German Shepherds are the most used breed of dogs for military use in the United States today.
They have been used since World War I and continue to perform with valor and distinction.
The reasons why GSDs are chosen as military dogs include their aggressiveness, loyalty, trainability, suitability to military life, and their many abilities.
But what exactly is it that makes German Shepherds a good choice for military dogs?
Table of Contents
17 Reasons Explained
1. German Shepherds are brave and courageous:
German Shepherds are very brave and they can be aggressive towards other dogs, because of their aggressive nature.
Therefore they can be used as a guard dog in the military and in outside areas.
When you train them; you must use positive reinforcement with love and treat your German Shepherd regularly so that he can understand what you want him to do.
2. They have a strong sense of smell:
German Shepherd dogs are the most intelligent breed of dog. They can smell and hear much better than any other breed so you can train them to detect bombs and explosives.
This is how they were used as military dogs to detect bombs hidden in the war grounds for saving the lives of the soldiers.
3. They have great endurance:
German Shepherd dogs are very hard-working and they don’t get tired easily while doing their work.
Their intelligence, courage, agility and endurance helped them to become good Military Dogs.
Their large size helps them to push themselves through the rubble to save people who are trapped beneath.
4. They can follow orders easily:
German shepherd dogs are very intelligent dogs and they are used as a military dog because of this feature.
German shepherds can be trained easily and they like to learn new tricks, hence their great sense of intelligence.
5. They are loyal:
German Shepherds are great guard dogs because of their loyalty towards their owners and their past experience as Military Dogs.
They can be trained easily to protect you, your family and your property from theft, robbery or any other criminal activity but they can also be protective towards the people who belong to them.
6. They are intelligent:
German shepherd dogs are intelligent and have the ability to learn quickly.
German Shepherd dogs have all the key features of a military dog.
They are intelligent, obedient, loyal and courageous which makes them perfect for military service.
Their intelligence can help them to become easily trained and they can perform many tasks like searching for bombs on the battleground or in the fields, guarding houses and properties.
7. They have powerful jaws:
It is an official fact that German Shepherd dogs were used as Military Dogs, because of their powerful jaw strength.
Whenever a foreign soldier tried to attack a German soldier, the German shepherd was sent off at them.
They have powerful jaws which can break any bone very easily.
8. They were initially bred to herd sheep:
Spanish people cross-bred the German Shepherd with Ariege, Pyrenean and Spanish sheepdogs and this is how the German Shepherd dog breed came into existence.
They were used as herding dogs. In fact, they are still used to herd sheep and other cattle on small farms.
This has made them perfect dogs for following commands and for carrying out specific tasks.
9. They learn tricks quickly:
German Shepherd dogs can be trained very easily and they can also acquire new tricks easily.
They have strong brains which help them to learn quickly, so their trainers teach them new tricks within few days only and it makes them a perfect military dog.
Their smartness and willingness to learn makes them one of the best military dog breeds in the world.
10. They are large and muscular dogs:
German Shepard dogs are used as military dogs because of their big size, strength and muscular build.
They can be used as courier dogs and they can be used as guard dogs also.
Because of their large size, they can run fast through the fields and detect bombs easily.
They have a very big muscular body which makes them a perfect rescue dog for saving the lives of people trapped beneath the rubble.
11. They have great speed:
Due to their large size and muscular body, German Shepherd Dogs can run very fast through the fields to find all types of explosives.
The large size of these dogs helped them in being used as military dogs because they can easily push through the fields and be of use for saving people who are caught underneath the rubble.
12. They are a sturdy dog breed:
German Shepherd Dogs have a thick and well-built body which makes them a perfect military dog.
Their sturdy built body helps them in saving the lives of people who are caught underneath the broken walls, buildings of war zones and terrorist attacks or bomb blasts.
It is a perfect job for Military and Police Dog, to search for any human beings who are trapped underneath the rubble.
13. They are obedient:
German Shepherd Dogs are obedient, loyal and will never leave their master.
These traits of the dog breed helped them to become a part of military history as they were used as Military Dog for war zones, to search for explosives and bombs which were hidden on the battlefields.
They can also be trained as police dogs for the protection of the civilians, in order to keep them safe from thieves and robbers.
14. They have many uses in the field:
German Shepherd Dogs have many uses and that is why they were used as military dogs.
They can be trained to become a rescue dog, a guard dog or a search and rescue dog. They also have many other uses in the field as well as their medical uses are also important.
15. They have a history:
German Shepherd Dogs were used as a military or police dogs in the army camps of World War II, during which they became famous as Military Dog.
They can be trained as rescue dogs which will assist them to search for lost people in case of earthquakes that can cause buildings to collapse upon humans.
Thus they can be used for all these purposes and became a part of Military History.
16. They are very protective:
German Shepherd Dogs can protect their territory and their masters as well.
They are very intelligent dogs with a sharp memory so they can be easily trained to guard the property of the family members in any part of the world.
They can make a perfect guard dog for keeping away outsiders as well as thieves and robbers who may attack the houses at night when no one is around at home or at any other place.
Thus German Shepherd Dog is considered to be a perfect military dog due to all these traits which help them in becoming a military dog in army camps.
17. They are very athletic and can cover long distances:
Military Dogs have to carry heavy packs on their backs with food, water and ammunition which they need to look for the lost soldiers or the soldiers who were trapped after an attack or some kind of terrorist attack.
They can easily cover a long distance without getting tired and they can also carry heavy weights on their back.
Final Thoughts
It can be said that German Shepherd Dogs are very athletic and intelligent dogs which helped them to become a part of Military History.
They are the perfect dog for military service and also are used as police dogs.
They can also be trained to become search and rescue dogs as well as guard dogs.
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