The Czech German shepherd – Result of an Experiment
In 1955 a colonel in the border guard, Ing. Karel Hartl, decided to cross the Carpathian wolf and German shepherd. The result was the creation of the unique breed of the Czech German Shepherd.
Unique Offspring of Wolf and Dog
Originally it was a mere scientific experiment. The first puppies from this experiment were born May 26, 1958 in Libějovice. The offspring of the she-wolf Brita and German shepherd Cesar, were a hybrid that resembled wolves in both looks and behavior. Their training was not easy and although training was possible, the results were not much. In their first generation, the hybrids simply still had too much wolf blood. It was also discovered that it is possible to breed offspring both from the mating of dog and she-wolf as well as from the mating of a wolf with a female dog.
New Breed: The Czech German Shepherd
Breeders under the direction of Ing. Hratl continued in the breeding, even despite the opposition of Kennel Clubs back in the day. Individuals of the first generation were further crossbred with other German Shepherds and the original proportion of wolf blood decreased from the previous 10%. The second generation could already be fully trained, but it took longer than with other breeds. The breeding continued.
In 1966 the first standard for a new breed was drafted. At the end of 1981, the Czech Association of Breeders allowed the establishment of a Czech German Shepherd breeding club, which was created in March 1982. The Czech German Shepherd has also been recognized as a national breed. In 1989 it was approved by the International Canine Federation (FCI). Five years later the internationally recognized standard for the breed was issued, and breed finally received international recognition almost at the end of the millennium.
What to expect from a luxury dog with wolf’s blood?
Definitely activity, temperament and stamina. It is brave, fearless and has very keen senses. after its wolf ancestors. Also unique is its sense of direction, and compared to other breeds has an excellent sense of smell and sight. However it has also inherited a sense of distrust from the wolf.
The country of origin is the former Czechoslovakia, and today it is considered to be a Slovak breed.
