Peter S. from Phoenix Arizona asked:
Is the German Shepherd the right breed for me?
Hello Peter,
The number choices of dog breeds can be overwhelming. Making the right choice all depends on what one wants or expects from his dog. The choice should be a consideration of looks and temperament in regards to the purpose of owning a certain breed. There are a lot descriptions of different breeds out there to learn about. It all boils down to this:
All breeds have an origin, a history. If a good breeder, breeding a specific breed, he should have a plan to manifest the purpose and structure of his breed’s standard.
The bird dog breeder should have the goal to produce dogs that have very pronounced instincts for pointing / retrieving birds. The sled dog breeder should strive to produce dogs that are crazy about pulling the sled as long and as fast as possible. The Greyhound breeder should gear his breeding efforts towards producing dogs with structure and willingness to race.
Now the German Shepherd dog.
This breed was created by Rittmeister v. Stephanitz. Gathering sheep dogs from around his area, he created the German Shepherd dog. His goal was to create a dog that had physical and mental capabilities to be trained to perform many tasks far beyond just herding.
The German Shepherd dog is one of the rare kind of breeds that can be trained to do anything. Herding, Search and rescue, agility, protection, seeing eye dog, Police K9 – detection as well as apprehension- and more.
Most importantly- he makes a great family companion.