Whois & Analysis for willowvalleygsd.com

The German Shepherd is a breed of medium to large-sized working dog that originated in Germany.

The breed's officially recognized name is German Shepherd Dog in the English language, sometimes abbreviated as GSD and was also formerly known as the Alsatian in Britain.

The German Shepherd is a relatively new breed of dog, with their origin dating to 1899.

As part of the Herding Group, German Shepherds are working dogs developed originally for herding sheep.

Since that time however, because of their strength, intelligence, trainability, and obedience, German Shepherds around the world are often the preferred breed for many types of work, including disability assistance, search-and-rescue, police and military roles, and even acting.

The German Shepherd is the second-most registered breed by the American Kennel Club and fourth-most registered breed by The Kennel Club in the United Kingdom.

The American Kennel Club (AKC) is a registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States.

In addition to maintaining its pedigree registry, this kennel club also promotes and sanctions events for purebred dogs, including the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, an annual event which predates the official forming of the AKC, the National Dog Show, and the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship.

Unlike most other countries' kennels clubs, the AKC is not part of the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (World Canine Organization).

Dog breeding is the practice of mating selected dogs with the intent to maintain or produce specific qualities and characteristics.

When dogs reproduce without such human intervention, their offsprings' characteristics are determined by natural selection, while "dog breeding" refers specifically to the artificial selection of dogs, in which dogs are intentionally bred by their owners.

A person who intentionally mates dogs to produce puppies is referred to as a dog breeder.

Breeding relies on the science of genetics, so the breeder with a knowledge of canine genetics, health, and the intended use for the dogs attempts to breed suitable dogs.

The coat of the domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris) refers to the hair that covers its body.

A dog's coat may be a double coat, made up of a soft undercoat and a tougher topcoat, or a single coat, which lacks an undercoat.

Double coats have a top coat, made of stiff hairs to help repel water and shield from dirt, and an undercoat to serve as insulation.

The terms fur and hair are often used interchangeably when describing a dog's coat, however in general, a double coat, e.g., like that of the Newfoundland and most mountain dogs, is referred to as a fur coat, while a single coat, like that of the Poodle, is referred to as a hair coat.

In psychology, temperament refers to those aspects of an individual's personality, such that are often regarded as biologically based and sometimes innate rather than learned.

A great many classificatory schemes for temperament have been developed; none, though, has achieved general consensus in academia.