Mary Allen
Von Stephanitz remained closely involved with the development of the breed, and in 1922 he was alarmed by some of the dog’s emerging traits, such as a weak temperament and a tendency to dental caries. He developed a system of strict quality control: before each individual German Shepherd Dog was bred, it had to pass numerous tests of intelligence, temperament, athleticism, and good health.
#1 American breeding of the German shepherd, on the other hand, was not as regulated. In the US, dogs were bred to win dog shows and breeders tended to focus more on the dog’s appearance, gait and movement.
#2 After World War II, the American and German-bred German Shepherd breed diverged dramatically. The US law enforcement agency and military even began importing German Shepherds as working dogs, as domestic German Shepherds failed performance tests and were plagued by genetic diseases.
#3 In recent decades, some American breeders have again placed more emphasis on the dog’s ability and less on its physical appearance, importing working dogs from Germany for inclusion in their breeding programs.
It is now possible to purchase American-bred German Shepherds that live up to the breed's reputation for being a capable working dogs.