Collection: Personalised German Shepherd Gifts

There are few people who would deny that the German Shepherd is one of the most iconic dogs in the world. Everyone has heard of them, or at least seen them around, and ranking around 8th place in the UK dog popularity charts, the stats say it all.

These highlight intelligent dogs tick the boxes for everything you could want to look for; loyalty, affection, amazing senses, stamina, courage, and so on, and with so many great traits, it’s easy to see why they’re the dog of choice for so many militaries and police forces around the world.

German Shepherds first started to appear around the turn of the 19th Century when a military leader known as Captain Max von Stephanitz had spent over 35 years trying to breed a trustworthy, hard-working dog that looked amazing and could help out in police and military-related tasks. He managed to breed the German Shepherd and convinced the German police to take them up, and they ended up playing a vital role throughout World War I.

Before this, it’s pretty unknown what dogs went into the German Shepherd breed, but it’s clear that wolf-type dogs and those with sheep herding backgrounds would have been the main choice. Nowadays, German Shepherds are still used as working dogs but are more commonly bred for companionship.

By far the most standout characteristic of the German Shepherd is the fact they are so courageous and, quite frankly, fearless. They are incredibly dedicated and loyal to their owners and will do anything to please and protect them. This means that German Shepherds do have a natural tendency to be protective of their families around strangers and other dogs, but proper socialisation training from a young age can ensure this isn’t a problem.

However, since German Shepherds are so determined, training can be tough, which is why it’s recommended you have some dog experience before getting yourself one of these pups.