Max von Stephanitz and Horand

MAX EMIL FRIEDRICH von STEPHANITZ

Born December 30 1864 in Dresden into German nobility, Max von Stephanitz is credited with having developed the German Shepherd Dog breed as it is currently known, set guidelines for the breed standard and was the first president of the Verein für Deutsche Schäferhunde (S.V.).

Stephanitz was a career cavalry officer and former student of the Berlin Veterinary College.  At the college he gained valuable knowledge about biology, anatomy and the science of movement all of which he later applied to the breeding of dogs.

Stephanitz purchased property near Grafrath in the 1890s where he began experimenting with dog breeding.  He used many of the techniques utilised by English dog breeders of the period.  Stephanitz enjoyed attending dog shows and observed that there were many different types of shepherding dogs in use in Germany but there was no breed standardization.  He greatly admired those dogs with a wolf-ish appearance and prick ears who also were intelligent, had sharp senses and a willingness to work.  In 1899 while attending a show in Karlsruhe he was shown a dog named Hektor Kinksrhein.  Hektor was the product of many generations of selective breeding and completely fulfilled what von Stephanitz believed a working dog should be.  He was pleased with the strength of the dog and was so taken by the animal's intelligence and loyalty that he purchased it immediately.  After purchasing the dog he changed it name to Horand von Grafrath
 

Horand was used as the primary breeding stud by von Stephanitz and other breeders and is the foundation of the German Shepherd breed as we know it.  Stephanitz used the knowledge he had acquired during his years at the Veterinary College and established a 'grand design' he wanted breeders to aim for with judging based on angle of bones, proportions and overall measurements.

Horand became the centre-point of the breeding program and was bred with dogs that displayed the required desirable traits.  Although fathering many pups, Horand's most successful son was Hektor von Schwaben.  Hektor was inbred with another of Horand's offspring and produced Beowulf, who later fathered a total of eighty-four pups, mostly through being inbred with Hektor's other offspring.  Beowulf's progeny also were inbred and it is from these pups that all German Shepherds draw a genetic link.

Horand was declared to be the first German Shepherd Dog and was the first dog added to the register of the  Verein für Deutsche Schäferhunde.

Horand von Grafrath

VEREIN FÜR DEUTSCHE SCHÄFERHUNDE (S.V.)
 

On 22 April 1899 von Stephanitz founded the Verein für Deutsche Schäferhunde (S.V.) with his friend Artur Meyer.  Three sheep masters, two factory owners, one architect, one mayor, one innkeeper and a magistrate joined them as co-founders.  Along with establishing a breed standard the S.V. also developed a Zuchtbuch (Breed Register).  Twenty years later they published the Körbuch (Breed Survey Book), which determines a dog's suitability for breeding based on their physical and mental characteristics and not based solely on show wins.  Von Stephanitz's motto was "Utility and Intelligence".  To him beauty was secondary and a dog was worthless if it lacked the intelligence, temperament and structural efficiency that would make it a good servant of man.  A breed standard was developed as a blueprint dictating the exact function and relationship of every aspect of structure, gait and inherent attitude.

Under von Stephanitz's guidance the S.V. became the single largest breed club in the world, it is believed the society accomplished it's goal mostly due to his strong, uncompromising leadership and he is therefore, credited with being the creator of the German Shepherd Dog.

In 1922 Germany introduced a system of regular breed surveys - a criticism of each dog, with a graded description and recommendation for (or against) breeding. Under von Stephanitz and the SV the GSD developed, however, von Stephanitz became alarmed at the developing trend toward oversized square dogs.  Other problems included lack of steady temperament and faults of dentition.  He and the breed wardens decided drastic measures needed to be taken.  At the 1925 Sieger show von Stephanitz selected Klodo von Boxberg as world sieger; this dog was dramatically different from the type of dog that had gone before him.  He was of lower station, deeper and longer in body, short in loin and with a far-reaching gait.  As it turned out Klodo proved to be a potent sire, successfully heralding a "new' type of Shepherd and it is this type that although refined in appearance still bears a resemblance to its ancestors.

The breed first gained recognition at the end of World War 1 when returning soldiers spoke highly of dogs who were delivering messages, performing rescue work, sentry duties and as personal guard dogs.  The UK Kennel Club first accepted registrations for the breed in 1919, at that time 54 dogs were registered, by 1926 this number had risen to over 8,000 and the breed had risen to the top position in the list of Kennel Club registrations.  In the UK the breed was used mainly by the police and forces and as guide dogs; his herding qualities were largely overlooked in favour of Border Collies, Corgis and Old English Sheepdogs. 

