After the war, the government made an effort to rehabilitate the enlisted dogs whenever it could, so the animals could be returned to “civilian” life. Overall, history seems to view that rehabilitation program as a success.
However, I don’t know if there were some incidents of these former war dogs reverting to their old training. Possibly there were some incidents of a retired dog causing a problem. Or possibly, it was just the thought that this breed was commonly trained for police and guard work. But whatever the reason, from the late 1940’s until the 50’s at least, German Shepherds were the most feared breed. And while BSL rarely targets GSD’s today, they do still make the “blacklist” with some insurance companies.
Now let’s look at the 1960’s and 1970’s, when the dog to keep an eye on was the Doberman. If Hollywood needed a shot of a vicious dog, or a guard dog, it was invariably the sleek Doberman that made its appereance. Just look at movies like “The Amazing Doberman Gang” about a group of robbers who trained dogs to pull off the actual robbery, or “They Only Kill Their Masters,” in which an affectionate pet was trained to be a murder weapon at the sound of a whistle. Even a certain famous Count used a Doberman for his own nefarious plots in “Dracula’s Dog.”
Ironically, if Hollywood needed a heroic dog during this period, it seemed to focus on the former “bad boy,” the GSD. Look at Disney movies like “Smoke,” staring a teenage Ron Howard, or any of the many remakes of “Call of the Wild” that were made around this time.
Nowadays, the Dobermans, like the GSD’s, are seen in a much better light. However, they still sometimes find themselves targeted by BSL and are often on insurance blacklists. Recovery from a bad reputation is indeed a slow process.
Also in the late 60’s and early 70’s, the pit bull began coming into notice, only this time, not in a nice way. This new notice can be traced back to a resurgence in illegal dog fighting. However, instead of instilling sympathy for the poor dogs involved and targeting the people behind the blood sport, media coverage actually helped instill fear of the pit breeds as a whole. By the 1980’s, pit bulls were the most targeted dog in America. They still hold that record even now, but now they are one of the most targeted breeds in the world.
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