Styles, colors, coats & history of german shepherd dogs
Basically there are two styles of GSDs, the Working Line and the Show Line. We prefer the working line mainly because in most cases the topline has not been so anglulated the dog can still move easily and freely as it was created to be a herding breed. Besides, several in our group have been heard to say brains over beauty any day, but that is not to say working line GSDs are not totally and completely gorgeous. But frankly, what the showline folks have done to the topline of this breed is nothing short of criminal.
We always snicker into our hands when we get a call from a client saying they want a real German Shepherd Dog and when we ask what they means the person will say well a black and tan of course. We strive to help every client find the dog that is the perfect fit for them and honestly wish our clients would look past color. Probably the favorite color of at least two of our foster homes is sable, then solid black, followed by black and red and black and tan. The black and red and black and tan come in bi-colored, blanket and saddle back. Of course there are also white German Shepherd Dogs and these dogs do have strong advocates, we just don't have as much opportunity to rescue the whites.
We would be remiss not to mention coats also. German Shepherd Dogs come in a variety of coats. All German Shepherd Dogs must have an undercoat or it is considered a serious fault. This attributes to the dog shedding 24/7/365. Coats can be short, stock or long, also called coated. While some consider long or coated German Shepherd Dogs a fault, we have found them to be gentle giants.
Sadly enough many of our dogs come from persons who we considered to be "backyard breeders". These are the people that breed indiscriminately with no regard to the health or welfare of the dogs they breed and the puppies which are born. This type of breeder do not OFA the hips and elbows of their breeding dogs, have cardiac and eye exams run, consider genetic or structural faults, carefully consider the psychological profile and temperment of their dogs and choose to indiscriminately breed because they have an intact male and female. This type of breeder comes in all varieties and may offer what some consider of value, AKC registration. Other characteristics of this kind of breeder includes and is not limited to:
We always snicker into our hands when we get a call from a client saying they want a real German Shepherd Dog and when we ask what they means the person will say well a black and tan of course. We strive to help every client find the dog that is the perfect fit for them and honestly wish our clients would look past color. Probably the favorite color of at least two of our foster homes is sable, then solid black, followed by black and red and black and tan. The black and red and black and tan come in bi-colored, blanket and saddle back. Of course there are also white German Shepherd Dogs and these dogs do have strong advocates, we just don't have as much opportunity to rescue the whites.
We would be remiss not to mention coats also. German Shepherd Dogs come in a variety of coats. All German Shepherd Dogs must have an undercoat or it is considered a serious fault. This attributes to the dog shedding 24/7/365. Coats can be short, stock or long, also called coated. While some consider long or coated German Shepherd Dogs a fault, we have found them to be gentle giants.
Sadly enough many of our dogs come from persons who we considered to be "backyard breeders". These are the people that breed indiscriminately with no regard to the health or welfare of the dogs they breed and the puppies which are born. This type of breeder do not OFA the hips and elbows of their breeding dogs, have cardiac and eye exams run, consider genetic or structural faults, carefully consider the psychological profile and temperment of their dogs and choose to indiscriminately breed because they have an intact male and female. This type of breeder comes in all varieties and may offer what some consider of value, AKC registration. Other characteristics of this kind of breeder includes and is not limited to:
- if he or she does not take responsibility for the animals they create for the animal's entire life. This does not mean killing the dog if he or she has issues or the breeder can no longer make money from the animal.
- is a person that does not micro chip every animal they allow to be born. That micro chip can always make sure the dog gets back to the original owner.
- is a person that does not super socialize puppies appropriately during the first eight to nine weeks of life.
- is a person that does not have puppies checked by a reputable vet within three to five days of birth and then every few weeks.
- is a person who breeds to make money, not to improve the breed or consider the welling-being of the animals.
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Max Emil Friedrich von Stephanitz (December 30, 1864 – 22 April 1936) was a German dog breeder who is credited with having developed the German Shepherd Dog breed as it is currently known, set guidelines for the breed standard, and was the first president of the Verein für Deutsche Schäferhunde (S.V.).
Born in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony, into German nobility, Stephanitz was a career cavalry officer and spent some time serving at the Veterinary College in Berlin. Here he gained valuable knowledge about biology, anatomy, and the science of movement all of which he later applied to the breeding of dogs. He was promoted to Captain in 1898 and shortly after took his release. The beginnings of standardizationStephanitz purchased property near Grafrath in the 1890s where he began experimenting with dog breeding. He used many of the techniques utilised by English dog breeders of the period. He was primarily interested in improving the German shepherding dogs because they were local and were the working dogs of his time. Stephanitz enjoyed attending dog shows and observed that there were many different types of shepherding dogs in use in Germany but there was no breed standardization. He greatly admired those dogs with a wolf-ish appearance and prick ears who also were intelligent, had sharp senses and willingness to work and believed that he could create a better working dog that could then be used throughout Germany.  |
He purchased his first dog Hektor Linkrshein in 1899 and changed his name to Horand von Grafrath. Horand was used as "the" primary breeding stud by Stephanitz and other breeders and is the foundation of the German Shepherd breed as we know it.[1] Stephanitz used the knowledge he had acquired during his years at the Veterinary College and "...established a ‘grand design’ he wanted breeders to aim for with judging based on angle of bones, proportions and overall measurements."[2] Horand's son Hektor v. Schwaben and his grandsons Heinz v. Starkenburg, Beowolf and Pilot were also instrumental in standardizing the breed. Dogs from other areas of Germany such as Franconia, Württemberg and Thuringia were also used as breeders.[3]
On 22 April 1899 Stephanitz founded the Verein für Deutsche Schäferhunde (S.V.) with his friend Artur Meyer. Three sheep masters, two factory owners, one architect, one mayor, one innkeeper and one magistrate joined them as co-founders. Along with establishing a breed standard the S.V. also developed a Zuchtbuch (Breed Register). Twenty years later they published the Körbuch (Breed Survey Book), which determines a dog's suitability for breeding based on their physical and mental characteristics, and not based solely on show wins. Under Stephanitz's guidance the S.V. became the single largest breed club in the world and it was his idea to introduce the breed to other types of work such as delivering messages, rescue work, sentry duties, and as personal guard dogs. The German Shepherd made its world debut in these roles during the First World War. The first Schutzhund trial was held in Germany in 1901[4] and tested the dogs abilities in tracking, obedience and protection. The English Kennel Club honoured the breed with its own register in 1919.[3] Stephanitz died in Dresden on the 37th anniversary of the club he and Artur Meyer founded together.[5] The S.V. is still in existence and is headquartered in Augsburg, Germany. -- From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |