Breed History
The
German Shepherd is a herding dog, originally bred from sheep tending stock in
rural Germany.
The founder of the breed was Cavalry Captain Max Von Stephanitz, who almost
single handedly developed the breed through judicious inbreeding and line
breeding, from 1899 to 1936. He bred dogs specifically for working ability
and temperament.
In 1889
Captain Max von Stephanitz began the standardization of the breed. It all
started at a dog show in Karlsruhe in western Germany. A
medium-sized yellow-and-gray wolflike dog caught his attention. The dog was
of the primal canine type, supple and powerful, and possessed endurance,
steadiness, and intelligence. He was a working sheepherder, born with this
ability, requiring no training other than direction and finish to become
proficient at the task. This dog, “Hektor Linksrhein”, was purchased by von
Stephanitz, renamed “Horand von Grafrath”, and became the first registered
German Shepherd Dog. He carried the
white gene because his grandfather Greif
(born 1879), was white.
It was
not until the 1930's, after the death of Max von Stephanitz, that white dogs
were discriminated against. During the
1960's, with the white German Shepherd becoming ever more popular, friction
developed between breeders of the white German Shepherd and the standard
colored German Shepherd. Genetic
problems appearing in the German Shepherd Dog were increasingly blamed on the
white German Shepherd, and Germany
began a campaign to outlaw the white color.
One accusation was that the color white as responsible for "fading
color" or "washing out" of the darker dog's color. This point has been refuted innumerable
times by leading breeders and geneticists who have proven that the white coat
is not responsible for the fading of the darker shepherds coat colour.
Information
provided in early books on the German Shepherd Dog, such as “The Alsatian Wolf-Dog” written by
George Horowitz in 1923 as well as “The
German Shepherd, Its History. Development and Genetics” written by M. B.
Willis In 1977 make mention of White German Shepherds shown in Europe as early as 1882. “Der Deutsche Schaferhund In Wort Und Bild” written by Max Von
Stephanitz in 1921 included a photo of a White German Shepherd directly
descended from Horand, and “The Complete German Shepherd” published by Milo
Denlinger in 1947 included an illustration of a White German Shepherd from
Northern Germany.
Berno von der Seewiese - born March 24, 1913 in Germany.
“The Complete
German Shepherd” published by Milo Denlinger in 1947
This is a photograph of a White
German Shepherd from a German newspaper from 1906. The name of this newspaper
is unknown, also is the name of the dog. Looking at the date, there is a
real possibility that the dog may be Russian or Greiffa, one of Greif's
daughters.
The
proper German Shepherd temperament is described as noble, courageous,
protective, loyal, highly intelligent, easily trainable, friendly
- yet not lending itself to indiscriminate friendships. Temperament faults include, shyness, overly
aggressive, overly excitable, insecure or easily frightened. They should
adapt well to both family and single life, and are happiest when included as
full-fledged family members. They make excellent companion dogs, and although
require basic training, are exceptionally intelligent, and very willing to
learn and please.
