The first German Shepherds, as implied, were bred in Germany.
Their initial purpose was to help with herding sheep along the countryside.
And being working dogs, they were valued by their owners for their agility, discipline and most importantly their intelligence.
Did you know that German Shepherd Dogs are considered to be the third most intelligent breed in the world? Yes, as far as intelligence is concerned, they only come next to Border Collies and Poodles.
Here's the thing though, throughout their existence, they have been plagued with bad reputation.
Their association with Germans during the World War II, added up to some reports of dog attacks and bites to humans have created quite a havoc to their popularity.
This is perhaps why in some states or countries, owning a German Shepherd is considered illegal.
Luckily, this is not the case for majority of America.
Not being bothered by reports and ill - associations, dog lovers all across US still consider German Shepherd Dogs, a great family pet.
They believe that these dogs do not just have brains and brawn, but they do have a heart as well.
As a pet, they can be really affectionate and loyal to their family and the people they know.
In addition, these dogs respond well with non - verbal cues thus making them easy to train and socialize if needed.
So do not succumb to their scary appearance.
Given enough love, training and behavior modification (if needed), any person can make German Dogs, a great family pet.