How Smart Are German Shepherd
We all know that German Shepherds are always known to be the best companion to humans since they are recognized. They are swift and innovative, but their intelligence plays a huge role for humans on multiple occasions.
It is best to know the actual strength of the German Shepherd and its indomitable spirit. German Shepherds are excellent service dogs, popularly known as police dogs in many countries.
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Apart from their royal appearance, they tend to be highly disciplined. Their smartness can surprise many household members if kept.
Knowing their true strength and how smart they are, I will give you a brief knowledge of whether it is a suitable pet for you or not. Let’s first discuss the short history of German Shepherd.
A Short History Of GSD
In late 1880, Max Stephanitz’s breeder was impressed by a wolf-like dog at a top-rated dog show of that era in Germany.
He later decided to purchase the breed and start a Kennel Club with all the GSD breed standards guidelines.
During World War 1, German Shepherd served many vital purposes ranging from bringing first aid to giving company to wounded soldiers. They were acknowledged as guard dogs perfect to deliver messages and guardhouse.
Sooner they impressed Americans, and it gained its respect as the best guard dog in the world.
Talking about the most intelligent dog breed worldwide, poodles and border collies are usually ranked higher than German Shepherds. Many have asserted that German Shepherds are more trainable than any other breed in the US in the intelligence department.
Apart from their sharp mind, they also have high memory retention ability, essential for remembering commands and actual words.
Teaching and training a German Shepherd shall be elementary as they are incredibly attentive and trainable. However, these all features are a thing of the past now and let’s learn what the things that make them so brilliant are.
3 Proofs Of GSD Smartness
Obedience
Believe it or not, but they are also a swift learner apart from being very smart. If you are looking for a highly focused companion, then a German Shepherd is what you need.
They will obey all your commands with extreme discipline and focus. That being said, every dog in every human life will take some time to understand and assimilate what has been taught and trained.
Just like this, a German Shepherd can’t be expected to immediately pay attention or listen to every command thrown at them.
It is best to train a German Shepherd from puppyhood. The German Shepherd can be raised as a highly obedient dog with consistency and care.
Protective Instincts
Protective Instinct is one of the hallmarks of German Shepherd making us aware of how smart they are. Protective Instinct is their protective nature, and they always keep the people around them safe.
It is essential to train them from puppyhood and adequately socialize them, especially strangers. This breed has been seen as a threat in front of many strangers when protecting their loved ones.
In front of a stranger, a German Shepherd can quickly feel threatened or provoked.
Mental Stimulation
This is something where you need to pay attention to. Due to being highly intelligent and intelligent, they need constant mental stimulation or anything that can help channelize their replete energies.
Not keeping them busy will encourage them towards destructive activities. Hence, a German Shepherd can make up for highly wholesome companions and serve as another option for service and guard dogs. Their smartness makes them indispensable pets in many other fields.
For reference, check how a hero German Shepherd finds a 90-year-old lady lost in the forest overnight.
Wrapping Up
As of now, you already know how intelligent German Shepherds are. The German Shepherd has always been considered an intelligent breed is coming with all new lineages.
They have hard-working ancestry, and history-making them easy to train with positive and negative reinforcement. During training, positive reinforcement makes them grow into the versatile dogs they are meant to be.
Since their traits are determined by their inheritance, training and teaching them is easy. It’s an owner’s responsibility to ensure that their GSD is well-trained. In the case of upbringing any dog, responsible owners raise a well-mannered dog.
When they are adults, good behavior is always determined by how they have been trained and treated by its owner throughout their puppyhood and livelihood.
That said, GSD doesn’t possess as much cognitive intelligence as humans.