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71-540: Merseyside Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing Merseyside in North West England . The service area is 647 square kilometres with a population of around 1.5 million. As of September 2017 the service has 3,484 police officers, 1,619 police staff, 253 police community support officers , 155 designated officers and 208 special constables . The force is led by Chief Constable Serena Kennedy. The service came into being in 1974 when Merseyside

142-406: A black nose. The eyes are medium-sized and brown. The ears are large and stand erect, open at the front and parallel, but they often are pulled back during movement. A German Shepherd has a long neck, which is raised when excited and lowered when moving at a fast pace as well as stalking. The tail is bushy and reaches to the hock . German Shepherds have a double coat which is close and dense with

213-583: A cyanide capsule on Blondi, and the dog died as a result. Erna Flegel , a nurse who worked at the emergency casualty station in the Reich Chancellery stated in 2005 that Blondi's death had affected the people in the bunker more than Eva Braun 's suicide. German Shepherds were also used widely as guard dogs at Nazi concentration camps during the Holocaust . When the German Shepherd was introduced to

284-483: A life expectancy of 10 years, the same as the overall but less than the 11 year average for crossbreeds; a 2005 study in Sweden based on insurance data found 51% of German Shepherd dogs died by the age of 10, lower than the overall rate of 10 year survival at 35%. A 2015 French study found a life expectancy of 10.08 years. The German Shepherd Dog is one of the breeds more commonly affected by degenerative myelopathy , which

355-525: A long history. It is the oldest Provincial Mounted section, formed in 1886 as part of Liverpool City Police. It is an integral part of the Operational Support Unit, and is based at Greenhill Road, Allerton , Liverpool. The mounted section is an operational specialist section with a staff of one inspector, two sergeants, 14 constables, six civilian stable hands and 14 horses. The section provides neighbourhoods with an alternative response to reduce

426-486: A popular selection for use as working dogs . 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 detection and holding of suspects. Additionally, thousands of German Shepherds have been used by the military. These military working dogs (MWD) are usually trained for scout duty, and they are used to warn soldiers to

497-458: A result of budget reductions, this department would be closed and they disbanded in early 2011. Merseyside Police has a wide fleet of vehicles. In late 2012, Merseyside Police took delivery of three OVIK Pangolin armoured public order vehicles, as used by the Police Service of Northern Ireland. These vehicles were intended for public order and counter-terrorist operations. Merseyside Police

568-455: A thick undercoat. The coat is accepted in two variants: medium and long. The gene for long hair is recessive , and therefore the long-haired variety is rarer. Treatment of the long-haired variation differs across standards; it is accepted but does not compete against standard-coated dogs under the German and UK Kennel Clubs while it can compete with standard-coated dogs, but is considered a fault, in

639-581: A variety of disorder situations, ranging from small protests to large-scale crowd disorder. The Matrix team used vans with the slogan "Matrix - A force to be reckoned with" on the left of the vehicle. Public order is one of the main functions of the department and therefore all officers receive the required training and are subjected to rigorous training scenarios. Matrix has a number of baton gun trained specialist officers: two sergeants and ten constables. The Matrix team also have specialist search teams and rope access teams. Merseyside Police Mounted Section has

710-459: A working dog should be. He was pleased with the strength of the dog and was so taken by the animal's intelligence, loyalty, and beauty, that he purchased him immediately. After purchasing the dog he changed his name to Horand von Grafrath and von Stephanitz founded the Verein für Deutsche Schäferhunde (Society for German Shepherd Dogs). Horand was declared to be the first German Shepherd Dog, and

781-488: Is a partner in the following collaborations: Territorial police force The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP/GRC) is the federal-level police service. It also acts as the provincial police service in every province except for Ontario , and Quebec , which operate provincial police services, as well as Newfoundland and Labrador , which is served by the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary . The RCMP

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852-608: Is a variety of the German Shepherd bred in Switzerland. It descends from the American White Shepherds; the first stud dog of what was to become the breed was an American dog born in 1966 and imported to Switzerland. The variety was recognised by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale as a separate breed in 2003, and it is now recognised by a number of national kennel clubs . German Shepherds are

