German Shepherd

One of the most popular police dog breeds in the world is the German Shepherd, also known as the Alsatian, is a medium to large-sized German working dog breed. Max von Stephanitz created the breed in 1899 using various traditional German herding dogs.

It was developed as a herding dog to herd sheep. It has since been used in a variety of other fields, including disability assistance, search-and-rescue, law enforcement, and warfare. It is commonly kept as a companion dog and had the second-highest number of annual registrations in 2013, according to the Fédération Cynologique Internationale.

German Shepherds were specifically bred to be intelligent. Stanley Coren ranked the breed second on a list of breeds most likely to bark as watchdogs. This trait, combined with their strength, makes the breed desirable as police, guard, and search and rescue dogs, as they can quickly learn new tasks and interpret instructions better than other breeds.

German Shepherds are moderately active dogs who are described as confident in breed standards. The breed is distinguished by a willingness to learn and a desire to have a purpose. They are inquisitive, which makes them excellent guard dogs and search dogs. They can become overly protective of their family and territory, especially if they are not properly socialized.