Editing German Shepherd (section)

== Use as a working dog ==

German Shepherds are a popular selection for use as [[working dog]]s.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.countrylife.co.uk/out-and-about/dogs/how-to-choose-the-perfect-pedigree-dog-as-a-pet-to-fit-your-lifestyle-family-and-home-212571 |title=How to choose the perfect dog to fit your lifestyle, family and home |website=Country Life |date=8 March 2020}}</ref> They are known for being easy to train and good for performing tasks and following instructions. They are especially well known for their police work, being used for tracking criminals, patrolling troubled areas and detecting and holding suspects. Additionally, thousands of German Shepherds have been used by the military. These [[military working dogs]] (MWD) are usually trained for [[Reconnaissance|scout]] duty, and they are used to warn soldiers of the presence of enemies or of booby traps or other hazards.{{sfnp|Strickland|Moses|1998|p=17–28}} German Shepherds have also been trained by military groups to parachute from aircraft<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10522802|title=It's a dog's life in the Army|work=The New Zealand Herald|date=22 July 2008|access-date=11 August 2008}}</ref> or as [[Anti-tank dog|anti-tank weapons]]. They were used in World War II as messenger dogs, rescue dogs and personal guard dogs.{{sfnp|Kern|1990|pp=11–21}}

The German Shepherd is one of the most widely used breeds in a wide variety of scent-work roles. These include search and rescue, [[Police dog#Cadaver dogs|cadaver searching]], [[narcotics]] detection, [[explosive detection|explosives detection]], [[fire accelerant|accelerant]] detection and mine detection, among others. They are suited for these lines of work because of their keen sense of smell and their ability to work regardless of distractions.{{sfnp|Strickland|Moses|1998|p=17–28}}
At one time the German Shepherd was the breed chosen almost exclusively to be used as a [[guide dog]] for the [[Visual impairment|visually impaired]]. When formal guide dog training began in Switzerland in the 1920s under the leadership of [[Dorothy Eustis]], all of the dogs trained were German Shepherd females.<ref>{{cite book
 | last =Ascarelli
 | first =Miriam
 | title =Independent Vision: Dorothy Harrison Eustis and the Story of the Seeing Eye
 | publisher =[[Purdue University Press]]
 | year =2010
 | location =[[West Lafayette, Indiana]]
 | url =https://books.google.com/books?id=pDSiM3SBJNQC&q=%22guide+dog%22+Dorothy+Eustis+German+Shepherd
 | isbn =978-1-55753-563-4
 }}</ref> An experiment in temperament testing of a group of Labrador Retrievers and German Shepherds showed that the Retrievers scored higher on average in emotional stability, ability to recover promptly from frightening situations, cooperative behaviour and friendliness; while the German Shepherds were superior in aggression and defensive behaviour. These results suggested that Labrador Retrievers were more suited to guide dog work while German Shepherds were more suited to police work.<ref>{{cite book
 | last =Case
 | first =Linda P.
 | title =The Dog: Its Behavior, Nutrition, and Health
 | publisher =[[John Wiley & Sons]]
 | year =2013
 | url =https://books.google.com/books?id=FQijE4uIGGoC&q=%22guide+dog%22+breed&pg=RA2-PT135
 | isbn =978-1-118-70120-1
 }}</ref>

Currently, Labradors and [[Golden Retriever]]s are more widely used for this work, although there are still German Shepherds being trained. In 2013, about 15% of the dogs trained by Guide Dogs of America were German Shepherds, while the remainder were Labrador Retrievers and Golden Retrievers.<ref>{{cite web
 |title=Breeds and Matching Process
 |work=An International Guiding Eyes Program
 |publisher=Guide Dogs of America
 |year=2013
 |url=http://www.guidedogsofamerica.org/1/programs/training-breeding/breeds-and-matching-process/
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100708230800/http://www.guidedogsofamerica.org/1/programs/training-breeding/breeds-and-matching-process/
 |url-status=dead
 |archive-date=8 July 2010
 |access-date=21 July 2013
}}</ref> The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association in the United Kingdom trains some German Shepherds,<ref>{{cite web
 | title =Our breeds
 | publisher =Guide Dogs for the Blind Association
 | year =2013
 | url =http://www.guidedogs.org.uk/aboutus/national-breeding-centre/nbc-revealed/our-breeds/
 | access-date = 21 March 2013
 }}</ref> while the comparable organisation in the US only trains Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers and crosses between these breeds.<ref>{{cite web
 | title =Guide Dog Breeding and Whelping
 | work =Dog Programs
 | publisher =[[Guide Dogs for the Blind]]
 | year =2011
 | url =http://www.guidedogs.com/site/PageServer?pagename=programs_dog_breeding
 | access-date =21 July 2013
 | archive-date =14 April 2014
 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20140414035702/http://www.guidedogs.com/site/PageServer?pagename=programs_dog_breeding
 | url-status =dead
 }}</ref>

German Shepherds are still used for herding and tending sheep grazing in meadows next to gardens and crop fields. They are expected to patrol the boundaries to keep sheep from trespassing and damaging the crops. In Germany and other places, these skills are tested in utility dog trials also known as Herdengebrauchshund (HGH) herding utility dog trials.<ref name="Hartnagle-Taylor and Ty Taylor">{{cite book|first1 = Jeanne Joy | last1 = Hartnagle-Taylor | first2 = Ty | last2 = Taylor |year = 2010|title=Stockdog Savvy|publisher=Alpine Publications|isbn=978-1-57779-106-5}}</ref>

One Mexican German Shepherd, [[Zuyaqui]], was dissected and his body put on display at the [[Sedena]]'s "[[Narco Museum]]" in Mexico. He is regarded to be the dog who has captured the most drugs in Mexican police and military history.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eleconomista.es/latinoamerica/noticias/1817880/01/10/Armas-de-Versace-rubies-y-diamantes-el-lujo-de-los-narcos-mexicanos.html|title=Armas de Versace, rubíes y diamantes: el lujo de los narcos mexicanos|website=Eleconomista.es|date=8 January 2010|access-date=22 January 2018}}</ref>

<gallery mode=packed heights=150px style="text-align:left; font-size: 93%">
File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-08408-0002, VEG Joachimshof, Nachtwärter mit Hund.jpg|German night-watchman with dog, 1950
File:Swedish police dogs.jpg|Swedish police dogs, 2007
File:French Urban Search and Rescue.jpg|Rescue dog at the site of the [[collapse of the World Trade Center|collapsed World Trade Center]], 2001
File:US Navy 070329-N-4965F-004 Military working dog, Arpi, a 5-year-old German Shepherd, locates hidden explosives inside of a car during a training.jpg|Military dog during training
</gallery>