[范·斯迪芬尼茨上校认为德牧应该建立一套遗传学研究（机制），不应仅仅局限于展赛中获胜（这一目的），他因此要求所有的新仔都必须进行　　注册和登记，以提供基本的遗传基因信息记录。他建议（SV中其他）繁育人那只犬应该跟哪只母犬交配，哪只犬不能再繁殖。 他希望，甚至是要求（SV中其他会员）遵守有关规定。他从来不肯定（德牧）的外观（的优美），除非这种优美与犬的优异的工作能力相得益彰。他希望德国牧羊犬（GSD）能够被培养成智慧和有着坚固的适应其工作的身体结构的犬。从他所撰写的饲养标准中摘录一段（可见一斑）“一个优美的外观当然令人兴奋，但它决不能凌驾于犬的工作能力。”]

　　　　Captain von Stephanitz worked tirelessly to improve the breed, and to look for other ways the German Shepherd could be useful to mankind. Industrialization caused a decline in the necessity for sheep herding dogs, and he found that the intelligence of kenneled dogs declined. He therefore devised Obedience competitions to resolve this problem. After donating several dogs to policemen, their usefulness as Police Dogs was demonstrated. Various Trials, such as Herding, Training (for police), and special achievement in breeding were established. Interest in Breed Shows increased, as did membership in the SV. The Army finally recognized the usefulness of German Shepherd Dogs during the First World War. They served many functions: messengers, tracking the position of wounded soldiers, sentry and guard dogs, and patrol dogs signaling enemy presence. Other countries had discovered the GSD's many abilities, and used them extensively. Because of animosity in wartime toward anything German, England renamed the breed Alsatian. In some places that name is still used.

　　[范·斯迪芬尼茨上校为了优化（德牧）品种不知疲倦的工作着，同时也不断开发德牧对于人类新的功用。（那时）工业化导致了牧羊犬需求的降低，他发现被栓在院子里的犬的智力也因此（栓在院子里）降低。于是他创立了德牧的服从性竞赛，来解决这个问题（译者：实际是通过竞赛促进对犬的身体和智力的训练）。在上校向警方捐赠了几只德牧；警方试用后，德牧作为警犬的能力得到证实。各式各样的实验：放牧、训练（警用）和其他用途都在尝试。更多的人关注德牧的展赛，加入了SV。（特别是德国）军方在第一次世界大战期间认可了德牧的功用。（这些军用德牧）它们可以用于送信、寻找伤员、警戒、用于巡逻以发现敌人等工作。其他国家也发现了很多德牧的功用，它（终于）被广泛地应用了。由于战争中与德国处于敌对状态，英国从新命名它为阿尔萨斯牧羊犬。在有些地方，现在仍然这样称呼它们。]

　　After World War I, German Shepherd Dogs became famous and very popular. Unethical breeders began to export puppies to foreign markets, breeding without thought to the best interest of the breed. Von Stephanitz immediately instituted the Koerung, or breed survey, a system whereby all dogs are thoroughly examined, judged, and based on those results are recommended for, or excluded from, breeding privileges. Steady improvement of the breed promptly re-commenced. The daring exploits of dogs such as Rin-Tin-Tin and Strongheart on movie screens across the United States created immense demand for "German Police Dogs". Puppy factories soon flourished, filling demand but selling dogs with often questionable parentage, malnourished, carelessly bred and possessing innumerable physical and psychological defects. Falsified pedigrees were not uncommon. These breeders' only concern was the money to be made on this popular breed. (Sadly, some of these practices are still on-going today in many places)

　　[自第一次世界大战以后，德牧开始出名并变得更为普遍。有些不道德的繁育者开始向国外市场出口那些并不具备该品种特点的小崽。范·斯迪芬尼茨上校马上创立了Koerung系统，或称饲养检查系统，是一个关于全部（俱乐部）的犬都要被彻底地检测，评判，并依据这些结果来颁发或解除（俱乐部认可的）繁育权的系统。很快，品种质量就得到了稳定的提升。诸如银幕上RIN-TIN-TIN那样和其他富于爱心的德牧形象，传播到美国（立即）引起了巨大的对“德国警犬”的需求。（也正是因此）幼崽工厂很快出现了，用以满足市场上的需求；但这些工厂出售的小崽常常带有可以的出身、营养失调、饲养粗糙（译者：主要指饲养护理方面）并带有众多的身体或心理上的缺陷。那种假冒的血统证书并不少见。这些所谓繁育者，他们只对这种饲养方式所能带来的利润感兴趣。（作者：非常另人伤心的是，这些情况今天仍然在有些地方发生。）]

　　 　　As Nazism spread throughout Germany in the 1930's, it became more difficult for von Stephanitz to continue managing the SV due to interference from the many SV members who were Nazis. He gave up in 1935, and on April 22, 1936 , the 37th anniversary of the founding of the SV, von Stefanitz died.

　　[由于1930年代，德国纳粹主义的盛行，对范·斯迪芬尼茨上校来说，管理SV内部的的职责变得困难起来，因为很多SV的成员是纳粹党徒。他放弃了SV的工作。并于次年1936年4月22日，SV成立37周年的日子去世了。（译者：致敬，向老上校。）]

　　The SV has continued to carry on the work of Captain von Stephanitz, breeding quality dogs and instituting new practices designed to improv