German Shepherds Puppies

German Shepherds Puppies - Introduction and History

Picture source: Fran San German Shepherds © 2000 FranSan GSD

However, as Max noticed, Horand had suffered from lack of proper care and training, which did in fact impact his general behavior to the point of being a serious fault. The dog frequently displayed excessive aggression toward strangers and other dogs and animals. However, Max von Stephanitz was convinced that it was due to improper upbringing, not any inborn breed fault. Horand was a laborious dog, and during work and training all those behavioral faults vanished immediately.

The dog's implicit faithfulness and obedience impressed Stephanitz, the qualities that actually prompted him to purchase the dog. He was also delighted with Horand's courage and strength. Those were later to become the basic points of the breed standard.

Horands most celebrated descendant was Hector von Shwaben, who later produced Heinz von Starkenburg, Beowolf and Pilot. All were in due time presented at dog shows and gained fame and recognition among dog lovers and judges. This first pedigree of German Shepherd Dogs became the foundation of the breed for years to come.

From then onward, the breed took a bumpy ride through history. Not all people admired the dog. Some disliked the dog's aggression and suspiciousness. As everything German, during the wars, during the time in between and in the aftermath, the breed fell into planetary distrust and hatred. That even prompted specialists to replace the original name of the breed with Alsatian. However, in 1977, the initial name was retrieved and German Shepherd dogs reestablished themselves in the minds of peoples. Now German Shepherds are widely used in police service; they are perfect rescue dogs.