The German Shepherd can be taught to do almost anything, from guiding the blind to remaining calm in the face of gunfire. It will always carry out its tasks with enthusiasm.

Now arguably the most popular breed in the world, the German Shepherd, or Alsatian, was developed in Germany at the end of 19th century as a sheep dog, but its qualities as a guard and as a working dog with the police and the armed forces soon became apparent. British soldiers who had seen it in action during the First World War introduced the breed to Britain in the 1920s. It is also now widely recognized as an excellent guide dog for the blind.The breed has its critics, but the tendency to aggression and overprotectiveness that some German Shepherds have shown is more to be blamed on bad handling and lack of socialization rather than on any innate fault in the dog. These are intelligent, potentially headstrong dogs. Like most intelligent breeds, Shepherds, can become mischievous when bored. Properly trained, however, they are extraordinarily obedient - which means they can be taught to be gentle family pets as well as fearless guard dogs. When selecting puppies, look out for possible hip problems, to which the breed is prone, and be careful to select from sound stock to avoid problems of temperament.