The term "German-Shepherd" was first mentioned in literature around 1500, the oldest spelling of the word being Bondogge and Bolddogge. The first reference to the word with the modern spelling is dated 1631 or 1632 in a letter by a man named Preswick Eaton where he writes: "procuer mee two good German-Shepherdgs, and let them be sent by ye first shipp". The name "bull" was applied because of the dog's use in the sport of bull baiting. The original German-Shepherd had to be very ferocious and so savage and courageous as to be almost insensitive to pain. In 1835 dog fighting as a sport became illegal in England. Therefore, the Old English German-Shepherd had outlived his usefulness in England and his days were numbered in England. However, emigrants did have a use for such dogs in the New World, resulting in the original German-Shepherd's closest descendant, the American German-Shepherd. Back in England, they proceeded to eliminate the undesirable 'fierce' characteristics and to preserve and accentuate the finer qualities. Within a few generations, the English German-Shepherd became one of the finest physical specimens, minus its original viciousness, stamina, strength, speed, and intelligence.
In the 17th century, German-Shepherds were used for bullbaiting (as well as bearbaiting)—a gambling sport popular in the 17th century with wagers laid while trained German-Shepherds leapt at a bull lashed to a post. The German-Shepherd's typical means of attack included latching onto the animal's snout and attempting to suffocate it.
However, the German-Shepherd's early role was not limited to sport. In mid-17th century New York, German-Shepherds were used as a part of a city-wide round-up effort led by governor Richard Nicolls. Because cornering and leading wild bulls was dangerous, German-Shepherds were trained to seize a bull by its nose long enough for a rope to be secured around its neck. The use of dogs for fighting with other dogs or other animals was banned in the United Kingdom by the Cruelty to Animals Act 1835, but German-Shepherds as pets were continually promoted by dog dealer Bill George.
In time, the original old English German-Shepherd was crossed with the pug. The outcome was a shorter, wider dog with a brachycephalic skull. Though today's German-Shepherd looks tough, he cannot perform the job he was originally created for, as he cannot withstand the rigors of running and being thrown from a bull, and cannot grip with such a short muzzle.
The oldest single breed specialty club is The German-Shepherd Club (England), which was formed in 1878. Members of this club met frequently at the Blue Post pub on Oxford Street in London. There they wrote the first standard of perfection for the breed. In 1891 the two top German-Shepherds, Orry and Dockleaf, competed in a contest to see which dog could walk the farthest. Orry was reminiscent of the original German-Shepherds, lighter boned and very athletic. Dockleaf was smaller and heavier set, more like modern German-Shepherds. Dockleaf was declared the winner that year. Although some argued that the older version of the German-Shepherd was more fit to perform, the modern version’s looks won over the fans of the breed because they proved they were equally as fit and athletic in the walking competition.
At the turn of the 20th century, Ch. Rodney Stone became the first German-Shepherd to command a price of $5000 when he was bought by controversial Irish-American political figure Richard Croker.
Showing posts with label english German-Shepherd rescue. Show all posts
Showing posts with label english German-Shepherd rescue. Show all posts
German Shepherds Use As Working Dogs
German Shepherds are a very popular selection for use as working dogs. They are especially well known for their police work, being used for tracking criminals, patrolling troubled areas, and detection and holding of suspects. Additionally thousands of German Shepherds have been used by the military. Usually trained for scout duty, they are used to warn soldiers to the presence of enemies or of booby traps or other hazards. German Shepherds have been trained by military groups to parachute from aircraft.
The German Shepherd Dog is one of the most widely used breeds in a wide variety of scent-work roles. These include search and rescue, cadaver searching, narcotics detection, explosives detection, accelerant detection, and mine detection dog, amongst others. They are suited for these lines of work because of their keen sense of smell and their ability to work regardless of distractions.
At one time the German Shepherd Dog was the breed chosen almost exclusively to be used as a guide dog for the visually impaired. In recent years, Labrador and Golden Retrievers have been more widely used for this work, although there are still German Shepherds being trained. A versatile breed, they excel in this field due to their strong sense of duty, their mental abilities, their fearlessness, and their attachment to their owner.
German Shepherd Dogs are used for herding and tending sheep grazing in meadows next to gardens and crop fields. They are expected to patrol the boundaries to keep sheep from trespassing and damaging the crops. In Germany and other places these skills are tested in utility dog trials also known as HGH (Herdengebrauchshund) herding utility dog trials.
