DDR German Shepherds ( East German Shepherds) are rooted from lines of guard dogs bred in Germany after World War II. These shepherds are well known as excellent double purpose police/military dogs as well as reliable family guards.
During the Cold War era, the East German Communist Party established a DDR German Shepherd breed breeding program for the dogs used in the military.
Why DDR shepherds are diffrent vs West show or West working lines?
Actually DDR German Shepherds are descended from the same dogs that formed the foundations for all German Shepherd but breeding process gone another way in about 1954. East Germany (DDR) was highly militarized country with strict police regime.
So Ministry of State Security (STASI) forced to breed extremely strong dogs with traits like withstanding harsh winter weather and climbing six-foot walls in mind. These traits help the dogs excel in police and military work. Thats’s why the dogs that would form the basis of the East German Shepherd type originated from working lines.
When West Germany aquisited East Germany in 1990, twide breeding of East German Shepherds was dropped. But at the same time it opened the way for new possibilites for German shepherd fans purchased and to know better these unique subbreed. Such way many shepherd breeders aquired a lot of top notch DDR producers that helped preserving the DDR German Shepherd breed type as much as possible keeping East German shepherds alive.
