Why German Shepherds Have Had Their Day by Susan Orlean - Essay Example

Why German Shepherds Have Had Their Day The article en d “Why German Shepherds Have Had Their Day” written by Susan Orlean and published in The New York Times proffered issues relative to the effect of the phenomenal success that German Shepherds have received over the last century. Since the breed’s development by Max von Stephanitz in the late 1800s, German Shepherds had been acknowledged as “one of the 20th century’s most popular working breeds” (Orlean par. 2). Due to the acclaim received from being named the official dog of the American army, in conjunction with generating significant public appeal from the appearance of Rin Tin Tin, the German Shepherd that captured the hearts of Americans through a movie and in a television series, the breed became the most sought after globally.

The repercussion was irresponsible overbreeding where “an alarming rate of hip and eye problems” (Orlean par. 8) in contemporary breeds emerged. Orlean summarily noted that the German Shepherds were being replaced by the Belgian Malinois as the North Rhine-Westphalia police’s official dog. Hopefully, the breed’s diminished appearance in the limelight would result in regaining the reputable traits and characteristics of being athletic, attentive and intelligent, it originally possessed.

Works Cited Orlean, Susan. "Why German Shepherds Have Had Their Day." The New York Times Sunday Review 8 October 2011: SR5.