{"id":10916,"date":"2022-05-16T18:58:53","date_gmt":"2022-05-16T18:58:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/?p=10916"},"modified":"2023-08-28T17:10:24","modified_gmt":"2023-08-28T17:10:24","slug":"what-were-german-shepherds-bred-for","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/what-were-german-shepherds-bred-for\/","title":{"rendered":"What Were German Shepherds Bred For? History &#038; Roles"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-14101bc2\"><div class=\"gb-inside-container\">\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/What-Were-German-Shepherds-Bred-For-featured-image.jpg\" alt=\"German Shepherd looking up\" class=\"wp-image-10922\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/What-Were-German-Shepherds-Bred-For-featured-image.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/What-Were-German-Shepherds-Bred-For-featured-image-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/What-Were-German-Shepherds-Bred-For-featured-image-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/What-Were-German-Shepherds-Bred-For-featured-image-705x397.jpg 705w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<nav aria-label=\"breadcrumbs\" class=\"rank-math-breadcrumb\"><p><span class=\"last\">Home<\/span><\/p><\/nav>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading post_title_h1\" id=\"sc-post-title\">What Were German Shepherds Bred For? History &#038; Roles<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"post_info\"><strong><a   class=\"post-author-name\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/author\/alex\/\">Alex Vicente<\/a><\/strong> \u2022 Updated on August 28, 2023<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"disclaimers\">\n<li><span class=\"av-icon-char\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-av_icon=\"\ue822\" data-av_iconfont=\"entypo-fontello\"><\/span> This review contains affiliate links. Read more <a href=\"\/affiliate-disclosure\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"1471\">here<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span class=\"av-icon-char\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-av_icon=\"\uf0fa\" data-av_iconfont=\"fontello\"><\/span> Not a substitute for professional veterinary help.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>German Shepherds are among the most respectable breeds of dogs out there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They can be seen doing all kinds of jobs, usually with law enforcement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They\u2019re also excellent companions to have at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But have you ever wondered, \u201cwhat were German Shepherds bred for?\u201d; what is their original purpose compared to other dogs?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/siberian-husky\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"5042\" rel=\"noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"18901\">Huskies<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a data-lasso-id=\"1473\" href=\"https:\/\/www.akc.org\/dog-breeds\/alaskan-malamute\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Alaskan Malamutes<\/a>\u00a0were bred to be sled dogs in harsh weather conditions; Dalmations were hunting dogs, but what were German Shepherds bred for?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Read on as we go back to their origins and discuss how this great breed came to be.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><h2>Table of Contents<\/h2><nav><ul><li ><a href=\"#what-were-german-shepherds-bred-for\">What Were German Shepherds Bred For?<\/a><\/li><li ><a href=\"#the-history-of-german-shepherds\">The History of German Shepherds<\/a><\/li><li ><a href=\"#what-is-it-like-owning-a-german-shepherd\">What Is It Like Owning a German Shepherd?<\/a><\/li><li ><a href=\"#final-words\">Final Words<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-were-german-shepherds-bred-for\">What Were German Shepherds Bred For?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"780\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/German-Shepherd-playing-with-another-dog-outdoors.jpg\" alt=\"German Shepherd playing with another dog outdoors\" class=\"wp-image-10926\" title=\"German Shepherd playing with another dog outdoors\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/German-Shepherd-playing-with-another-dog-outdoors.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/German-Shepherd-playing-with-another-dog-outdoors-300x185.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/German-Shepherd-playing-with-another-dog-outdoors-768x473.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/German-Shepherd-playing-with-another-dog-outdoors-705x434.jpg 705w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Every dog breed has its history and origin point, with some species dying out and others evolving through time through systemic breeding, and the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/german-shepherd\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"18902\">German Shepherd<\/a>\u00a0is no different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This honorable breed dates back to the 1800s, believe it or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the name states, the dogs are initially from Germany and were brought up with the intent of being sheep and dog herders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The medium-sized dogs were bred for their intelligence, strength, sense of smell, speed, and bravery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The dogs would be perfect companions to any farmer or owner with these traits, making them ideal working dogs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Later on, they would grow to be great guard dogs due to their exceptional sense of smell and intelligence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"the-history-of-german-shepherds\">The History of German Shepherds<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"780\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/German-flag-on-the-wind.jpg\" alt=\"German flag on the wind\" class=\"wp-image-10925\" title=\"German flag on the wind\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/German-flag-on-the-wind.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/German-flag-on-the-wind-300x185.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/German-flag-on-the-wind-768x473.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/German-flag-on-the-wind-705x434.jpg 705w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Max von Stephanitz is responsible for how we see German Shepherds today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a German cavalry officer and dog breeder, he set the guidelines for the breed\u2019s standard, all thanks to an event he attended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are the full details of German Shepherds\u2019 history and purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Origin<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Von Stephanitz was attending a dog show back in 1899, where he saw a German Shepherd by the name of Hektor Linksrhein, and the cavalry officer was completely enamored with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He was initially a dog breeder whose philosophy regarding dogs was focused on the creature\u2019s abilities and traits rather than its looks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The dog Linksrhein fulfilled that philosophy as he was already a product of several generations of selective breeding and had impressive loyalty, intelligence, speed, and good looks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Von Stephanitz would purchase Linksrhein and change his name to an even longer one, Horand von Grafrath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He would become the genetic basis of every German Shepherd later on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Flash forward to 1907, and the first German Shepherd is imported to the USA, where the breed quickly gained popularity and was recognized by the American Kennel Club a year later.