923-734: Is a variety of the German Shepherd bred in the United States. White-coated German Shepherds were once banned from registration in their native Germany, but in the United States and Canada the coloration gained a following and a breed club was formed specifically for white German Shepherds, calling their variety the White Shepherd. The variety is recognised as a separate breed by the United Kennel Club . The White Swiss Shepherd Dog ( French : Berger Blanc Suisse , German : Weisser Schweizer Schäferhund , Italian : Pastore Svizzero Bianco )

994-744: Is also contracted to act as the territorial police force in Nunavut , Yukon and the Northwest Territories in addition to being the federal police force in those Canadian territories. A separate Sahrawi indigenous unit serving the Spanish colonial government was the Policia Territorial . This gendarmerie corresponded to the Civil Guard in metropolitan Spain . It was commanded by Spanish officers and included Spanish personnel of all ranks. In

1065-495: Is caused by a mutation in the SOD1 gene. A small study in the UK showed 16% of young asymptomatic German Shepherds to be homozygous for the mutation, with a further 38% being carriers. German Shepherds have a higher-than-normal incidence of Von Willebrand disease , a common inherited bleeding disorder, and exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI), a degenerative disease of the pancreas . It

1136-502: Is criticised by experts for straying away from Max von Stephanitz 's original ideology that German Shepherds should be bred primarily as working dogs and that breeding should be strictly controlled to eliminate defects quickly. He believed that, above all else, German Shepherds should be bred for intelligence and working ability. The Kennel Club , in the United Kingdom, is involved in a dispute with German Shepherd breed clubs about

1207-459: Is estimated that 1% of the UK population of German Shepherds has this disease. Musculoskeletal disorders are debilitating conditions that are often associated with genetic makeup, malnutrition, and stress-related events. Some breeds like the German Shepherd, are predisposed to a variety of different skeletal disorders, including but not limited to: canine hip dysplasia, Cauda equina syndrome , and osteoarthritis . Canine hip dysplasia (CHD)

1278-598: Is marked by a willingness to learn and an eagerness to have a purpose. They are curious, which makes them excellent guard dogs and suitable for search missions. They can become overprotective of their family and territory, especially if not socialised correctly. They are not inclined to become immediate friends with strangers. German Shepherds are highly intelligent and obedient, as well as protective of their owners. A 2020 literature review in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery found that from 1971 to 2018, of all pure breed dogs in

1349-412: Is responsible for the condition. The University of Utrecht offers a genetic test for this defect. Untreated dogs usually live between 3-5 years. Dogs that undergo treatment can live healthily for several years but are still unlikely to have a normal life expectancy. German Shepherds have been featured in a wide range of media. In 1921 Strongheart became one of the earliest canine film stars, and

1420-426: Is retained into adulthood and guard hairs fail to fully develop outside of the distal extremities. Eventually full alopecia occurs. The degree of growth retardation and other clinical symptoms varies between affected dogs. Investigations into the genealogy in 1978 found the mutation evolved in 1940 or earlier. Multiple champions have been shown to be carriers of the mutation, explaining the spread and prevalence of

1491-402: Is that "this issue of soundness is not a simple difference of opinion, it is the fundamental issue of the breed's essential conformation and movement." The Kennel Club has decided to retrain judges to penalise dogs with these problems. The Kennel Club also recommends testing for haemophilia and hip dysplasia, other common problems with the breed. The East-European Shepherd is a variety of

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1562-522: Is the abnormal formation of the hip joint and surrounding tissue causing instability and partial dislocation of the hip joint, resulting in pain, inflammation , lameness, and potentially osteoarthritis of the joint. A North American study analysing more than 1,000,000 hip and 250,000 elbow scans in dogs over the age of two found the German Shepherd Dog to have a rate of hip and elbow dysplasia to be 18.9% and 17.8% respectively. The German Shepherd had

1633-515: The National Geographic Channel television show Dangerous Encounters , the bite of a German Shepherd has a force of over 1,060 newtons (238 lbf) (compared with that of a Rottweiler , over 1,180–1,460 newtons (265–328 lbf), a Pit bull , 1,050 newtons (235 lbf), a Labrador Retriever , of approximately 1,000 newtons (230 lbf), or a human, of approximately 380 newtons (86 lbf)). The modern German Shepherd breed

