First and foremost, the German Shepherd Dog is a working breed, the only breed, in fact, that is internationally respected and chosen to perform such a wide variety of service-related jobs. Besides being exquisite herding dogs, German Shepherds excel at search and rescue, police work, narcotics and explosives work, military, prison service, and security service. The German Shepherd serves as reliable assistance (guide, hearing, seizure-response, and more) dogs and therapy dogs, and also superbly performs in all canine sports in the US and abroad including obedience, Schutzhund, agility, flyball, KNPV (Koninklijke Nederlandse Politiehond Vereniging), French Ring and Mondioring, PSA (Protection Sports Association), NAPD (National Assocation of Protection Dogs), and others. No less important is the noble German Shepherd's sterling reputation for being a loving, loyal, and protective companion.

Sound intelligent minds, correct structure, courage, and good nerves are the foundation for the character of the working German Shepherd. Without all of these traits, a German Shepherd cannot be a reliable working dog. If even one of these elements are missing, the dog should never be bred. The future of the breed depends upon breeders who must judiciously breed dogs that exhibit the above traits and qualities.

There are numerous links on Ca-Ji's links page to a wide variety of sites pertaining to the working German Shepherd. Below are more photos of German Shepherds doing what they do best.

Joel and Ca-Ji's Trooper	Ca-Ji Shepherd as sled dog.
Ca-Ji's Bravado v Tara CD	Trooper working
Agility with Mary Jo Sminkey	Togetherness
Over 250 canine search and rescue dogs worked around the clock at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon after the September 11th terrorist attacks. These heroes worked without the benefit of gas masks and protective clothing. They climbed and searched places considered to dangerous for humans. The majority of these heroes were German Shepherds.