This is perhaps a most appropriate description for German shepherd dogs because for quite some time, they were thought to be wild. This may also be because they are believed to have been descended from the mountain shepherd dogs of Germany, although the breed was later founded on 1899. But since then, things have changed. The German shepherd dog can now be a helpful partner and friend even in one's own home, a place where "wildness" should be controlled. Thanks to the training and socialization methods specifically designed for the breed. German shepherd dogs can now be home pets, like any other dog. Except, of course, that this is not just like any other dog.

That's right! The German shepherd is not just like any other dog. It is intelligent, agile, and with proper training, could be an asset in active working environments. These breeds are usually what we see during police investigations, where they are used as sniffing dogs, in rigorous police work like search and rescue, guarding, in the military, and even in therapy. Through sniffing, they could detect bombs, cadavers, narcotics, mines, accelerants and explosives, depending on the training they have received. They are also used as guides for the blind, and they serve many more functions because of their strong sense of smell.

The name German shepherd dog is the most correct name for this wonderful breed of canines. It is really more of a literal translation from its original name of German Deutscher Schaferhund, although most of the time, we prefer to shorten this into "German shepherds" or even GSDs. For a time, their work revolved mainly on shepherding, as the name suggests. These were bred to herd cattle, sheep, or other animals that need the help of a shepherd. As times have advanced from the agricultural to the industrial, the shepherd function in the farm became less and less significant.

That's why owners started to look for outlets for their dogs' talents. They contacted police agencies, with the knowledge that these dogs could be very helpful in the tracking down of criminals and many other things just mentioned. Today, shepherds take their talents as far as appearing on television as crime-busting, human-friendly dogs. Take for instance, the films Rin-Tin-Tin and Kommisar Rex. These films highlight the heroism of these well-trained canines.

In Canada, a long-running television show by the name of The Littlest Hobo, also starred a talented German shepherd. Of course, there are also the films Chips the War Dog, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, K-9, and Fear. All of these films star, if not co-stars, German shepherd dogs-a reflection that these dogs are becoming more and more popular everywhere.

In fact, according to the 2009 American Kennel Club statistics, in the United States alone, German shepherds rank as the third most popular breed with a total of 43, 575 registrations. That's one place up from the fourth spot these German shepherd gained in the year 2008. No wonder you will see them more often in American homes these days. Truly, the herding dog has become wildness tamed in our very own homes.