The German Shepherd Dog breed is an adaptation of the mountain sheepdog of Germany, altered for work as a military dog around 1880. Three regions of Germany became famous for breeding these dogs; Wurttemberg, Thuringia and Bavaria. The dogs from these areas, including long hair, short hair and wire haired herding dogs were used to produce the German shepherd we know today. Captain Max Von Stephanitz is often referred to as the "Father of the German Shepherd". In April 1899, he registered a dog named Horan as the first Deutsche Schaferhunde, which means German Shepherd Dog, so the word "dog" is actually part of the breed's name. In 1925 he wrote a book, "The German Shepherd Dog in Word and Picture", which immortalized the breed. Von Stephanitz was a noted disciplinarian and headed the Society for the Promotion of the Breeding of German Shepherd Dogs from its founding in 1899 until 1935. He guided and directed an intensive-breeding program to fix type and was adamant in his demands for utility and intelligence. Even today, this breed of dog is known for being one that is very reliable in terms of behaving and performing to type. After WWII, the popularity waned due to their association with Hitler and his reign of terror. It was during these post WWII years that the British changed the dog\'s name to Alsatian, and then later to Alsatian Wolf Dog, to remove the stigma of having the word German in their name. In America the breed was well established before World War I. The German Shepherd Dog Club of America came into being in 1913 with 26 members. Today local clubs together with the Parent Club continue to guide the breeding of this dog. Until 1915, both longhaired and wirehaired varieties were exhibited. Today, in most countries, only the short coat is recognized for show purposes. When you choose your own German Shepherd Dog, choosing a reputable breeder is paramount. These dogs have been consistently popular for many years, and there have been many suspect breeding programs created as a result. When dogs are poorly bred, they are subject to health problems like hip dysplasia and are often not representative of the true nature of the breed. For example, GSDs are occasionally prone to skittishness. This behavior is far from the norm of this typically steady and calm breed. Reputable breeders, if they had a skittish puppy, would never breed it, in an attempt to breed this behavior out, rather than in. Breeders looking just to make a quick buck, however, are not so careful about how their dogs are bred.