CHAPTER 1 MEET THE GERMAN SHEPHERD The German shepherd is a popular dog breed They have strong herding instincts They were used to herd sheep in Germany Because of this the dogs were called German shepherds Some farmers still use German Shepherds to herd sheep
German shepherd police dogs are part of a unit called K 9 Until the 1970s this breed was sometimes called the Alsatian This name was mostly used in the United Kingdom The name comes from Alsace France This area is near France's border with Germany
German shepherds are smart They can be trained to do jobs Many police dogs are German shepherds Other German shepherds work as service dogs These dogs help people with disabilities German shepherds are also popular family pets FUN FACT It can cost more than 8 000 to train a German shepherd police dog
