What were German shepherds bred for?

Part 1

The short answer: herding dogs built for work

Before the breed existed as a single type, Germany had many regional herding dogs bred to work sheep flocks and guard them from predators. These dogs worked sheep flocks and guarded them from predators. They were valued for endurance and the ability to learn, not for how they looked.

Part 2

Max von Stephanitz and the standardization of the breed

Max von Stephanitz was a German cavalry officer who had studied at a veterinary college in Berlin, and he used that knowledge when he began breeding dogs. He noticed many different types of shepherding dogs at German dog shows, with no single standard among them. In April 1899, at a dog show in Karlsruhe, he bought a dog named Hektor Linksrhein, renamed him Horand von Grafrath, and registered him as the first entry in the new breed book. On April 22, 1899, he and his friend Artur Meyer founded the Verein für Deutsche Schäferhunde, the club that set the breed standard. Breeders also drew on dogs from Franconia, Württemberg, and Thuringia to build the new breed's gene pool.

Von Stephanitz selected for working ability over appearance, and the club's first breed standard said a pleasing appearance was desirable but could not put a dog's working ability into question. An earlier group called the Phylax Society had tried to standardize German herding dogs in the early 1890s but broke apart over the same argument between looks and work, and it dissolved by 1894. Von Stephanitz's goal was one versatile working dog that could be used throughout Germany. If you own a German shepherd, this selective history is part of why your dog still wants a job to do.

Part 3

From sheepdog to soldier: the shift to military and police work

Von Stephanitz pushed the breed into new kinds of work beyond herding, including delivering messages, rescue work, sentry duties, and guard work. The breed made its world debut in these roles during the First World War. German shepherds served as telephone cable layers, messenger dogs, and medical service dogs during the war, and about 7,000 of them were killed in this work. The first formal test of working skills, called Schutzhund, was held in 1901 and judged dogs on tracking, obedience, and protection. The English Kennel Club honoured the breed with its own register in 1919.

Part 4

What herding actually demanded of the dog's body and mind

Von Stephanitz described the ideal herding dog as never idle, always on the go. A working sheepdog was born with the ability to herd, needing only direction and finish to do the job well. It also had to be obedient, coming to attention at the slightest nod from its handler even without formal training.

Part 5

How the working purpose shaped today's traits

Von Stephanitz noted the breed's high energy, which needed to be channeled into activity. He also believed a dog's working ability mattered more than its looks.

Part 6

Common jobs German shepherds do today

• German shepherds work as police and military service dogs, roles the breed took on not long after it was founded.
• They are used in search and rescue work.
• German shepherds have served as guide dogs for the blind since the late 1920s.
• Herding trials still let some German shepherds do the work the breed was originally bred for.
• In the United States, a national club dedicated to the breed formed in 1913 as its working reputation grew.

The club von Stephanitz founded grew into the largest single breed club in the world.