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Every once in a while, a Dog enters your life and changes everything.

When it is too hard to look back, and you are too afraid to look ahead.... look beside you, I'll be there

In order to own a German Shepherd, you must be smarter than a German Shepherd

Afraid of bad dreams? Threaten my family, I am your worst nightmare.

If you can't love a dog like a family member, don't get one. Dogs see you as a member of their pack. To them, that is family.

He is your friend, your partner, your defender. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true to the very last beat of his heart.

If my German Shepherd doesn't like you, neither will I

Hi, I just stopped by to make your day better. Did it work?

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1. 1.8% of the dog population is made up of German Shepherds

2. German Shepherds are often referred to as the "GSD". This means German Shepherd Dog. They are the only breed with "dog" in their official name.

3. Schutzhund was a sport developed in the 1900's specifically for German Shepherds. This sport was invented to " test the natural instincts of the breed and to weed out the dogs that were either unstable or untrainable."

4. Max Von Stephanitz is known as the father of the GSD breed. After observing a "medium-sized yellow-and-gray wolf like dog" he started to mix other breeds to create his own standardized dog breed in 1889.

5. The first registered German Shepherd was Horand Von Grafath. Max Von Stephanitz first saw this dog at the first dog show.

6. In 1914, the breed was so famous in America that many wanted to change the name to "sheepdog" or "shepherd dog"- dropping the German contribution. The AKC in fact did remove the "German" out of the name but was eventually changed back in 1930 due to a vote by the dog breed club.

7. Filax, a German Shepherd war dog from Lewanno, was laudable due to his efforts in WWI. He brought 54 wounded soldiers to safety.

8. German Shepherds have a club for German Shepherd seniors 12 years or older. This club was invented by the German Shepherd Club of America.

9. Contrary to belief, the GSD breed comes in many colors other than black and tan. The AKC recognizes the breed in eleven official colors: bi-color, black & cream, grey, black & silver, blue, grey, liver, and sable, etc.

10. There are about 3.5 million German Shepherds around the globe.

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Background
In the 1850's many attempts were made to create a standardized dog. They wanted to create a breed that could herd sheep and protect livestock from predators. Intelligence, speed, strength, and keen sense of smell were required for their standardized dog. The Phylax Society was formed in 1891 with the hopes of creating their preference dog. Although they failed, the Phylax Society encouraged many people to independently cross-breed dogs. The first registered GSD was Hektor Linksrhein. He appeared in the very first dog show in Germany.  Max Von Stephanitz, an ex member of the Phylax Society, admired the dogs strength, beauty, and intelligence. This was everything he was looking for in his personalized dog. Later he renamed the dog Horand Von Grafath.  Max Von Stephanitz is known as the  father of the GSD breed.                        The breed was named   Deutscher Schäferhund by Von Stephanitz. The name is German and literally translates to "German Shepherd Dog". It is titled this because its name referred to its job which was herding sheep, hence the name German SHEPHERD Dog. At the end of WWI, Americans believed "German" would harm the breed's popularity, causing others not to purchase them. The Americans had just fought a war with Germany. The UK Kennel Club renamed the breed "Alastian Wolf Dog" which was widely used by other international dog clubs. Later, "Wolf Dog" was no longer part of the name and "German Shepherd Dog" became their title once again.
German Shepherds are about 22-26 inches long and have an average height of 25 inches. For males they weigh about 66-88 pounds while females weigh about 49-71 pounds. The average GSD has a dome shaped forehead, a long-square cut muzzle with a black nose. Their jaws are strong and have known to have a scissor-like quality bite. They have eyes that are medium sized and brown with large erect ears that pull back when movement is heard. German Shepherds have a long neck that is raised when excited and lowered when moving at a fast pace. A GSD has a double-layered coat. The outer coat sheds all year long and is dense with a thick undercoat.

