Complex sentence: In Germany this was practiced within local communities, where shepherds selected and bred dogs that had the necessary skills for herding and protecting sheep, such as intelligence, alertness, speed, strength and a keen sense of smell.
Split into simpler sentences: In Germany this was practiced within local communities, where shepherds selected and bred dogs. It was recognized that these dogs had the necessary skills for herding sheep, such as intelligence, speed, strength and keen senses of smell.