In 1899, Max Von Stephanitz was attending a dog show when he was shown a dog named Hektor Linksrhein. Hektor was the product of several generations of selective breeding. Von Stephanitz was so taken by the animal's intelligence, loyalty, beauty, and strength that he purchased him immediately, changed his name to Horand von Grafrath, founded the Verein für Deutsche Schäferhunde (Society for German Shepherd Dogs), and made him the first dog added to the society's breed register.

The gene for long hair is recessive in German Shepherds and therefore rarer. Treatment of the long-haired variation differs across standards. It is accepted but does not compete against standard-coated dogs under the German and UK Kennel Clubs, while it can compete with standard-coated dogs but is considered a fault in the American Kennel Club.

Duke, the world's largest German shepherd, stood almost 32 inches tall and weighed 131 pounds. Duke's owners claimed that the dog became so large through a diet consisting primarily of spinach.