1704-553: The Phylax Society was formed in 1891 with the intention of creating standardised development plans for native dog breeds in Germany. The society disbanded after only three years due to ongoing internal conflicts regarding the traits in dogs that the society should promote; some members believed dogs should be bred solely for working purposes, while others believed dogs should be bred also for appearance. While unsuccessful in their goal,

1775-547: The UK Kennel accepted registrations in 1919, 54 German Shepherds were registered. By 1926 this number had grown to over 8000. The breed gained international recognition after the end of World War I. Returning soldiers spoke highly of the breed and animal actors Rin Tin Tin and Strongheart popularised the breed further. The first German Shepherd Dog registered in the United States was Queen of Switzerland. Her offspring had defects as

1846-493: The United Kingdom (UK) the phrase is gaining increased official (but not yet statutory ) use to describe the collection of forces responsible for general policing in areas defined with respect to local government areas. The phrase " Home Office Police" is commonly used but this is often inaccurate or inadequate as the words naturally exclude forces outside England and Wales , but include some special police forces over which

1917-422: The withers is 60–65 cm (24–26 in) for males, and 55–60 cm (22–24 in) for females. German Shepherds can reach sprinting speeds of up to 30 miles per hour. Shepherds are longer than they are tall, with an ideal proportion of 10 to 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 . The AKC official breed standard does not set a standard weight range. They have a domed forehead, a long square-cut muzzle with strong jaws and

1988-449: The 8th highest rate of hip dysplasia and 6th highest rate of elbow dysplasia. Another North American study found 10.26% of German Shepherd Dogs surveyed at teaching hospitals to have hip dysplasia, compared to 3.52% overall. Congenital hyposomatotropism , also known as pituitary dwarfism has been known to be an autosomal recessive disorder in the German Shepherd dog for a long time. The condition causes growth retardation. The puppy coat

2059-619: The American Kennel Club. The FCI accepted the long-haired type in 2010, listing it as the variety b, while the short-haired type is listed as the variety a. Most commonly, German Shepherds are either tan/black or red/black. Most colour varieties have black masks and black body markings which can range from a classic "saddle" to an overall "blanket". Rarer colour variations include sable, pure-black, pure-white , liver, silver, blue, and panda varieties. The all-black and sable varieties are acceptable according to most standards; however,

2130-447: The German Shepherd bred in the former Soviet Union with the purpose of creating a larger, more cold-resistant version of the German Shepherd. It lacks the physical deformities bred into western show lines of German Shepherds and has become one of Russia's most popular dog types. The King Shepherd is a variety of the German Shepherd bred in the United States, its breeders hoping to rectify the physical deformities that have been bred into

2201-602: The German Shepherd was the breed chosen almost exclusively to be used as a guide dog for the 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. 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

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2272-506: 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. Currently, Labradors and Golden Retrievers 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

2343-515: The Home Secretary has some power. The police forces referred to as "territorial" are those whose police areas are defined by: Members of territorial police forces have jurisdiction in one of the three distinct legal systems of the United Kingdom – either England and Wales , Scotland or Northern Ireland . A police officer of one of the three legal systems has all the powers of a constable throughout their own legal system but limited powers in

2414-554: The Matrix Disruption Team and, formerly, the Anti-Social Behaviour Taskforce. Former Chief Constable Andy Cooke was concerned about budget cuts. He stated, "The impact of the proposed changes on police officer pensions [forcing police forces to pay pensions out of their budget] cannot, and should not, be underestimated. It is incumbent on me to ensure that those who will make the final decisions in relation to

2485-622: The Merseyside Police Authority was the police governance. Until 2017, Merseyside Police was divided into five Basic Command Units (BCUs), one for each of the Local Authority areas that make up Merseyside. The BCUs were, In 2017, following a force restructure the Basic Command Unit structure was disbanded in favour of a functional structure. There are many different departments that makeup Merseyside Police. These include

2556-515: The North West Regional Air Support Group. The former Anti-Social Behaviour Taskforce dealt with people who were alleged to be creating anti-social behaviour. They also made raids for drugs and known offenders who were alleged to be lowering the standard of life for the community. The unit was initially known as Axis , but the use of this name was dropped around the end of 2007. It was publicly announced on 9 July 2010 that as

