INTERESTING AND FUN FACTS ABOUT GERMAN SHEPHERDS

German Shepherds are one of the most popular, smart, hard-working and versatile dog breeds present today in the whole world. These canines are exceptionally intelligent and they are highly appreciated by most people from all around the globe for their consistent work ethic, faithfulness, fearlessness, and physical prowess.

Now, if you are a proud parent of a German Shepherd or you are an ardent admirer of this breed, you might think that you know every small detail and fact about German Shepherd Dog, but there are some extremely fascinating facts about this awesome pooch that not a whole lot of people are aware of and in this article, we’ll be discussing the same.

General Facts about German Shepherds

• Name:

  The actual name of this powerful breed is German Shepherd Dog. But, why is that the official name of this breed includes the term ‘dog’? Why not every other breed has this term in their names? Well, this was done so that people can understand whether someone was talking about a human German Shepherd (the person who looks after the Livestock) or a canine that is aiding that person in that task.

• Popularity:

  The German Shepherds, as mentioned, are tremendously popular all around the world. They are currently ranked #02 in the list of most popular dog breeds that was formulated by the prestigious AKC and it features almost 200 distinct dog breeds from all over the world. The GSDs are just behind the Labrador Retrievers in terms of popularity, according to the list.

• Versatility:

  Apart from being an awesome companion and the protector of the family, the German Shepherds are also used for various work-related purposes such as drug detection, search-and-rescue, personal security, et cetera. These canines are heavily used for police work as well and they excel at being great messenger dogs, guide dogs, guard dogs et cetera.

Body related Facts about German Shepherd

• Powerful Nose:

  With 225 million scent receptors in its nose, the German Shepherd is known for its exceptional sense of smell. And, rather than keeping the nose close to the ground, the GSDs have the ability to air-scent and because of that, they are able to detect any particular scent that is carried by the wind.

• Power Bite:

  Everybody knows how powerful and strong these German Shepherds dogs are. But, did you a GSD’s bite is almost three times more powerful than a human being’s bite. A German Shepherd bite has 108 Kilograms of force, while a human’s bite, on the other hand, has just 39 Kilograms of force.

Historical Facts about German Shepherds

• Captain Max von Stephanitz:

  A German cavalry captain named Max von Stephanitz is considered to be the father of the German Shepherd breed. Max Von started to standardize this breed in the year 1889 after a wolf-like medium sized dog caught his attention at a German dog show.

• Hektor and Horand:

  The dog that caught the eye of Max Von Stephanitz in 1889 was named Hektor. Max Von purchased this wolf-like canine and renamed him as Horand von Grafath. And, when Max von initialized this breed’s standardization, Horand became the first officially registered German Shepherd.

• AKC Recognition:

  The American Kennel Club recognized the German Shepherds as a distinct breed in the year 1908. And, five years later, the first German Shepherd Dog Club of America was formed.

• World War I:

  German Shepherd Dog’s popularity increased during the first World War as many American soldiers were impressed by the abilities of these dogs while fighting with the Germans. And, because of that, many American soldiers brought back several German Shepherd dogs with them to the U.S.A. after the war got over.

• First Guide Dog:

  In 1928, a German Shepherd named Buddy became the first seeing eye dog to Morris Frank.

• Shepherd Dog:

  In 1917, the AKC removed the term “German” from the GSDs and there were simply called the Shepherd Dogs. But, in 1930, when the breed club members voted to again change the name, it was reverted back to the original name.

Temperamental Facts about German Shepherds

• Loyal and Protective:

  German Shepherds are extremely loyal canines. They are very faithful to their owners and loved ones and because of that, they are known to always defend their close ones against all kinds of harm or external danger. They always remain alert and aware of their surroundings and are ready to protect their family members and their house from intruders at any time.

• Intelligent:

Compared to some of the smartest dog breeds out there, studies have shown that the German Shepherds are the third most intelligent dogs alive today. Only Border Collies and Poodles are placed higher than the GSDs when it comes to the intellectual prowess of a canine.

Miscellaneous Facts about German Shepherd

• Strongheart:

  A German Shepherd named Strongheart was a very popular movie star. He starred in six movies and was brought to the United States at the age of 3 by filmmakers Launce Trimble and Jane Murfin.

• Rin Tin Tin:

  Like Strongheart, Rin Tin Tin the GSD was also an immensely popular movie star and he even surpassed Strongheart in terms of popularity. He starred in 27 Hollywood movies and became a worldwide phenomenon.

• Walk of Fame:

  Like several A-listed celebrities, these two German Shepherds i.e. Strongheart and Rin Tin Tin also have a star on Hollywood Walk of Fame.

• Going to the Dogs:

  In 1980’s, a play called Going to the Dogs was directed by a Dutch Director that starred six German Shepherds.

• Dwarf GSD:

  Some German Shepherd dogs can have pituitary dwarfism and because of that these pooches forever remain like a puppy. This is extremely rare in the GSDs but if it occurs it brings a lot of health-related issues with it.

• Panda Shepherds:

  Mainly the GSDs are only found in a dark colored coat like Black and Tan. But some German Shepherds can have a uniquely colored coat in which apart from having black and tan colors, they also have white markings on their body. And, because of that, they are sometimes referred to as Tri-colored GSDs or Panda Shepherds.