From the beginning, German Shepherds were specially bred to be working dogs.  They're known for their strength, agility, obedience, and trainability.  Originally bred to herd sheep, many German Shepherds today have found their place serving in police and military units. The German Shepherd first appeared as a standalone breed around the 1890s.  Germans worked to standardize the breed and preserve desirable traits like strong sense of smell, intelligence, and speed.  These were essential for the dogs' task of herding and protecting sheep.  By 1900, the German Shepherd was recognized as an official breed.  Soon after, the dogs began to spread to other countries around the world, especially the United Kingdom and America. Today, military and police forces use German Shepherds for a variety of tasks.  These include scent tracking, guarding, scouting, and helping capture and hold enemies.  German Shepherds are also known to detect land mines and other explosives, thanks to their extremely acute sense of smell. When people think of military working dogs today, almost all of them picture the German Shepherd.  These dogs are loyal to their trainers, fiercely protective, and will not stop until their job is done.  The military couldn't ask for anything better than that.