The German Shepherd Dog

The German Shepherd Dog is one of America’s most popular dog breeds — for good reason. He’s an intelligent and capable working dog. His devotion and courage are unmatched. And he’s amazingly versatile, excelling at most anything he’s trained to do: guide and assistance work for the handicapped, police and military service, herding, search and rescue, drug detection, competitive obedience and, last but not least, faithful companion

No one breed of dog is for everyone, but there is one breed that could be for just about anyone. It's known for its beauty and its brains; its strength and its gentleness. It's a helper to the disabled, a guardian of homes, a companion to children, a protector of livestock, and a partner in crime-fighting. There is little this dog cannot do, and almost nothing it's not willing to try. It's the multi-purpose, multi-tasking, ever-popular, hard-working German Shepherd Dog.

GSDs have many qualities that make them well-suited to working with livestock: physical and mental endurance, agility, alertness, courage, and a great willingness to serve. GSDs still work on farms and ranches throughout the world, but these abilities, and others, make them prime candidates for other canine "jobs," which they perform with equal dedication and skill.

Schutzhund Dogs

 The innate talents and abilities of German Shepherd Dogs are brought out in impressive form through Schutzhund training. "Schutzhund" is a German word meaning "protection dog." Schutzhund-trained dogs are not attack dogs; they are trained to ward off dangerous situations, not provoke them. The most important quality of a Schutzhund dog is complete submission to its owner's commands in any situation.

Schutzhund training has three parts: Tracking, Obedience, and Protection. The Tracking portion tests a dog's trainability, ability to follow a scent, and mental and physical endurance. In the Obedience portion, dogs perform a variety of exercises such as heeling, sitting, retrieving, and remaining steady during distractions. The Protection portion tests the dog's courage, strength, and agility by requiring the dog to find a hidden person and defend its owner against a decoy aggressor.

Schutzhund training and trials take place around the world. In some countries, proven working abilities are required for GSDs to attain their championships. Schutzhund dogs are excellent candidates for canine law enforcement and search and rescue work. Although Schutzhund training is for all breeds, GSDs particularly excel due to their intelligence, their bravery, and their desire to please their masters.

Gentle Service Dogs

 The German Shepherd Dog is an intelligent breed of dog. Because they are eager to please, they are easily trained in obedience and protection. German Shepherd Dogs are often used as working dogs in many capacities, including search and rescue (SAR), military, police or guard dogs. They are also used as assistance dogs / service dogs (such as guide dogs).

The success of the guide dog program led to the training of GSDs--and other breeds--as service dogs to people with hearing impairment and other physical disabilities. The German Shepherd Dog is an ideal service dog due to its ready obedience to commands, its ability to ignore distractions, its protective instincts, and its unswavering loyalty to its owner.

Gifted Security Dogs

 German Shepherd Dogs have a long history of working with law enforcement officers. Their tasks are numerous: accompanying officers on patrol (and thereby deterring crime), pursuing criminals, recovering evidence, and detecting drugs, explosives, and other contraband. GSDs also serve as Search and Rescue dogs, and have been commended for their work in recovering victims of natural disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes, and of national tragedies such as the Oklahoma City bombing and the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

Dogs working in law enforcement have to have excellent noses and physical stamina; they have to respond quickly to their handler's orders while still using their own judgement. They must be relied upon to perform their duties without displaying aggression to children, other officers, or innocent persons in crowds. More importantly, they must possess the "heart" to consistently follow commands day after day, often in difficult, demanding environments. The GSD's innate courage and mental acumen make him eminently capable for this type of work.

Gorgeous Show Dogs

 Although developed as a working dog, the German Shepherd Dog is lovely to look at. Some of its notable physical characteristics are its erect ears, its deep, dark eyes, its long saber tail (meaning that it hangs in a slight curve), and its rich color, most often black and tan, sable, or black. A quality GSD should be strong, agile, and well-muscled, and should appear to "glide" when in motion, as though its feet barely touch the ground.