The landraces are not recognised by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale, but some have their own standards which are for working ability, not appearance traits.

[3] Dogs were being bred to preserve traits that assisted in their job of herding sheep and protecting their flocks from predators.

It was recognised that the breed had the necessary skills for herding sheep, such as intelligence, speed, strength and keen sense of smell.

[citation needed] Today's old German herding dogs differ scarcely from the landraces of the 19th and the early 20th century.

In 2008, the German Society for the Conservation of Old and Endangered Livestock Breeds (GEH) listed these varieties as "extremely vulnerable" to extinction.

The Pomeranian landrace was used to strengthen the Great Pyrenees, the Polish Tatra Sheepdog, the Kuvasz and similar now-standardised breeds.