German Shepherd

The German Shepherd is a highly intelligent breed of the domestic dog. As its name suggests, it was originally bred in Germany for herding sheep. Its size, strength, and intelligence make the German Shepherd a very versatile dog. This breed of dog in particular, along with the collie and the husky, is popular as a furry species as well as a funny animal because of its familiarity and its more than superficial resemblance to the natural wolf. German Shepherds are often commonly selected as fursonas because of their police and military use. They are also popular with Nazi furs due to the German association.

A breed of many names

The German Shepherd is also known as the Alsatian and the police dog, the latter because it is commonly used in police departments especially in Europe and North America. Apparently, the first literary reference to the breed in the English language used the name Alsatian; this was also the name used for the breed in Great Britain until the year 1977.

A versatile dog

In addition to being well-suited to herding and watching sheep, the German Shepherd is commonly used by police forces the world over. They can be trained so that they will not move until the trainer gives the signal no matter how tantalizing the distraction. One test apparently involves allowing a cat to walk past the dogs in training.

The German Shepherd's naturally protective nature also serves it well as a guide dog for the visually impaired. It can be trained to guide a person past obstacles and around other people as well as retrieve items in the home.

See also

• German Shepherd on Wikipedia
• Category:German Shepherd characters

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