German Shepherds are a relatively new breed of dog, originating in 1899. The German Shepherd is a working dog, originally developed for guarding and herding sheep in Germany. It is employed in police and military roles internationally due to its intelligence, abilities in obedience training, and strength. German Shepherds, with their loyal and protective disposition, are an extremely popular breed of dog.

Specifically bred for their intelligence, German Shepherds are famous for this trait. Following Border Collies and Poodles, the German Shepherd is considered the third most intelligent dog breed. Stanley Coren, author of The Intelligence of Dogs, discovered that German Shepherds could learn simple tasks after just five repetitions and that 95% of the time, they always obeyed a command on its first utterance. The breed is unlikely to wait around in dog beds as they are highly active. The loyal nature of the German Shepherd means that they bond closely with people they know.

During World War One, German Shepherds were renamed Alsations in the United Kingdom due to the unpopularity of Germany at the time.