This child is Rogue who ended up in the council kennel before Christmas in a terrible state. With much care from the kennel, we were asked if we could take him in and find him a good home.
Rogue was microchipped but not registered! He started the vaccinations.
History of German Shepherds in Police Work
German Shepherds have a long history in K-9 work. In fact, Shepherds were first bred in the early 1900s to be a working dog, including for police and military service. Breeder Max von Stephanitz, a German Army veteran, began selectively breeding GSDs for key traits including intelligence, loyalty and perseverance.
As such, German Shepherds were ideal candidates for police and military work.
Why does Sheps bark and growl?
For anyone unfamiliar with dogs, certain noises, such as barking and growling, can be interpreted as aggression. However, that’s not necessarily the case. Your German Shepherd probably barks or growls when he’s having fun, interacting with others, and when he wants to get your attention or warn you of something.
Of course, growing and barking can also signal aggression, but you should be able to tell if a dog is on guard or not by observing his body language. An aggressive German Shepherd will have a rigid stiff body, a wide fixed gaze and possibly raised hair. They may also wag their tails very slowly and show their teeth.
German Shepherds are problem solvers.
They easily learn any activity or trick with the right training. The most impressive thing about the German Shepherd’s intelligence is that they are able to use it independently to solve problems in their environment. Many learn to open doors, enter lockers, and even pick the lock on their chest when they have enough time to use their amazing brainpower. It’s helpful when they’re given a lot of jobs and activities to put that brain to good use, and can result in nastiness if they have nothing to do.
Most people think German Shepherds are tough, even scary, but you know better. Your German Shepherd is a big kid, especially when it comes to pooping outside in the rain or hearing thunder outdoors.
World War I
In 1914, as World War I began, German Shepherds began serving in the German army. They performed a variety of tasks on the battlefield and within the ranks of the German military. These new dogs served as sentries, messengers, and ammunition carriers. They proved especially good at helping wounded soldiers on the battlefield. They even led wounded and armored soldiers off the battlefield for safety and medical treatment. This last act of the new breed eventually led to the development of the first sighting dog, an important function that the GSD still performs today.
While initially amused by the use of dogs on the battlefield, soldiers on both sides of the conflict were quickly impressed. They have seen these new dogs perform numerous heroic deeds under stressful and dangerous conditions. In fact, soldiers were so impressed with the dogs’ abilities that after the conflict, the Germans, as well as the Americans and British, began developing their own breed of German Shepherds for use in the military. The GSDs would again prove themselves in conflict when World War II broke out in 1939.