by Heinz Kaufmann


German Shepherds were originally bred in Germany by a cavalry officer. It was basically meant to be a working dog. Max von Stephanitz, the man who created it, wanted to develop a dog with unique traits suitable for work. The traits that were particularly important included speed, trainability, discipline, loyalty, daring, and a strong sense of smell.

The training and development exercises focusing on the German Shepherd dog breed try to instil these qualities. In the 20th century there were number of unofficial training contests conducted in Europe for various dog breeds.

However the developer of this breed continued to create a formal competition held under the label of Verein fur Deutsche Schaferhunde, a German Shepherd dog Club in Germany. The performance of the dog was tested based on its loyalty, tracking skills and the degree of personal security it provided.

Since then, the Schutzhund scale has been established to formally assess the performance in each of these areas and certify dogs that are qualified.

There are very strict regulations regarding the registration of German Shepherds in Germany. In order for any puppy from a litter to be officially registered, both parents must have titles for work and at like a Good conformation rating. If these rules aren't met then the parents aren't suitable for breeding.

A working certification is needed for a fully grown German shepherd to take part in conformation shows or be a good dog for breeding. Most of the time, German shepherds will be provided Schutzhund titles to meet this requirement.

An exception to this rule can be made only once, enabling a dog to compete in an adult contest without a certification. Normally, dogs that are not fully grown adults will not need a working title to compete.

Tracking, protection, and loyalty must be tested in order for a dog to be certified with a working title. The levels of the potentials must be sufficient as per the standards set by the Verein fur Deutsche Hundewessen. The two classifications for the title are SchH and IPO. Dogs who work with the police or in the detection of drugs and explosives will also need a DPO and DH. A working title is expected as well, unless the dog has been working for a year or more.

The German shepherd was originally bred for the purpose of herding and monitoring flocks of animals. These purposes fall under the HGH classification that measures courage and the capacity to protect, but does not include tests for tracking ability.




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