German Shepherds are a medium to large breed of dog that originated in Germany. Intelligent, loyal and fiercely protective, German Shepherds are often selected as Police, military and rescue dogs and are consistently among the world's most popular breed.

Often abbreviated to the acronym GSD, German Shepherd Dogs enjoy an impressive history and below we have uncovered some interesting stuff that you maybe didn't know about this much loved and favoured breed.

Quick Learners

Studies have shown that the breed are impressively quick when it comes to training. Simple tasks are often learned after only five repetitions and the breed has been shown to obey a given first command around 95% of the time.

A study conducted by Dr. Stanley Coren at the university of British Columbia ranked the breed as the third smartest breed of dog.

Known As Alsatians

After the first World War, the breed experienced a dip in popularity and were, as they still are today, often referred to as Alsatians. This is due to the fact there was a poorer political perception of Germany as a country in Europe just after the war and the breeds origin has a strong connection to the Alsace-Lorraine area which is situated on the border between France and Germany.

The breed now enjoys considerable popularity in Europe, and in 2014 the American Kennel Club ranked the breed as the second most popular breed in the country.

Famous German Shepherds

The most famous German Shepherd in history was undeniably the movie star Rin Tin Tin. This international movie star (1918-1932) and his descendants were instrumental in increasing the profile and popularity of the breed.

Other notable high profile German Shepherds include Bullet who starred in the "Roy Rogers Show" for several years in the 1950's and Abbey who played Sam, Will Smith's canine sidekick in the post-apocalyptic thriller 'I Am Legend'

Notable Loyalty

German Shepherds have been referred to as a 'one man' breed as they are known to show extreme loyalty to one person. They also have a low sociability to strangers and, whilst this in no way marks them as unfriendly or unsociable dog, it adds to their value as a guard dog in situations that require a high level of security and loyalty.

Bred As Herders

German Shepherds are known collectively as a herding breed and were originally bred to herd and keep sheep safe from predators. The boundless energy and intelligence of the breed allied with their strong ability to focus make them excellent working dogs.