Doggos at work
German shepherds were literally BRED for serving humans. They were built with a strong structure made for working. There are about 4 or 5 different things German shepherds could do.
War
There are four jobs that German shepherds could do. But first, let me mention a certain special German shepherd. His name was Chips, and he fought in WW2. He was a sentry dog, shipped out in 1942. One of his major accomplishments was taking 10 Italians prisoner. For his great work, he WOULD'VE been given the Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star, and the Purple Heart. However, one cannot give an animal those awards. Thankfully, he was given unofficial rewards which I'm assuming were cookies. Alright. Back to the program.
- Sentry dogs - which were able to alert guards of strangers in a certain area by barking or growling.
- Patrol dogs - which learned to detect ambushes, snipers, and other various enemies.
- Messenger dogs - taught to blend in with their surroundings and find their way using their instincts.
- Mine Detectors - who could spot traps, trip wires, and different types of mines.
Police work
Dogs have really good noses. This talent shines with German shepherds in police work such as in finding drugs, locating a criminal who might've left behind an article of clothing, etc. Another plus is that they're not easily distracted. They can work through quite a few distractions. There was even a time where they were chosen as an EXCLUSIVE breed to serve the police force (and visually impaired. But we'll get to that one in a bit).
Police dogs are considered K9s and, believe it or not, injuring or killing one is considered a felony. And rightfully so. One, it's considered a cop, and two, it's a dog (in my opinion it should automatically be a felony to hurt a dog but that's just me, so...)! Shepherds specifically can be used for protection, attacking, ground based tracking and air based tracking, locating human remains, locating drugs, locating IEDs, and locating evidence.
Service dogs
Okay so if you don't know this you must've been living under a rock for your entire life. This breed is one of - if not THE - BEST for helping the visually impaired. And that's about it for that portion because that's obviously not all they can do in terms of working. Today, they're still used for tending sheep and herding.
Famous Dogs in History
The first German shepherd was Horand von Grafrath. He had the genetics of modern day shepherds. His name may sound fancy, but don't let that fool you. He actually had a pretty generic name of Hektor.
There is a highly iconic shepherd that was in silent movies in the 20th century. Starring in silent films, there was Rin Tin Tin. He was a star that recieved thousands upon thousands of fan mail. He even saved WBS from financial ruin.
In Mexico, a dog named Zuyaqui was dissected and put on display (sad, I know). He was recognized for finding and capturing the most drugs in the Mexican police and military history.
Rachel O'Brien (a.k.a. Rashelle O'Bama)
German Shepherd Palooza Genius Hour Project
March 31, 2017
Mr. Strawcowski, 3rd Hour, Honors Social Studies