HOUSE AND GARDEN 
August, 
1 9 I 5 
is no suggestion of the monstrosity about him, for he has no 
“fancy points.” The hand of man seems to have touched him 
but lightly, and he is quite the most natural dog among all the 
thoroughbreds. 
Remembering that the general appearance of the dog is that 
of a glorified wolf, it is not difficult to fill in the details. Mr. 
Benjamin H. Throop, one of his 
best friends, has done this very 
effectively, in the following de¬ 
scription of the ideal type: “The 
head is in proportion to the body, 
being rather long, but not narrow 
as in the Collie, with a strong, 
clean-cut jaw filled with large, 
white teeth and prominent fangs. 
The skull is arched a little, often 
having a slight depression down 
the center and always between the 
ears. Their erect ears, which are 
of good size set well up on the 
skull, are broad at the base and 
taper to a sharp point, being car¬ 
ried open to the front with the 
inside protected with a slight 
growth of hair. The eyes are of 
medium size, set straight in the 
forehead at the place where the 
forehead * declines to the muzzle, 
and are of almond shape, not pro¬ 
truding. The eyes and head denote 
great intelligence, alertness, and 
boldness, combined with an honest 
fearlessness, but never a wicked or treacherous expression. 
“The neck,” continues Mr. Throop, “is of medium length, 
clean-cut throat, covered with soft hair somewhat resembling 
fur. The shoulders are long, flat, oblique and muscular. The 
front legs standing straight are of good bone, well muscled, 
with light feather on the back, clean, strong joints, with round, 
very compact feet, moderately arched, short toes with strong 
nails. The hind legs are well developed and muscular, pointing 
a trifle back with the pastern coming slightly forward, making 
a rather decided angle, and having the same compact feet as 
in front. 
“Their coat is very important, as it must be such as will 
protect the dogs in all kinds of weather; 
because in their work as police, army and 
herding dogs they are exposed to all 
storms and winds, with their coat as their 
•only protection. This is short and coarse, 
but not wiry, lying flat on the body, while 
the undercoat, which is their greatest 
protection against cold and water, is like 
a thick, fine wool and is generally lighter 
in color than the top-coat.” 
Besides this short coat Mr. 
Throop has so well described, 
there are wire and long coats, 
too, but these are seldom seen 
in America. In color the 
sheepdog ranges all the way 
from black to a smutty fawn. 
The most popular shades, 
however, are iron gray ancf 
the wolf gray, which is dark 
gray mixed with tan. 
Obviously, this wolf-like 
dog must be a close kinsman of the wild dogs, but there has 
been much speculation in fitting him into the domesticated branch 
of his family tree. His sweeping tail belies a close connection 
with the Chows, Pomeranians, and other varities whose tightly- 
curled tails are so distinguishing a mark. Some of his friends 
have suggested that he and the Collie are cousins: others scout 
the notion of any such relationship. 
The favorite German theory, which 
has been championed by the well- 
known zoologist, Professor Studer 
of Bern, is that he is a direct de¬ 
scendant of small wild canis, 
who flourished in western central 
Europe at the close of the Ice Age. 
If this is so, this glorified wolf can 
likely trace his pedigree straight 
back to the dog Adam. Assuredly, 
he is no newcomer, for he has been 
common in Germany and the Low 
Countries for at least two centuries. 
Distinguished as is his appear¬ 
ance, this is but half of the shep¬ 
herd dog’s attraction. There is 
something almost supernatural 
about the intelligence of the dog. 
He has all the bright smartness 
with which we usually credit the 
street dog of mixed ancestry. He 
has the cleverness and nice under¬ 
standing of Master’s different 
moods which make the Terrier so 
capital a pal. He is blessed with 
the Poodle’s ability to absorb and retain lessons. He has all 
the wisdom of an old Foxhound. Mentally, there is no dog like 
him, and, as Mr. Montford Schley said to me only the other day, 
“The German Shepherd is so clever that he makes fools of all 
other dogs.” 
Although the most intellectual of dogs, there is nothing of the 
student’s seriousness or the professor’s pose about him. Quite 
the reverse: he is light-hearted, jolly and wide-awake. When 
one thinks of the true measure of his mental capacity, he seems 
at times almost flippant; but nobody, except his own family, loves 
a serious, sobersided dog, and the sheepdog is fortunate in being 
able to make friends quickly and easily. 
“Some folks say that a sheepdog will bite.” They even charge 
him with being surly, suspicious and untrustworthy. His wolfish 
look is forbidding, and his strength and confident airs frighten 
a timid person, but mainly this false reputation is the result of 
his marked success as a police dog. In 
those cases where his actions do give color 
to this slander it may, in nine cases out 
of ten, be traced to improper training in 
this honorable profession of his. The 
sheepdog was the first to make his name 
as a police dog, and the first 
to be introduced into America 
in his official capacity. “My 
goodness gracious!” exclaim 
those who know nothing of 
the dog and but little of his 
work, “what a terrible brute 
he must be to track, and cap¬ 
ture, and chew up thugs and 
murderers!” The good, old 
English Bloodhound, a most 
likable dog, has suffered from 
Qualifying for the Red Cross Corps. His short, eager barks call 
help to wounded men in all sorts of out-of-the-way places 
Long head, flat, muscular shoulders, the German Shepherd fs distinctly a thorough¬ 
bred. His short, coarse top-coat is reinforced by an undercoat of thick wool—a 
necessary protection in his exposed work 