Because of their intelligence, German Shepherds are very famous. In his book The Intelligence of Dogs,  author Stanley Coren ranks German Shepherds as the third most intelligent dog. Border Collies and Poodles are the first and second smartest dog. He discovered that it was feasible for them to learn rudimentary tasks after only five repetitions and followed commands the first time 95% of the time. With their strength and intelligence, the GSD breed is favored as a police dog, guard dog, and search and rescue dog. They are able to interpret and learn a plethora of tasks better than other larger breeds.
German Shepherds can have a liter of 5-10 pups and live for about 9-13 years. Below is a video about an average German Shepherd Dog.

Those who teach the most about humanity, aren't always human. - Donald L. Hicks

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All you need to know about this breed....

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My only flaw? I love and trust my human so much that I do anything they ask me.

Judge the breed, not the deed. So give a Pit Bull a try, before sentencing them to die.

It's true that Pit Bulls grab and hold on, but they grab and hold to your heart, NOT your arm

You think I'm dangerous? Have you seen the people running this country?

Pit bulls are beauty without vanity, strength without insolence, courage without ferocity and all the virtues of man without vices.

Some bad people want to make me mean.All I want to do is be your friend. Please don't kill me.

Coconuts kill 150 people each per year. You are 60 times more likely to be killed by a coconut than a Pit Bull.

In the 70's they blamed Dobermans, in the 80's they blamed German Shepherds, in the 90's they blamed the Rottweilers. Now they blame the Pit Bull

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10  Interesting Facts

1. When bear baiting was outlawed in England, ratting became a popular sport. In ratting, rats are placed in a pit and dogs competed to see who could kill the most rats in the shortest amount of time. Many believe this is why Pit bull Terriers name start with pit.

2. Adults trusted their Pit bull Terriers so much around their children that they eventually carried the name nursemaids or nanny dogs.

3. This breed has had the most name changes than any other dog in the world. This was done in an effort to separate the breed from its bad reputation.

4. Snoop Dogg, a famous rapper, loves the breed so much that he once owned a litter of 20 Pit bull Terriers while residing in Claremont, California.

5. There are about a total of two million Pit bull Terriers in the United States.

6. When first born, Pit Bulls have wrinkled foreheads and as they grow older, their skin becomes smooth.

7. Pit Bull Terrier are one of the best fence climbers because of their athletic built.

8. Sallie, a Pit bull Terrier, watched over dead and wounded soldiers at the Battle of Gettysburg. In Pennsylvania, she is immortalized in a Civil War monument.

9. Pete, a Pit bull Terrier was owned by renowned scientist Thomas Edison.

10. Dr. Phil, Jamie Foxx, Rachael Ray, Linda Blair, Jessica Biel, Jessica Alba, and Alicia Silverstone are all modern day Pit bull Terrier owners.

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Background
Pit bull Terriers were originally crossbred with a terrier dog and a pit bull. A pit bull is a very muscular dog and is known for being able to kill prey in just seconds while terrier dogs are known for being fearless and having a great sense of smell. When both of these dogs are crossbred, a strong and fearless dog is born.
Pit bull terriers were originally bred to kill other large mammals such as bears, bulls, etc. This form of hunting is known as "baiting". In the 1800's, this form of hunting became outlawed so people began pitting the dogs against each other. This is how dog rings were started. Most people started dog rings so they could test how strong their dogs were against others. Also, this became a great way to gamble. Many people became affluent off of fighting their dogs in dog rings. Although this form of fighting is illegal in the United States, many still participate in dog rings underground and Pit bulls are the most common dog used.
Now, they are used as companion dogs, guard dogs, and police dogs. In New York, they have started using them as police dogs. Unfortunately, police have reported that the dogs have been used to guard illegal narcotics such as meth, cocaine, heroin, and other drugs. Other things they're used for are attack dogs and to fight police. To try and give the dog a good image, the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals changed the dog's name to the "St. Francis Terrier." In 2004, the New York City Center for Animal Care and Control tried the same thing by relabeling them as the "New Yorkie's," but the public did not like the approach and it was dropped. At the bottom is an informational video about an average Pit bull Terrier.