Max Emil Friedrich von Stephanitz-original - Page 1

Hello I thought everyone might enjoy this article. Especially the GSD folks   This is an original content article from germanshepherdsetc.com and the remainder of this article is located on the same site under the Max Emil Friedrich von Stephanitz heading:)
I really hope you enjoy this article. The founder of the breed and his life.



Max Emil Friedrich von Stephanitz, credited with being the founder of the German Shepherd dog as a distinct breed, was born on Dec. 30, 1864. Born in Dresden, Germany, he was born into German nobility. His family expectations were that he would become a military officer, and even though he wanted to work in agriculture, he followed his family’s wishes and ended up a career officer with the cavalry. This one choice proved to be pivotal, as it enabled Von Stephanitz to travel the country where he encountered a variety of working shepherd dogs.

It was in this capacity that Max von Stephanitz witnessed the day-to-day work of herding dogs and developed an interest in finding the ideal shepherd. During that time he also gained much experience working with the Berlin Veterinary Hospital, which certainly influenced the formation of his ideas about what would comprise the ideal working dog. It was also during this time that Max von Stephanitz realized that there was no distinct breed type, as the farm dogs varied greatly in appearance from one area of the country to the next.

Max Von Stephanitz realized that the ideal working dog would need to be physically built for endurance as well as speed. Since a typical shepherd would be expected to keep a flock of over 200 sheep under control, the dog would need to be intelligent, obedient and tireless. He would need to be courageous and have a strong instinctive nature toward protectiveness.

Once he retired from the military, Max von Stephanitz purchased a large estate with the intent of developing the perfect working dog. Max von Stephanitz attended a dog show in 1889 where a particular working dog caught his interest. Believing he had finally found the dog that encompassed so many of the characteristics he was looking for, Max von Stephanitz quickly purchased the dog, renaming him Horand von Grafrath. Upon the foundation of this dog Max von Stephanitz developed what is now known as the modern day German Shepherd.

Maintaining the German Shepherd as a Family Dog

Max von Stephanitz believed that the ideal breeders of German shepherds would be families with only a couple of breeding dogs, in order to facilitate daily contact with the dogs as a way of carefully choosing the dogs which would enhance the breed in the future. “All the wonderful qualities of character possessed by a good shepherd dog will therefore only be brought to light when he remains in the same hands for a very long time, preferably from puppyhood, where having obtained a footing in the house, he shares the joys and sorrows of the family…and our dog is completely ruined in mind and body wherever he is treated only as merchandise…”

Along these same lines, Max von Stephanitz did not believe in maintaining dogs in kennels on a regular basis and argued that such would necessarily result in dogs which would be unable to perform to their utmost ability. “Whenever the dog is kept in an enclosed kennel, he will not only degenerate physically, becoming stiff, sluggish and lazy, but will also become mentally torpid, and lose all his sharpness and vim.”

Creation of the Breed Standard

After obtaining Horand, Max von Stephanitz worked to develop a standard for the breed. He created a stud book for German shepherds, registering Horand as the first stud dog. The German Shepherd Dog Club was created as well, with Max von Stephanitz serving as its first President.

Max von Stephanitz drawing upon his experiences with the Berlin Veterinary Hospital as well as his own observations, began a serious breeding program. Choosing dogs with desirable traits, he devoted years to establishing a recognizable breed type, focusing on the abilities of the dog as a working dog. He also worked diligently to cull out physical traits which would weaken the breed as a whole.

Versatility of the Breed as a Whole

Max von Stephanitz recognized a need to integrate the German Shepherds into other areas of society, and became a strong advocate for using the dog in military service, law enforcement, protection service and in rescue efforts. Always looking for ways to protect and improve the breed, Von Stephanitz paid close attention to trends in breeding and worked tirelessly to maintain the standard for which he is so well recognized. Discouraging breeding for beauty instead of purpose, Von Stephanitz’s motto was, “Utility is the true criterion of beauty.”

Go to site to view the remainder of the article here Max Emil Friedrich von Stephanitz 

Did you know...........There was controversy associated with Max von Stephanitz as well? Rumors abounded that Horand was one fourth wolf. Questions still exist today about whether Max von Stephanitz used dogs with wolf ancestors in his breeding program, as his original book listed wolves among breeding stock. In any case, Max von Stephanitz insisted on having all references to wolves removed from later printings of his book, and actively encouraged breeders to refrain from using wolves as part of their breeding stock. Thanks for viewing and I hope you enjoyed it!

Prodigy
Dan
 

Almost all dogs alive today are descended from grey wolves according to DNA studies.

bubbabooboo 

Thanks for the comment. I find the research more and more interesting as I dive further into the history of the German shepherd dog as well as Max von Stephanitz and other areas related to the GSD.

Those who PM'd me: Thanks for the PM comments in regards to the article. I am glad you enjoyed it and I am glad to have been able to share it here on PDB. 

Thanks again, I truly appreciate your continued interest

Prodigy