Celebrating German Shepherds

May 10th is German Shepherd Day! These extraordinary pups definitely deserve to be celebrated. The GSD is remarkably intelligent, highly trainable, and very brave and loyal. A local Wheat Ridge, CO vet lists some fun facts about German Shepherds in this article.  

Film Stars

Fido has definitely had his time in the spotlight. Several German Shepherds have become famous. Some became known for their film work. Stronghold, one of the first canine film stars. Rin Tin Tin, who was rescued from Germany during WWII, may be the most well-known. The pup was brought back to the States, and ended up starring in 27 movies. He and Stronghold, another GSD film star, are both honored with stars on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame. Next up is Bullet, Roy Rogers’ canine sidekick, who always let his human know where there was danger afoot.

Working Dogs

The German Shepherd is one of the breeds most commonly found as a working dog. Several pups have also earned recognition for their dedication, loyalty, and bravery. The first seeing-eye dog was a German Shepherd named Buddy. Trained by Morris Frank, that Very Good Boy was a doggy pioneer for not just seeing-eye dogs, but for many types of service dogs. There’s also Chips, a brave pup who chased off soldiers that were shooting at his handlers. Chips eventually became the most highly decorated dog of World War II. More recently, there was Apollo, whose search-and-rescue work in New York City following the 9/11 terror attacks earned him the Dickin Medal, the animals’ equivalent of the Victoria Cross.

Social Media Stars

Quite a few German Shepherds have become social media sensations. At the top of that list we have Clark, an adorable GSD whose videos went viral over a decade ago. The most famous, Ultimate Dog Tease, is still often referred to as the best dog video ever. You can watch it on the Talking Animals Youtube channel. Clark’s escapades have racked up millions of views, and it’s not hard to see why. The pup’s distress at learning that his owner (gasp) ate the maple bacon without sharing would be cute enough without captions and voice over, but the ‘translations’ make this one a timeless doggy classic.

As your Wheat Ridge, CO animal clinic, we are dedicated to providing top-notch veterinary care. Please contact us for all of your pet’s veterinary care needs.