The German Shepherd, also known in Britain as an Alsatian, is a German breed of working [[dog]] of medium to large size. The breed was developed by Max von Stephanitz using various traditional German herding dogs from 1899.
 The ears are rather large and stand erect. The back is level and muscular, and the tail is bushy and curves downward. The coat is thick and rough and may be black, tan, black and tan or gray. The coat should be harsh and of medium length; however, long-coated individuals occur often.