Intelligent, agile and extremely smart, these are the traits that make the German shepherd so beloved. That unconditional focus on the boss and inexhaustible strength to always go on are certainly not inferior. But there is much more under that thick coat, something you may not have known.
1. The breed comes from Germany
Okay okay, of course this makes sense but do you know exactly how this happened? In 1889, Max von Stephanitz noticed a kind of wolf-like dog competing in a dog show in West Germany. He was incredibly impressed by the intelligence and discipline of this dog. After taking this dog home, he founded the German Shepherd Dog Club and created conditions for the breed. His motto was useful and intelligent; good looks came second.
2. World War I brought them to the West
The Germans used many German Shepherds during the war. For first aid, to deliver messages or as guard dogs. The Americans were so impressed with these dogs that they took them to America. Here they became mega popular very quickly. According to the American Kennel Club, they were the second most popular dogs in the country in 2014.
3. Some may suffer from dwarfism
It is not common but some Shepherds can suffer from dwarfism. This will make them look like puppies all their lives. While this of course looks super cute and cuddly it is actually very sad and unfortunately comes with a huge number of health problems.
4. They are incredibly smart
Again, this is of course nothing new to the experienced German Shepherd sitter or owner but did you know that they are the third smartest breed of dog in the world. The conditions attached to this are certainly not simple. They must grasp a new trick after only 5 repetitions and they must follow a command 95 percent of the time the first time.
5. On YouTube, this breed is hugely popular
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7C2YXzA5ZR8
If you search on "German Shepherd" alone, YouTube gives more than half a million results. Here is one that remains a favorite anyway
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