Stephanitz standardized the German farm dog breed, emphasizing intellect, speed, and power, after seeing the breed's usefulness and intelligence.
The goal was to breed a multipurpose working dog, and the German Shepherd has more than delivered in a variety of fields, including herding, police work, and military service.
Although the name Alsatian is still used today by some, it was formerly used for a long time before the German Shepherd became the preferred moniker.
The breed was renamed to "Alsatian Wolf Dog" in the United Kingdom during World War I as a response to anti-German feeling,
while its original German name was the "Deutscher Schäferhund," which means "German Shepherd Dog" in English.
German Shepherds are massive canines who look both aristocratic and rough and tumble.
They have big, pointed ears that stand straight up and parallel to the body, but they tend to droop when they move.