The German Shepherd is one of the most intelligent breeds in the world and one of the most recognizable. German Shepherds were originally bred to herd sheep but now tend to function in different roles. Their strength and intelligence makes them almost the perfect dog to function in modern work roles and they generally excel in them.
German Shepherds have often been used by the military and police thanks to their keen scent. German Shepherds are the most common dog trained to sniff out narcotics or explosives. They are often used as guard dogs, as German Shepherds can become very territorial and are very alert and inquisitive. Additionally, they are not always immediately receptive to strangers. These are all excellent traits for using them as guard dogs. German Shepherds are also used as search and rescue dogs as they have a strong nose and are very obedient.
One representation of the intelligence of a German Shepherd was through a Canadian TV show called “The Littlest Hobo” which featured a live action German Shepherd traveling from town to town and helping people with their emotional and physical problems. In one episode, it even managed to stop a child in a runaway wheelchair down a hill. Obviously, this is fanciful and not a proper representation of what a German Shepherd can accomplish, but just think of how intelligent that dog was to learn the actions required for filming. It needed to learn and execute a huge variety of commands created by the trainers and probably influenced by the director.
Germans Shepherds are not without fault physically. While strong, the breeding methods of past German Shepherds leaves much to be desired and has resulted in a lot of genetic issues. German Shepherds quite commonly have hip problems even at a young age and also are at very high risk of hemophilia.