NAME

The breed was named Deutscher Schäferhund by von Stephanitz, literally translating to German Shepherd Dog, so named due to its original purpose of assisting shepherds in herding and protecting sheep.  Although it was around the time of the first World War that the breed became popular they had been imported into the UK as early as 1908 and were at that time known as German Shepherd Dogs.  Following the War it was believed that the inclusion of the word "German" would harm the popularity of the breed due to anti-German sentiment.  There was a question therefore of what to call these dogs, for some time there had been talk of establishing a society to serve the breeds interests and of the Kennel Club granting recognition.  Men like Major James Baldwin of the  famous 'Picardy' kennel took the initiative and on 6 August 1919 gained official recognition for the breed that the Kennel Club named Alsatian Wolf-Dog, the term Alsatian coming from those ex-army officers who had first come into contact with the breed while fighting on the Western Front in the Alsace-Lorraine region.  The term Wolf-Dog was soon removed and the name Alsatian stayed for over five decades until a group of enthusiasts pressured the Kennel Club to have the breeds name changed to its correct and rightful title of German Shepherd Dog.  The campaign was partly successful in so much as the Kennel Club allowed puppies from 1977 to be registered as German Shepherd Dogs with the word Alsatian still included in brackets.  Another 30+ years on and the title is still German Shepherd Dog (Alsatian), it is time to lose the Alsatian handle which is no longer necessary.  Many people wrongly believe that there are two different breeds: German Shepherds and Alsatians, this is not so, there is one breed standard and one breed despite different types.

GSDs IN THE UK

GSDs in the UK are exhibited under the Kennel Club system.  There are open shows and championship shows were Kennel Club Challenge Certificates are awarded to the best dog and bitch.  Classification is divided into age classes upto the age of 2 years and thereafter the amount of wins dictates the eligible class.  In the UK a GSD is judged on his 'beauty' only, working qualifications and health screening results are not taken into consideration unlike the rest of Europe.  There are two main achievements for most exhibitors in the UK, the first is to breed and/or own a Champion.  A dog gains the title of Champion by winning three Challenge Certificates under three different Kennel Club approved Championship show judges.  The other aim is to win at the UK Two Day 'National', a championship show held over two days which rotates between the premiere clubs of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.  The 'National' is the highest ranking show in the opinion of a GSD enthusiast, it is regarded in much higher esteem than CRUFTS and holds a special place in the affections of German Shepherd exhibitors.

In 2005 the first British Sieger Event was held.  This is an attempt to emulate the SV system where by dogs exhibited must have identification, DNA profiles, hereditary health tests, breed surveys and in the open classes for dogs and bitches over two, working qualifications.

German Shepherds peaked in the 80s and 90s not only in depth of quality but also in exhibitor numbers and registration figures reaching over 24,000.  Since the millennium there has been a steady decline in the breed, new people are not joining, existing exhibitors are leaving and some choose to exhibit in Europe. 

Below are some of the UKs influential sires over the years and following  them are some of the countries greatest showdogs, they are not alone in their influence on the breed today but are selected as a small group for demonstration.

Ch Ludwig of Charavigne Born 1959 Sired 20 Champions	Ch Druidswood Consort Born 1968 Sired 6 Champions	Ch Delridge Erhard Born 1973 Sired 9 Champions	Ch Cito vom Konigsbruch Born 1979 Sired 17 Champions	Ch Rosehurst Chris Born 1986
Ch Amulree Heiko Sire: Dorvaak Jarro Dam: Robuna Black Diamond	Ch Royvons Red Rum Sire: Ch Delridge Erhard Dam:	Ch Ariomwood High 'n' Mighty Sire: Ch Cito v Konigsbruch Dam: Ch Fascination of Ariom	Ch Muscavas Rocky Sire: Muscavas Flint Dam: Seravonnes Minuet from Muscavas	Ch Gayville Nilo Sire: Ch Rosehurst Chris Dam: Ch Gayville Xera

GSDs have appeared in a range of films and TV.  The original was Strongheart, a German trained police dog who was taken to the USA by husband and wife filmmakers Laurence Trimble and Jane Murfin.  His real name was Etzel von Oeringen and he starred in many films including the 1925 adaptation of White Fang.  A popular celebrity of his time he starred in many succesful films but in 1929 while filming he accidentally fell against hot studio lights and was burned.  These burns caused a tumour to form and Strongheart died as a result of it.