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-bf01ede9\">\n<div class=\"gb-grid-wrapper gb-grid-wrapper-8deeea5f\">\n<div class=\"gb-grid-column gb-grid-column-d9845efa\"><div class=\"gb-container gb-container-d9845efa\">\n\n<p class=\"p_nomargin_bottom\"><strong>You may also want to read:<br><\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/best-dog-food-for-german-shepherds\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"1475\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/best-harness-french-bulldog\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"1476\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/german-shepherd-breed-info\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"1477\">German Shepherd Dog Breed Information: All You Need To Know<\/a><\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"gb-grid-column gb-grid-column-32f0d868\"><div class=\"gb-container gb-container-32f0d868\">\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-1 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-75 has-custom-font-size is-style-fill btn_read_more has-small-font-size\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-white-color has-text-color has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/german-shepherd-breed-info\/\" style=\"border-radius:5px;background-color:#eaa802;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"1478\"><strong>Read More<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Purpose<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You can easily guess from the name what kind of job these dogs were doing in their early years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thanks to their traits, German Shepherds are working dogs through and through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Their speed, agility, and strength gave them their start as sheepherders because they were mostly found in the German countryside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They\u2019re also known for their bravery, suspicion, and sense of smell, so they would later adapt to the military and the police force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The military relied on German Shepherds during both world wars as guard dogs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thanks to their strong sense of smell, they could detect mines on the battlefield\u2014a job that they still do today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In our modern age, the previously mentioned traits helped German Shepherds continue to do their heroic jobs as part of the K9 units in the police.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They can sniff out explosives or contraband and chase down perpetrators and criminals if required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the military, they continue to serve alongside soldiers as scout dogs and sentinels in militarized zones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As for the rest of the public, they do other jobs as they\u2019re used as guide dogs for the visually impaired and are the third top breed in the field after\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/golden-retriever\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"5035\" rel=\"noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"18903\">Golden Retrievers<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Labradors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-is-it-like-owning-a-german-shepherd\">What Is It Like Owning a German Shepherd?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"780\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/German-Shepherd-with-a-wooden-stick-on-the-mouth-running-on-the-snow.jpg\" alt=\"German Shepherd with a wooden stick on the mouth running on the snow\" class=\"wp-image-10927\" title=\"German Shepherd with a wooden stick on the mouth running on the snow\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/German-Shepherd-with-a-wooden-stick-on-the-mouth-running-on-the-snow.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/German-Shepherd-with-a-wooden-stick-on-the-mouth-running-on-the-snow-300x185.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/German-Shepherd-with-a-wooden-stick-on-the-mouth-running-on-the-snow-768x473.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/German-Shepherd-with-a-wooden-stick-on-the-mouth-running-on-the-snow-705x434.jpg 705w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>After reading about the fantastic German Shepherd, you might be inclined to get one yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While it is a great option, there are a few things to consider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Temperament<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>These Shepherds are as active as they get; they need to constantly do something, playing around at home, working, or exercising.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They need to be trained physically by walks and runs and mentally via some learning commands and tricks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you don\u2019t do that, they\u2019ll get bored faster than you can blink, and you don\u2019t want that because they will start to act out, either by chewing or barking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They\u2019re also highly sociable creatures and love to be around their owners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If left alone for long periods of time, they might develop anxiety and again act out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>German Shepherds are famously loyal to their owners, who they will protect with their lives if they have to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They\u2019re also really good with children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the other hand, they\u2019re not as excited when it comes to meeting new dogs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They generally need some time to get used to the presence of other animals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Size<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>These medium-to-large creatures can reach from 24 to 26 inches in height when it comes to the males and 22 to 24 inches for the females.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So if you have a small home, they can become a handful, to say the least.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Health Issues<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Unfortunately, over the years, selective inbreeding has brought up specific ailments that German Shephards go through later in life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A common one is hip and elbow dysplasia, which may cause arthritis that leads to joint pain when they get older.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Their average life span is approximately 11 years, but there have been many reports of them reaching up to 13 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"final-words\">Final Words<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"780\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/woman-embracing-her-German-Shepherd.jpg\" alt=\"woman embracing her German Shepherd\" class=\"wp-image-10924\" title=\"woman embracing her German Shepherd\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/woman-embracing-her-German-Shepherd.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/woman-embracing-her-German-Shepherd-300x185.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/woman-embracing-her-German-Shepherd-768x473.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/woman-embracing-her-German-Shepherd-705x434.jpg 705w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>German Shepherds were originally bred for sheep herding, but as time progressed, they gained more important tasks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They became associated with the military and police forces, and they\u2019re widely known for their skills as guard dogs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A dependable breed that can also be diverse when it comes to its capabilities makes it one of the highly coveted dogs out there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re considering whether to get a dog in the future, a German Shepherd is a great option\u2014just make sure that you\u2019ll be able to take care of it.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Are you wondering what were german shepherds bred for? Learn all about their origin and what roles they held throughout history.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":10922,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10916"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10916"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10916\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18160,"href":"https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10916\/revisions\/18160"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10922"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10916"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10916"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pawsinsider.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10916"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}