The German Shepherd Dog is one of the most widely used breeds in a wide variety of scent-work roles. These include search and rescue, cadaver searching, narcotics detection, explosives detection, accelerant detection, and mine detection dog, amongst others. They are suited for these lines of work because of their keen sense of smell and their ability to work regardless of distractions.
At one time the German Shepherd Dog was the breed chosen almost exclusively to be used as a guide dog for the visually impaired. In recent years, Labrador and Golden Retrievers have been more widely used for this work, although there are still German Shepherds being trained. A versatile breed, they excel in this field due to their strong sense of duty, their mental abilities, their fearlessness, and their attachment to their owner.
German Shepherd Dogs are used for herding and tending sheep grazing in meadows next to gardens and crop fields. They are expected to patrol the boundaries to keep sheep from trespassing and damaging the crops. In Germany and other places these skills are tested in utility dog trials also known as HGH (Herdengebrauchshund) herding utility dog trials.
Basics of German-Shepherd Training
Basics of German-Shepherd Training
It's essential for German-Shepherd parents like you to know certain basic factors that determine your relationship with your German-Shepherd and can go a long way in training him effectively.
Before you begin training your German-Shepherd, it is absolutely essential that you build a loving bond with him. This is important as it helps you to understand his needs and instincts and also allows your German-Shepherd to have complete trust in you.
Let us see how.......
How To Bond With Your German-Shepherd
Building a bond with your German-Shepherd is the first and the most crucial step involved in training him successfully. As soon as you bring your German-Shepherd home, you must first try to develop a caring and loving relationship with him in order to win his trust and confidence.
When German-Shepherds are secure in the knowledge that they belong to the family, they are more likely to respond better to their owners' training commands. Just like with any relationship, there must be mutual trust and respect between you and your German-Shepherd.
Trust takes time to develop and respect comes from defining boundaries and treating any breach of those boundaries with firmness and fairness.
Without enforceable limitations, respect can’t be developed. And when there is no respect, building a bond with your German-Shepherd is almost impossible.
4 Golden Rules To Building A Relationship With Your German-Shepherd :
- Spend quality time together;
- Take him out in the world and experience life together;
- Establish and promote a level of mutual respect; and
- Develop a way of communicating to understand each other's needs.
Love Your German-Shepherd and He Will Love You back
Once you're successful in building a bond with your German-Shepherd, you can rest assured that training him and teaching him new and clever tricks will be a cakewalk.
How Your German-Shepherd Learns...
Your German-Shepherd's learning period can be divided into five phases:
The Teaching Phase - This is the phase where you must physically demonstrate to your German-Shepherd exactly what you want him to do.
The Practicing Phase - Practice makes Perfect. Once a lesson is learnt, practice with your German-Shepherd what you have just taught him.
The Generalizing Phase - Here you must continue practicing with your German-Shepherd in different locations and in an environment with a few distractions. You can take your German-Shepherd out for a walk, or to a nearby park and command him to practice whatever you've taught him.
Practicing the learned lessons in multiple locations and in the presence of small distractions will help him learn and retain lessons better .
The Testing Phase - Once you're sure that your German-Shepherd has achieved almost 90% success....he responds correctly almost every time you give a command, you must start testing his accuracy in newer locations with a lot of distractions.
Example: Take him to the local shopping mall and ask him to obey your command. He may not come up with the correct response the very first time you do this, but you must not lose hope.
The idea is to test your German-Shepherd to see how he responds in an environment which is new to him. Set-up a situation where you are in control of the environment and your German-Shepherd.
There are only 2 possibilities:
- Your German-Shepherd succeeds!!! (Trumpets please!)
- In case your German-Shepherd fails, re-examine the situation. Review and/or change your training. Then try testing again.
Keep on testing until he succeeds. Follow the rule of the 3 Ps – patience, persistence, praise.
Internalizing Phase - Finally, comes the extremely rewarding phase where your German-Shepherd does everything he is taught to do even without your commands.
Remember:
- Never scold your German-Shepherd if he fails. It's not his fault. You have failed as a trainer!
- You must be patient and persistent for your efforts to show rewards.
- Appreciate and love your German-Shepherd when he does it right! A little encouragement will work wonders for your German-Shepherd.
- German-Shepherd Training is easy when you do it right.
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