2627-551: The Phylax Society had inspired people to pursue standardising dog breeds independently. With the rise of large, industrialised cities in Germany, the predator population began to decline, rendering sheepdogs unnecessary. At the same time, the awareness of sheepdogs as a versatile, intelligent class of canine began to rise. Max von Stephanitz , an ex-cavalry captain and former student of the Berlin Veterinary College,

2698-622: The Trust as having died during the time of their service, since the force was established in 1974: Merseyside Police is overseen by the Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC). As of May 2021, the elected PCC is Emily Spurrell . The PCC is scrutinised by the Merseyside Police and Crime Panel, made up of elected councillors from the local authorities in Merseyside . Before November 2012,

2769-575: The UN from time to time. These were usually formed from police personnel on loan from member countries. A recent example is the use of such a force in East Timor in substitution for Indonesian National Police . German Shepherd Dog This is an accepted version of this page The German Shepherd , also known in Britain as an Alsatian , is a German breed of working dog of medium to large size. The breed

2840-556: The United States it was initially a popular dog. But as the dogs' popularity grew, it became associated as a dangerous breed owned by gangsters and bootleggers . The reputation of the German Shepherds as a dangerous breed had grown to such an extent that it was briefly banned to import them in Australia in 1929. Potential legislation was even considered to require that all German shepherds in South Australia be sterilised. The breed

2911-411: The United States, the German Shepherd was responsible for the most bites severe enough to require hospital treatment. While an Australian report from 1999 provides statistics showing that German Shepherds are the breed third most likely to attack a person in some Australian locales, once their popularity is taken into account, the percentages of attacks by German Shepherds drops to 38th. According to

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2982-513: The United States. As of 2016 , the German Shepherd is the second most popular breed in the US. It is typically among the most frequently registered breeds in other countries. It was the third-most registered breed by the American Kennel Club in 2020, and seventh-most registered breed by The Kennel Club in the United Kingdom in 2016. Many common ailments of the German Shepherd are a result of

3053-680: The blue and liver are considered to be serious faults and the all-white is grounds for instant disqualification from showing in conformation at All Breed and Specialty Shows. German Shepherds were bred specifically for their intelligence . In a list of breeds most likely to bark as watchdogs, Stanley Coren ranked the breed in second place. Coupled with their strength, this trait makes the breed desirable as police , guard and search and rescue dogs , as they are able to quickly learn various tasks and interpret instructions better than other breeds. German Shepherds are moderately active dogs and are described in breed standards as self assured. The breed

3124-598: 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. 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. When

3195-506: The breed's popularity and legality. The name Alsatian remained for five decades, until 1977, when successful campaigns by dog enthusiasts pressured the British kennel clubs to allow the breed to be registered again as German Shepherds. The word "Alsatian" once appeared in parentheses as part of the formal breed name of the American Kennel Club and was removed in 2010. German Shepherds are medium to large-sized dogs. The breed standard height at

3266-493: The center-point of the breeding programs and was bred with dogs belonging to other society members that displayed desirable traits and with dogs from Thuringia , Franconia , and Württemberg . Fathering many pups, Horand's most prolific was Hektor von Schwaben. Hektor was inbred with another of Horand's offspring and produced Heinz von Starkenburg, Beowulf, and Pilot, who later sired a total of 84 pups, mostly through being inbred with Hektor's other offspring. This inbreeding

3337-625: The disorder. This condition has been observed in breeds that were crossed with German Shepherd dogs such as the Karelian Bear dog , Saarloos Wolfhound , and the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog . Pituitary dwarfism in other dog breeds (excluding those with German Shepherd ancestry) is extremely rare. Unlike humans where the POU1F1 and PROP1 genes are responsible for the defect a mutation in the LHX3 gene

3408-663: The dog elsewhere. However, she managed to escape and return to him. Hitler, who adored the loyalty and obedience of the dog, thereafter developed a great liking for the breed. Hitler kept several more of the breed, including Blondi , who was among several dogs in the ' Führerbunker ' during the Battle of Berlin at the end of the Second World War. Dogs played a role in Nazi propaganda by portraying Hitler as an animal lover. Preparing for his suicide , Hitler ordered Dr.  Werner Haase to test

