German Shepherds were first bred in Germany and can be traced back as far as 1899. The dog was bed to be a larger dog that could be used as working dog. Originally the the dog was breed to be used to heard sheep, but eventually trained to do other kinds of work. Generally considered docile my most people, because many are well trained and socialized dogs, the opposite is most likely true. In fact, reports from doctors and emergency rooms suggest that German Shepherd are responsible for more dog bites than another breed of dog.

As Working Dogs

German Shepherd were originally bred to be working dogs, and were used to herd sheep in the Alsatian province, but are now used in the military, law enforcement, and in search and rescue.

As Police Dogs

German Shepherds are mostly known for the work in law enforcement. As police dogs, they have been used as drug dogs, to detect and search for narcotics. They have also been used in apprehending suspects. Because of their high intelligence and strong sense of smell, they are able to track down suspects by following their scent. They can also be trained to be used as attack dogs.

In the Military

German Shepherds are also used in the military. They area often used to detect land mines and other explosives, in order to protect soldiers and civilians from harm. Some have even been trained to parachute from planes.

As Rescue Dogs

German Shepherds are also great rescue dogs because of there strength, great sense of smell and intelligence. They are very helpful when it comes to search and rescue, and can climb into areas that humans cannot normally fit. They are also used in cadaver searching after a disaster.

No matter what kind of work they do, German Shepherds are great hard working dog, that can use their sense of smell and great intelligence to help humans.