Max von Stephanitz embraced all the credits for the development of this extraordinarily intelligent, reliable and subservient dog. Extensively it was von Stephanitz's idea that inspired a wide variety of sheep herding dogs into an individual breed of the best quality. He conceptualized a dog of dutiful character, huge working ability, loyal and incredibly trainable. In the 18th and 19th centuries, shepherd dogs were solely contributing their talents as working dogs. For them it was their working efficiency that was in high demand, not their appearance. However these dogs lacked a definitive origin.

Later in 19th century, the movement begun in the method of guiding sheep, in which Captain von Stephanitz played the leading role with his plan to form his upcoming endeavor Verein fur Deutsche Schaferhunde for breeding a dog with maximum potential. In his concept, the breeding techniques were not only limited to the improved working abilities of the German Shepherd, but he also put emphasis on the improved appearance, however, never underestimating the primary priority.
One of the early problems involved in the timeline of the development of the German Shepherd was when there was an apparent decline in the demand of shepherd dogs. By that time, it was again von Stephanitz who trained the German Shepherd as a police dog, which turned out to be a great source of service to mankind in general. During late 19th century and early 20th century increasing number of dog shows led the breeders to consider both the appearance and the efficiency of their dogs equally.

In 1899, with the persistent guidance of von Stephanitz, the concept of the modern German Shepherd took its place in reality with the establishment of Verein. During the First World War, England discovered the German Shepherd and brought this dog under the name of Alsatian home. By that time the overall control of all breeding in Germany was done by Verein fur Deutsche Schaferhunde. In the post Word War II phase, Germany was destroyed and in ruins, so was the breeding organization as well as the breeding policy. It was typically assumed that the best German Shepherd was bred in North America during that phase.
Similar to any other great innovator of different times, von Stephenitz always put his effort on exploring and gathering new knowledge about breeding German Shepherd dogs with the help of his extensive experience and experimental aptitude. He relied on several different ideas that were used by the British at that time. It was in 1899 when von Stephanitz attended a dog show and bought Horand von Grafrath, who was known as the first registered German Shepherd studbook entry. Von Stephanitz was most impressed by the wide range of qualities of the breed.

The blend of dynamism and active movements kept Horand apart from the other breeds. He was an obedient, brave, defensive and energetic type of dog, which was mostly praised for his mental alertness. In addition, he was also visually appealing with his beautiful lines of the body. A perfect combination of stamina and beauty gave the German Shepherd great worldwide recognition. In recent times, imported German Shepherds are exclusively adorable for implausible sense of smell, loyalty, obedience, sound temperament and excellence in physical structure and working ability.


A dog lover and professional breeder, Jan Ryan has extensive experience in raising and caring for dogs. The German Shepherd has gained a worldwide popularity due to its excellence in obedience, outstanding working ability and physical fitness. This article offers all the basic German Shepherd information including its history.