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The history
of the German
Shepherd
More than a hundred years of
loyalty and passion in millions of living rooms on the five
continents.
A few words in summary
of the passionate history of the world’s most popular utility dog:
the German Shepherd.
At the end of the nineteenth
century, sheepdogs, in the literal sense of the word, were used to
shepherd flocks in various regions of Germany. They often had
different colored hair, a different appearance and coat texture, but
they did have some distinctive traits in common: robustness,
rusticity and intelligence, which were favored in the selection of
the future German Shepherd. As in the majority of European countries
that needed one or several autochthon sheepdog breeds, some German
amateurs were very interested in the situation of sheepdog breeds in
their countries.
This was the basis on which
they selected the stock of the future German Shepherd. The empirical
selection of the era was essentially based on the breeding stock’s
working aptitude; the other traits were considered to be of
secondary importance.
The spark called
Hector
The notion of genealogical
selection did start to become accepted practice among breeders
however. The first studbook saw the day in 1878, on the initiative
of the Phylax Association. The aim of this association was to
improve the morphological characteristics of the various shepherd
dogs used in Germany. Unfortunately, this initiative broke down a
few years later, as the selection criteria favored aesthetics rather
than aptitude.
The torch was taken up by a
military man, cavalry captain Max Emile Frederic Von Stephanitz, who
launched a passionate mission, the selection of the German Shepherd
dog. This man was a reputable breeder who is now considered to be
the father of the breed, to which he dedicated 35 years of his life.
He surrounded himself with such pioneers as Arthur Meyer, Otto Weber
and Arnold Männer.
On a visit to a dog show in
April 1899, he fell in love with a sheepdog that would inaugurate
the German Shepherd studbook. The dog was called Hector Von
Linksrheim and according to Stephanitz it displayed all the
qualities he was looking for.
A little while after the show
he bought the dog, renaming it Horand Von Grafrath (this affix was
the name of Stephanitz’s kennel) and on April 22, 1899 he formed
Verein für Deutsche Schäferhunde, the German Shepherd breeder’s
association better known by its initials, SV.
The club quickly became the
most powerful breeders association not only in Germany, but also the
world.
Heading for
utility
The definition of a German
Shepherd dog in this era was clear. The German Shepherd is every
sheepdog in Germany that, thanks to a constant exercise of its
sheepdog qualities, achieves perfection in its body and its psyche,
as part of its utilitarian function.
100 years later, in Germany
alone, more than two million German Shepherds are duly recorded in
the SV’s studbook.
While the function and the
premier vocation of the German Shepherd were guarding and
shepherding the flocks, the reduction in the sheep population
provoked the leading German breeders to find new openings for their
sheepdogs. The potential was already present in the breed’s
principal stock, because from 1901 participation in police
competitions permitted the development of these dogs’ utilitarian
potential. They rapidly established themselves in the various state
services, including the army, the police and the fire service and
built a reputation as the utilitarian breed.
Nowadays, the German Shepherd
is the most prevalent breed in numerous countries, thanks in part to
the selection realized by the pioneers of German breeding, who
understood from the start that the future of the shepherd breed hung
on the diversification of its utility. Nor should it be forgotten
that a morphological and psychological evolution allowed these
German Shepherds, which live on all five continents, to confer their
“joie de vivre” on millions of homes each and every
day.
From:
http://www.caninehealthnutrition.com/GSHistory.pdf
From the tips of its
toes … to the tip of its nose
First accepted in 1899, the official German Shepherd
standard has just turned a hundred, with a few modifications down
the years.
General aspect: The German Shepherd is a medium sized dog, with an ideal
height to the withers of 62.5 cm for males and 57.5 cm for bitches.
It is slightly longer than it is high, energetic and muscular, with
a lean bone structure and a solid frame. True to the standard, it
conveys a sense of strength, intelligence and litheness. Its
proportions are in perfect harmony and its movements and comportment
naturally call to mind the adage: healthy body, a healthy mind. It
combines physical and mental qualities that make it a tough working
dog that is always ready for action. On the whole, it radiates
a harmonious sense of nobility and self-confidence that commands
respect.
Head: Well dimensioned in proportion to the body, without being
too coarse, too slight or too long; not too wide between the ears,
well chiselled as a whole.
Ears: Average size, wide at the base, high on the head, raised
symmetrically without merging, pointed, with the pavilion turned
towards the front.
Eyes: Average size, almond shaped, slightly slanted but never
bulging; color matching the coat, as dark as possible; intelligent
expression, full of life and self-confidence.
Body: Must be longer than the height to the withers,
corresponding to around 100-117% of the latter. The chest is deep
(around 45-48% of the height to the withers) but not too wide; the
lower part of the body is as well defined as possible. The ribs are
well conformed, long, neither barrel-chested nor too flat,
connecting to a sternum located at the level of the elbows. The
thorax stretches so far to the rear that the small of the back is
short in proportion. The underbelly is moderately elevated.
The back is straight and strongly developed. The distance between
the withers on the croup is not great.
The withers must be long and
fairly high, markedly higher than the back it connects to without a
break in a gentle line descending towards the rear. The small of the
back is wide, strong and muscular. The croup is long and slightly
sloping (around 23°). Winged hips and sacrum constitute its bony
base. A very angled or straight croup is undesirable.
Psyche, character and
disposition: Firm
nerves, attention, candor, obedience, vigilance, loyalty,
incorruptibility, courage, combativeness and an even temperament are
the purebred German Shepherd dominant attributes. That makes it an
immensely good working dog in the general sense of the term, and a
particularly good guard, defense and protection
dog.
Coat: Four colors: the
first is black with regular intense light markings, yellow to light
grey, black limited to a single one; the second is grey or light
fawn-colored charcoal (shaded) with clearer corresponding marking
(light); the third is self-colored black; the fourth is self-colored
grey or grey with or without light markings or more or less intense
fawn-color. Small spots on the chest or a very clear color on the
inside of the paws are tolerated. Dogs without mask or with a
reduced mask, with yellow or penetrating clear eyes, clear markings
on the chest and the inside of the paws are considered to have weak
pigmentation. With the exception of the black ones, the undercoat is
always light grey. The final color cannot be defined until after the
first moulting.
Tail: With dense hair, it descends at least to the key
joint, not overshooting the metatarsus. When the dog is calm it
hangs to describe a gentle curve; if it is excited or in motion, it
curves more, but without extending beyond the horizontal.
Tails cut short artificially are not
accepted.
Hair: The covering hair is as thick and dense as possible,
composed of straight, rigid hairs tightly layered on the body. The
hair is short on the head, including the inside of the ear
pavilions, on the outside of the paws and the digits; it is longer
and rougher on the neck. On the back of the paws, it extends to the
wrist or the back of the knee on the insides and back. The
length of the hair varies by subject. Hair that is too short, like
the hair of a mole is a fault.
Group: I (FCI), Shepherd dogs (KC, CKC,
AKC)
From:
http://www.caninehealthnutrition.com/GSClassification.pdf | 
