The origin of the German Shepherd dates back to year 1899, when these canines started as a working dog breed developed originally for herding sheep. Hence the name.
In more modern times, the breed became the preferred breed for search-and-rescue, police and military roles, due to their agility, intelligence, trainability and obedience.
As for their appearance, the German Shepherd is the large-sized group of dog breeds, with their standard height reaching no more than 26 inches (65cm) for males, and 24 inches (60cm) for female pooches, while the weight varies from 49 to 88 lb (22–40kg).
The most widespread color patterns are tan-black and red-black combinations.
As we already mentioned, they are even-tempered, highly-intelligent dogs who learn pretty darn fast. They are also highly active, self-assured, and “marked by a willingness to learn and an eagerness to have a purpose. They are curious which makes them excellent guard dogs and suitable for search missions.”
The only negative side is that they can sometimes be over-protective of their masters. Their love knows no boundaries, it would seem.