Horand von Grafrath (January 1, 1895 – after 1899) (formerly Hektor Linksrhein) was the first German Shepherd Dog and the genetic basis for modern German Shepherds. Early life Horand was born on January 1, 1895, in Frankfurt Germany. Bred by Friedrich Sparwasser of Sparwasser Kennels, he was born from the same litter as Sparwasser's famous dog, Luchs. Then named Hektor, Horand was a Thuringian shepherd dog, from Thuringia, a state in Germany known for its dogs bred for a greyish, wolf-like appearance and tall, erect ears. Horand von Grafrath was sired (fathered) by Kastor (1), the son of the championship dog Pollux (1), and whelped by Lene (Sparwasser). Horand had a grey-yellow sable coat. Sold by Sparwasser to an unnamed third party, Horand was purchased by Anton Eiselen of Eiselen Kennels. Eiselen brought Horand to a dog show also attended by Max von Stephanitz, who purchased the dog for his breeding program, which sought to combine the best characteristics of the Thuringian shepherds from the North with the Wurtemberg shepherds of the South. Horand was the first dog to be officially registered as a new breed called the German Shepherd Dog (registration number SZ1). Horand was not the only dog to sire pups that were to become the breed known as German Shepherds, because many dogs were registered at that time, including his brother Luchs (SZ155), his parents (SZ153 and SZ156), and paternal grandparents (SZ151 and SZ154). However, Horand's heirs went on to dominate in dog shows and championships, and nearly all modern German Shepherds can either directly or indirectly trace their lineage back to him. History Throughout history dogs were kept for the purposes of working a specific task, and one of the most common tasks was herding sheep. Through selective breeding, dogs were bred to increase the traits that were beneficial for performing their specific task, which led to the species becoming one of the most diverse to ever exist. European breeders paid little attention to the dog's appearance until the late 16th century, when people in aristocracy began keeping them as pets. By the Victorian age of the 19th century, pet dogs had become commonplace in addition to working dogs, and dog shows and competitions had become popular events. The sheep dogs in Germany were just as diverse; from lanky, curly-haired dogs to burly, floppy-eared dogs. The shepherds of Thuringia preferred to breed their dogs for a