3479-681: The force area, 16 of these have extended training for deployment alongside colleagues from the firearms department. Merseyside Police, like most forces, rely on the German Shepherd Dog for their general purpose police dog work. All general-purpose work involves the dogs' outstanding sense of smell, several hundred times superior to that of a human. The dog handler takes advantage of the dogs' natural abilities to search for and detect human scent. The force also utilises both English Springer Spaniels and Labradors for their specialist detection roles; drugs, firearms, explosives and cadaver. These are

3550-482: The force to 3,172. This would be a 31% reduction since 2010 when there were 4,616 officers. The Police Roll of Honour Trust and Police Memorial Trust list and commemorate all British police officers killed in the line of duty. Since its establishment in 1984, the Police Memorial Trust has erected 50 memorials nationally to some of those officers. The following officers of Merseyside Police are listed by

3621-563: The inbreeding practised early in the breed's life. One such common ailment is hip and elbow dysplasia which may cause the dog to experience pain later on in life and may cause arthritis . A study conducted by the University of Zurich found that 45% of the police working dogs were affected by degenerative spinal stenosis, although a small sample size was used. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals found that 19.1% of German Shepherd are affected by hip dysplasia. Multiple studies have found

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3692-430: The incidents of crime and disorder, using an intelligence-led approach, a tactical option in relation to public order & major incidents, as well as high visibility patrolling at football matches, rugby matches, race meetings and other special events. Each area within the force has its own allocation of dogs and handlers who work alongside the neighbourhood patrol section. There are currently 70 general-purpose dogs in

3763-524: The inclusion of the word "German" would harm the breed's popularity, due to the anti-German sentiment of the era. The breed was officially renamed by the UK Kennel Club to "Alsatian Wolf Dog", after the French region of Alsace bordering Germany. Eventually, the appendage "wolf dog" was dropped, after numerous campaigns by breeders who were worried that becoming known as a wolf-dog hybrid would affect

3834-486: The issue of soundness in the show strain of the breed. Some show strains have been bred with an extremely roached topline (back) that causes poor gait in the hind legs. The issue was raised in the BBC documentary, Pedigree Dogs Exposed , which said that critics of the breed describe it as "half dog, half frog". An orthopaedic vet remarked on footage of dogs in a show ring that they were "not normal". The Kennel Club's position

3905-450: The life expectancy of the German Shepherd to be lower than that of the overall life expectancy found in the study: a 2024 UK study found a life expectancy of 11.3 years, compared to 12 years for crossbreeds and 12.7 years for purebreds; a 2022 UK study using veterinary records found a life expectancy of 10.16 years compared to 11.23 overall and 11.82 for crossbreeds; in Italy a 2024 study found

3976-559: The number of high-speed vehicle pursuits that were occurring after burglaries had been committed outside of the force area. The unit was disbanded in July 2011 amid budget cuts with the loss of its helicopter and Woodvale base. The early days saw the unit based at Liverpool Airport , but due to rising costs, the unit moved to RAF Woodvale and purpose-built accommodation. Prior to the establishment of NPAS, Merseyside shared Air Support with Cheshire, Greater Manchester, North Wales and Lancashire as

4047-501: The original breed. The Shiloh Shepherd is a variety of the German Shepherd bred in the United States. It was developed in the 1970s and 1980s to correct behavioural and conformational issues that have been bred into modern German Shepherds, and was bred for its large size, length of back, temperament and soundness of hips. It has been recognised since 1990 by the American Rare Breed Association . The White Shepherd

4118-675: The other two legal systems. Certain exceptions where full police powers cross the border with the officer are when officers are providing planned support to another force such as the G8 Conference in Scotland in 2005 or COP26 officers of the Metropolitan Police who are on protection duties anywhere in the United Kingdom and when taking a person to or from a prison . The United Nations (UN) has operated territorial police forces in those parts of countries which have been under control of

4189-434: The pension changes understand the crippling impact these changes will have on policing". The Matrix Disruption Team, led by a chief inspector, consists of syndicates made up of inspectors, sergeants and constables. Each syndicate works with other Matrix units to provide the force with a level two response to gun crime, faction-based criminality and cash-in-transit robberies. These officers are specifically trained to deal with

4260-610: The preferred breeds as they have extremely high energy levels and are able to search for long periods. The force currently operates 29 specialist dogs to carry out these detection roles. Today, all air support to policing in England and Wales is provided by the National Police Air Service (NPAS). Prior to this, the Merseyside Police Air Support Group was set up in late 1989 in response to an increase in

