โBut lucky for you, you still got good people in your cornerโ people who stood by you all these years. You got a chance to get back on top and youโre determined to take it. โNow: lights, cameraโaction!โ
The story of the German Shepherd Dog (GSD) has all the makings of a blockbuster film: a meteoric rise from obscurity to dizzying heights of achievement and fame, a tragic slide into misfortune and notoriety, and a courageous fight for redemption.
Sadly, this is no script and the true taleโs conclusion has yet to be written: by real people and real dogs who are still working toward a happy ending.
The story opens in late 19th-century Germany with the man who is credited with molding the original GSD, Max von Stephanitz. Taking the best dogs of several shepherd types, Stephanitz focused on creating the breed that is now described in the American Kennel Club (AKC) Standard as โa working animal with an incorruptible character combined with body and gait suitable for the arduous work that constitutes its primary purpose.โ By breeding to strict standards of character, trainability, and physical ability, Stephanitz and his followers changed the humble sheep herding dogs into the Deutsche Schรคferhunde (literally, German Sheepdog), a multi-talented working breed that proved itself in almost every field of endeavour open to dogs.
At the same time, the breedโs appearance became standardized to the German Shepherd we know today: a large, rugged dog with a wolfish head and erect ears and a thick double coat of medium length. The colour is usually reddish-brown with black markings, including a black mask and โsaddle,โ or sable, where the hairs are a lighter colour such as grey or gold, tipped in black. Solid black is also acceptable, but pale, washed-out colours are generally frowned upon.
In 1925, the GSD became the most popular breed in the US, due partly, no doubt, to the heroic exploits of the movie stars Rin Tin Tin and Strongheart, both classic GSDs in looks and onscreen personas (and both of whom have stars on Hollywoodโs Walk of Fame). Since the 1920s, when the GSD began to dominate the popularity polls, the breed has only dropped out of the AKC Top Ten for a few years surrounding the Second World War, a time when anything โGermanโ was unpatriotic. For the past fifty years, the GSD has been in the top four breeds, a standing unmatched by other breeds. German Shepherds have been the treasured companions of presidents (Franklin D. Roosevelt, Herbert Hoover, JFK), performers (Jake Gyllenhaal, Shania Twain), writers (Robert Ludlum, Maurice Sendak), and other celebrities (Gene Roddenberry, Picasso).
Most Popular Dogs in the US
According to the most recent AKC registration statistics (2022)
[1] French Bulldog
[2] Labrador Retriever
[3] Golden Retriever
[4] German Shepherd Dog
[5] Poodle
[6] Bulldog
[7] Rottweiler
[8] Beagle
[9] Dachshund
[10] German Shorthaired Pointer
Unfortunately, demand for the GSD made it an obvious target for people who wanted to make an easy dollar by breeding and selling the popular pups and who had no knowledge of or interest in genetics, health, or temperament. Dogs poorly bred and raised began to give the breed a reputation for being hyperactive, vicious, and unhealthy. The stigma of hip dysplasia (an inherited condition where the hip joint fails and the dog becomes crippled) has become firmly affixed to the GSDโs reputation in the minds of the general public, although the disease actually occurs in many breeds, not just the German Shepherd.
Under siege from rampant overbreeding and image problems, the world of GSDs became riddled with controversy and various groups separated themselves from the mainstream to pursue their own ideas of the perfect dog. The Shiloh Shepherd was developed from the GSD in the past few decades as a โlarger, sounder, and more traditionalโ dog, as was the King Shepherd. Allwhite German Shepherds, disqualified from AKC shows, maintain a staunch following and have their own registries and rescue associations. Breeders of working dogs often scorn show dogs and dogs of German bloodlines may be touted as the only โtrueโ GSDs. Meanwhile, AKC and CKC breeders cling to their position as defenders of the โofficialโ German Shepherd Dog in North America.
A lesser dog would have gone down under this assault, but the GSD has earned the love and loyalty of legions of passionate fans who will not abandon their breed, one which they are convinced is still the noblest all-around working dog in existence. Today, dedicated breeders continue with the task of eliminating genetic health problems and unstable temperaments to ensure that one of the most popular breeds in the world can still claim to be one of the finest.
At 110 years old, the German Shepherdโstar, hero, legendโ is fighting for a comeback. Go for it, kid; weโre all rooting for you.
ยป Read Your Breedย For more breed profiles, go to moderndogmagazine.com/breeds
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