Originally German Shepherds Were Trained Herding Dogs

German Shepherds as the name suggests, were used as trained herding dogs. Many people associate German Shepherd Dogs with being aggressive watchdogs, but this behavior is the result of training. A German Shepherd will always be protective of his family and will always be wary of strangers, but they are not aggressive by nature.

German Shepherds are defined by beauty and soundness of mind and body. Don’t leave the purchase of your German Shepherd to chance. German Shepherds are prone to pancreas deficiency, which is where the pancreas stops creating enzymes and the animal is unable to pass any feces.

German Shepherds are double-coated with a coarse, water-resistant outer coat and a heavy, woolly undercoat. They are heavy shedders, especially in spring, and require regular combing. In the former East Germany, they adhere more closely to the old prewar standard, marked by a straighter back, a longer and denser coat, and a darker color.

These dogs are now praised for their working ability. Since many German Shepherds have sensitive stomachs, it may be wise to phase in the new diet by mixing it with their existing food until they have adapted. Start by mixing the diet with their existing food in equal amounts. A typical German Shepherd’s body is slightly longer than tall and sturdy but lean. It has a slightly convex forehead, long muzzle, pointed ears and almond-shaped eyes that are set (as opposed to protruding) with an amiable expression. The coloring of the German Shepherd Dog can vary and includes black and tan, sable, and black. The German Shepherd Dog weighs in at 60-80 pounds for females, and 75-100 pounds for males.

The German Shepherd is a trained herding dog, originally bred from sheep-tending stock in rural Germany. The founder of the breed was Cavalry Captain Max Von Stephanitz, who almost single handedly developed the breed through judicious inbreeding and line breeding, from 1899 to 1936.

German shepherds are fearless, eager and alert. Known for their tremendous loyalty and courage. The original dogs were the ones that made the legends, and the legend still lives.

This is the root of our German shepherd dog breeder program and for the love of this magnificent breed. Secondary sex characteristics are strongly marked, and every animal gives a definite impression of masculinity or femininity, according to its sex. The correct proportions of height to length and corresponding length of the leg bones results in a ground-eating gait that is low to the ground and imparts an impression of effortless progression. With his head thrust forward and a slightly raised tail, a balanced and even trotter will have a top line that falls in moderate curves from the tip of the ears over the neck and level back through the tip of the tail.

The German Shepherd, these days, is used more as a guard dog. They are also one of the most popular breeds in USA, and the UK. They have a scissor bite, where the upper incisors must meet the lower incisors in a scissor grip. Level bite, overshot and undershot teeth are faulty, as well as widely spaced teeth. Many of us grew up with Rin Tin Tin, or we saw German Shepherds in nightly news reports breaking up riots, or  in neighbors’ backyards protecting children. But that only scratches the surface of one of the most fascinating breeds on earth. So take care of your German Shepherd.

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2 Responses to “Originally German Shepherds Were Trained Herding Dogs”
  1. Ron hoffman says:

    Hi,

    I found this page as i was searching for ways to STOP my in-laws German Shepard from herding. The background is:

    They bought him as a puppy sight unseen from a breeder in Germany. He is a beautiful long hair Shepard but has some VERY annoying traits. He constantly wants to herd. He has to always stay in front of me, anticipating my EVERY move. He constantly herds and barks at the golf cart and riding lawn mower. Which is very unsafe as sometimes he gets run over by the from tires as he is herding back and forth barking constantly. I would call him submissive and very calm, til you get on the the golf cart or lawn mower, and he has to constantly lead/herd me.

    He is oblivious to other dogs or even strangers once he has made a cursery contact.

    I have to say that he is the most annoying dog I have ever seen.

    If you yell atv him and tell him to STAY. That lasts for about a 10 seconds before the urge to herd cannot be withstood.

    How can we stop him from herding??????? One day he is going to get chopped-up by the riding mower. Then I’ll be in the dog house with my in-laws.

    HELP.

    • Michael says:

      Hi Ron,

      You are seeing first hand how breeding for a specific trait ‘in this case herding’ can be a double edged sword. There are a couple of factors that play here but the core premise that needs to be addressed is control. Basically this means some retraining of the dog to leave no doubt that you are superior to it and not just an item of stock to be herded. This retraining does not involve any form of cruelty but there must be an emphasis on firmness.

      The retraining involves basic lead training and fault correction. Have you trained any dogs in this area before?