He was instrumental in creating the breed by establishing the Verein für Deutsche Schäferhunde (SV), the first German Shepherd dog club, in 1899. He also developed the first breed standard and was passionate about selecting and breeding dogs with specific qualities, like intelligence, loyalty, and herding ability.
While von Stephanitz was the driving force behind the breed's development, he did not create the German Shepherd breed out of thin air. He focused on selecting and breeding dogs from existing shepherd-type dogs found in Germany, with the goal of creating a versatile working dog.