4331-722: The presence of enemies or of booby traps or other hazards. German Shepherds have also been trained by military groups to parachute from aircraft or as anti-tank weapons . They were used in World War II as messenger dogs, rescue dogs and personal guard dogs. The German Shepherd is one of the most widely used breeds in a wide variety of scent-work roles. These include search and rescue, cadaver searching , narcotics detection, explosives detection , accelerant detection and mine detection dog, 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. At one time

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4402-489: The remainder are Labrador Retrievers and Golden Retrievers. The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association in the United Kingdom trains some German Shepherds, while the comparable organisation in the US only trains Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers and crosses between these breeds. German Shepherds are still used for herding and tending sheep grazing in meadows next to gardens and crop fields. They are expected to patrol

4473-477: The result of poor breeding, which caused the breed to decline in popularity during the late 1920s. Popularity increased again after Sieger Pfeffer von Bern became the 1937 and 1938 Grand Victor in American Kennel club dog shows, only to have another decline at the conclusion of World War II, due to anti-German sentiment. Popularity increased gradually until 1993, when they became the third most popular breed in

4544-682: The second-highest number of annual registrations in 2013. During the 1890s, attempts were being made to standardise dog breeds. Dogs were being bred to preserve traits that assisted in their job of herding sheep and protecting their flocks from predators. In Germany this was practised within local communities, where shepherds selected and bred dogs. It was recognised that the breed had the necessary skills for herding sheep, such as intelligence, speed, strength and keen senses of smell. The results were dogs that were able to do such things, but that differed significantly, both in appearance and ability, from one locality to another. To combat these differences,

4615-413: The twentieth century, the breed came to be strongly identified with Imperial and Nazi Germany, because of its association with purity and militarism. German Shepherds were coveted as " germanische Urhunde ", being close to the wolf, and became very fashionable during the Nazi era. Adolf Hitler acquired a German Shepherd named "Prinz" in 1921, during his years of poverty, but he had been forced to lodge

4686-490: Was an ex-member of the Phylax Society who firmly believed dogs should be bred for working. He admired the intelligence, strength and ability of Germany's native sheepdogs, but could not find any one single breed that satisfied him as the perfect working dog. In 1899, von Stephanitz was attending a dog show when he was shown a dog named Hektor Linksrhein. Hektor was the product of few generations of selective breeding and completely fulfilled what von Stephanitz believed

4757-785: Was created, and is a successor to the Liverpool and Bootle Constabulary (itself formed in 1967 by a merger of the Liverpool City Police with the Bootle Borough Police), along with parts of Cheshire Constabulary and Lancashire Constabulary . A proposal to merge the force with the Cheshire Constabulary to form a strategic police force was made by the Home Secretary on 6 February 2006 but later abandoned. Merseyside maintained in 2018 it could lose 300 officers, reducing

4828-410: Was deemed necessary in order to fix the traits being sought in the breed. Beowulf's progeny also were inbred and it is from these pups that all German Shepherds draw a genetic link. It is believed the society accomplished its goal mostly due to von Stephanitz's strong, uncompromising leadership and he is therefore credited with being the creator of the German Shepherd Dog. During the first half of

4899-407: Was developed by Max von Stephanitz using various traditional German herding dogs from 1899. It was originally bred as a herding dog , for herding sheep . It has since been used in many other types of work, including disability assistance , search-and-rescue , police work , and warfare . It is commonly kept as a companion dog , and according to the Fédération Cynologique Internationale had

4970-461: Was named Deutscher Schäferhund , by von Stephanitz, translating to "German Shepherd Dog". At the time, all other herding dogs in Germany were referred to by this name; they thus became known as Altdeutsche Schäferhunde , or old German herding dogs . The direct translation of the name was adopted for use in the stud-book ; however, at the end of the First World War , it was believed that

5041-399: Was the first dog added to the society's breed register. In just a few decades of the Verein für Deutsche Schäferhunde 's establishment, the breed became one of the world's most popular and numerous, a position it has maintained to this day. By 1923, the Verein für Deutsche Schäferhunde claimed 50,000 dues-paying members in more than 500 branches in Germany alone. Horand became

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