
They proved themselves especially capable in aiding wounded soldiers on the battlefield. These new dogs served as sentries, messengers, and ammunition carriers. They performed a number of tasks on the battlefield and within the ranks of the German Army. In 1914, at the beginning of World War I, German Shepherd Dogs began serving with the German Military. German Shepherd Dog (GSD) Photo: World War I

The timing could not have been better for Stephanitz and his new German Shepherd Dogs. After these early trials with German Police units, Stephanitz sought to have GSDs added to German Military units. Stephanitz believed these dogs could also be useful to the German military.
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Eager to show the prowess of the new breed, Stephanitz loaned these new dogs to German police departments–the first K9 Corps.ĭuring this trial period with German police, these new dogs showed great promise in areas such as obedience, tracking, and protection. Many years of selective breeding by Stephanitz honed the traits of intelligence, loyalty, dedication, and tenacity needed for military and police applications. Patrick Evenson) To learn how you can support military working dogs deployed in combat zones overseas, visit MWDTSA’s home page.īy Brad Cohick, MWDTSA Development of German Shepherd Dogs as a Breed and Early Trialsīetween 18, the German Shepherd Dog (GSD) was developed by Captain Max von Stephanitz of the German Army to be a working dog.

Air Force, awaits commands from her handler. Afola, one of the German Shepherd Dogs with the U.S.
