I love German Shepherds. They are one of my favorite breeds of big dog. But then again, I love the big dog breeds, like Great Pyrenees, German Shepherd, Irish Setter, Irish/Russian Wolfhound, etc. But with German Shepherds, there are always interesting things to learn about on them.
People already know a German Shepherd when they see them. Their easily recognizable black and brown fur or all black fur or even all white fur, the fact that they are almost always going to be police dogs with little bulletproof vests on, but there is so much more to these adorable furry angels than meets the eye
1. They go by many names around the world
-The official name is German Shepherd. In Germany, however, they are referred to as "Deutscher Shaferhund". In England/Ireland, they are referred to as Alsatian. In 1917, the American Kennel Club removed the "German" from its name but put it back in 1930
2. The first dog to help the visually impaired was a German Shepherd
-Today, dogs of all breeds are trained to help people with disabilities and health conditions. The so-called "Seeing Eye" was the first group to train dogs for visually impaired people. This company started in 1929 and determined that German Shepherds were more properly suited for police work while Labradors and Retrievers became more associated with "seeing eye" dogs.
3. There is a sport invented just for German Shepherds
-Very rare when a dog breed can claim a sport. Schutzhund, a game invented in Germany, tests the dog's abilities, such as desire to work, intelligence, courage, bond with their handler, general trainability and so much more. Today this sport has a lot of breeds in it, but a lot of people still favor German Shepherds
4. They are the second most popular dog in the US
-Out of the millions of dog lovers in the US, this is the second most popular choice of dog for a lot of people. Because of the vast number of things the German Shepherd can do, that's what makes it a popular breed, especially for families because of it's highly protective nature.
5. German Shepherds are the third smartest dog breed
-Despite being second in popularity, the German Shepherd ranks third in intelligence. These animals are highly intelligent and are said to learn tricks in as little as 5 times.
6. German Shepherds have fought in wars
-These dogs are often the most sought out breed of dog for bomb sniffing, search and rescue and some have even been trained to parachute from airplanes. When the dogs go to war with their handlers, they are given just as much protection as their human handlers, which includes bulletproof vests, special shoes to protect their delicate feet, goggles or glasses to protect their eyes and more
7. Filax of Lewanno was and is a war hero!
-In WWI, a German Shepherd named Filax was recognized for his efforts. The 1917 Westminster Dog Show honored him and made mention of the fact he rescued 54 soldiers.
8. Out of all the "Best In Show" winners at the Westminster Dog Show, only one German Shepherd won
-Despite the fact that this is a popular breed of dog and they are so beautiful, only one took home the title of "Best In Show" at the Westminster Dog Show. It was 1987 and the winner was named Covy Tucker Hills Manhattan. He was the only dog from the German Shepherd herding group to win
9. These dogs are labelled as a large dog breed group
-In terms of contests, they are labelled as large dogs. But German Shepherds can vary so much in things like size, coat, weight, behavior that it makes it difficult to determine what class they fit in
10. There are eleven colors to this adorable breed
-Despite the fact that black and tan are the most recognized colors, there are eleven specific colors to this group. They include: black, white, liver, sable, black and cream, black and red, black and silver, bi-color, gray and blue.
11. Bringing a white German Shepherd to a dog show means disqualification
-Among the strict dog show judges, white German Shepherds and other unusually colored and coated breeds will, in their eyes, have flaws in them
12. There are many breeds of dog that can considered descendants of German Shepherds
-Some dogs have been bred with German Shepherds for specific purposes. One known breed is the Eastern-European Shepherd, which was created for the USSR for military tasks in the near subzero temperatures. There are 4 other breeds like this, but are not well known. Some are even part wolf
13. Orthopedic conditions are one of the most common health ailments in German Shepherds
-Because of their large size, back and hip issues are incredibly common among German Shepherds. That should definitely be considered when considering adoption of a German Shepherd. These issues can be avoided or even reduced by a diet healthy in vitamins and minerals.
14. This dog breed is worldwide popular
-Not shockingly, this dog breed is still incredibly popular in Germany. Every year, 15,000 German Shepherd puppies are born there, while this adds to the already 250,000 purebred dogs living there already
15. There is a special club just for senior German Shepherds
-The German Shepherd Club of America founded a club called "The Thirteen Club", made specifically for older German Shepherds 12 years of age and up
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