Strongheart paved the way for the much better remembered Rin-Tin-Tin.....

The orginal Rin Tin Tin was a mere puppy of five days old when Corporal Lee Duncan insisted that his Battalion in Lorraine, France check out a bombed war dog kennel during World War 1.  What he found on that fateful day of 15 September 1918 was a GSD bitch, Betty des Flandres and her litter of five puppies sired by Fritz de la Chasse Royale, the only survivors from the dropped bomb.

Betty and her puppies were taken back to the soldiers camp but she and three of her progeny died shortly after arriving, Corporal Duncan kept the two surviving puppies, a male and a female and named them after the puppets the French used to give to the soldiers for good luck - Nannette and Rin Tin Tin.

After the war, Corporal Duncan made arrangements to take Rin Tin Tin (Rinty) and Nannette back to the USA with him.  During the 15 day sea voyage Nannette became ill with distemper and by the time they all arrived in New York she was seriously ill.  Corporal Duncan had to travel on by train to California so a successful breeder of the time, Mrs Wanner offered to nurse Nannette but she could not save the puppy bitch and she died before Corporal Duncan's train had arrived home.

Rin Tin Tin

Once back home and the war over Lee Duncan returned to his job at a hardware store and attended dog shows.  In 1922 while at a show Rin Tin Tin amazed everybody by performing an 11' 9" jump and was filmed in the process.  A film company, Novograph Pictures Company offered $350 to film the dog in action which Duncan accepted and knew that his dog had a future in films.

Duncan started to contact all the film companies with his dog and a script, Where the North Begins but was turned down by one studio after another.  Finally one day while approaching the studios on what was called 'poverty row' he saw a film crew trying to shoot a scene with a wolf and not having any success.  He approached the crew and told them his dog could do the scene in one take.  He was not taken seriously and told to go away, but he persisted and finally they allowed him to try the scene with Rin Tin Tin - hey presto! The scene was shot and Rin Tin Tin was kept on for the rest of the film, Man from Hells River.

The name of the studio on the edge of bankruptcy was Warner Brothers Pictures.  The film was a  hit and Rin Tin Tin was a sensation.  The public loved him and his heroic ability, he made 26 films for Warner Brothers and was referred to as the mortgage lifter and credited with saving the studio from financial ruin during the silent film era.

Rin Tin Tin died on 10 August 1932 aged 14 and was returned to the country of this birth and buried at the famous elaborate pet cemetery Cimetière des Chiens.  Rin Tin Tin, like Strongheart was honoured with his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Hitler had been given a German Shepherd in 1921, during his years of poverty, but he had been forced to lodge the dog elsewhere, although it managed to escape and return to him. Hitler, who adored loyalty and obedience, thereafter developed a great liking for the breed.  In 1941 he was given a gift of a German Shepherd bitch called Blondi, Hitler was very fond of her, keeping her at his side and allowing her to sleep at the side of his bed.

Before Hitler committed suicide on April 30, 1945, he ordered physician Werner Haase to test a cyanide capsule on Blondi. The capsule killed the animal. Hitler's nurse, Erna Flegel, said in 2005 that Blondi's death had affected the people in the bunker more than Eva Braun's suicide had.

"That afternoon Hitler summoned Professor Werner Haase from the emergency hospital to the bunker to stage a dress rehearsal of his own suicide. Hitler no longer trusted the SS and he wanted an assurance that the poison capsules he had been provided with by the SS doctor Ludwig Stumpfegger actually worked. The guinea pig chosen for this experiment was his beloved German Shepherd Blondi. The dog was led into the toilets off the waiting-room at the foot of the steps to the upper bunker by Hitler's dog attendant Sergeant Fritz Tornow. Inside, Tornow forced Blondi's jaws open and crushed the capsule with pliers as Haase watched. The dog collapsed on the ground instantly and didn't move. Tornow was visibly upset. Hitler couldn't bear to watch the scene himself. However, he entered the room shortly afterwards and, seeing the results for himself, departed without saying a word."

According to Deborah Harry the band Blondie was named after Blondi and sometimes performed as 'Hitler's Dog'.

Pictured together they are from left to right:

Supreme Champion 1965
Fenton of Kentwood

Supreme Champion 1969
Hendrawen's Nibelung of Charavigne

Supreme Champion 1971
Ramacon Swashbuckler