$44.95 - print
$34.99 - ebook
Published
Pages
648
Binding
Trade paperback (US)
Dimensions
5.5x8.5in
ISBN Print
9781550597752
ISBN eBook
9781550597783
Available

The definitive history of the German Shepherd, the most famous working dog in the world

Learn:

  • Details of the breed standard, past and present.
  • How and why show and working dog lines developed.
  • Key problems with the breed today and potential solutions.

Countless books have been written about how to train and care for German Shepherds, but until The German Shepherd Dog: A Historical View of the Breed’s Development, Prime, and Deterioration, no other book has offered a deep exploration of the breed’s history and development.

Expert trainers Resi Gerritsen and Ruud Haak take fans of the German Shepherd on a fascinating journey from the breed’s origins in the 19th century to its spread around the world as one of the top working dog breeds. More than 130 pedigree and bloodline analyses and over 400 photos painstakingly document influential dogs in the breed’s development, including lists and analyses of the Siegers, Siegerins, Leistungssiegers, and VA class dogs that form the foundation of today’s German Shepherds.

In recent decades, the breed has declined in both health and popularity as a working dog. After highlighting reasons for the breed’s deterioration, the authors demand change for the breed they love and look forward to a future when the German Shepherd regains its status as the world’s premier working dog.

Anyone who breeds or trains this incredible dog needs this book.

Table of Contents

Preface
List of German Language Words
Steps to the Sieger(in) Title
List of Acronyms and Abbreviations
PART I: THE GERMAN SHEPHERD DOG
1. Introducing the German Shepherd Dog
2. The Breed Standard
3. A Working Dog
4. The Foresight of Max von Stephanitz
5. The Fortunate Fields Experiment in Breeding
PART II: A HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF THE GERMAN SHEPHERD DOG
6. 1882–1899
7. 1900–1909
8. 1910–1919
9. 1920–1929
10. 1930–1939
11. 1940–1949
12. 1950–1959
13. 1960–1969
14. 1970–1982
PART III: ONGOING CHALLENGES FOR THE GERMAN SHEPHERD DOG
15. The Modern Era in Short
16. Bloodlines in German Shepherd Dog Breeding
17. Current Problems in Health and Character
18. Future of the German Shepherd Dog
Notes
Bibliography
Appendix 1: German Show Siegers and Siegerins
Appendix 2: German Leistungssiegers
Appendix 3: The SV Board
Appendix 4: Physical Defects
About the Authors
Index of German Shepherd Dogs


Resi Gerritsen and Ruud Haak

Dr. Resi Gerritsen and Ruud Haak are world-renowned specialists in K9 training and the authors of more than 30 titles on dog training. They train search and rescue dogs for the International Red Cross and the United Nations (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs), and they have trained drug and explosive detector dogs for the Dutch police and the Royal Netherlands Air Force. Gerritsen and Haak also serve as judges for the International Rescue Dog Organization.