2006-11-18 22:28:15 · 13 answers · asked by dundee dom 1 in Pets ➔ Dogs
The name was changed in the UK following WW1 as all things German or connected with Germany were disliked.
Some GSDs and/or their owners were attacked in the streets simply because of the name.
At one time the name was changed to Wolf Dog but this caused even more alarm as everyone expected to be savaged by them.
They were renamed Alsatian after the region called Alsace which, I think, is somewhere in Northern Germany or thereabouts.
Everywhere else they were still called German Shepherd Dogs or Deutscher Schaferhunds.
In the 1970s they were officially renamed as German Shepherd Dogs. In the transitional period some dogs were registered in both names for the breed e.g Alsatian (German Shepherd Dog) or German Shepherd Dog (Alsatian).
Some people still think that they are two separate breeds.
Whatever you call them they are still the number one all round breed and top dog as far as I am concerned!
2006-11-18 22:53:07 · answer #1 · answered by DogDoc 4 · 5⤊ 0⤋
summit to do with WW1. I own gsd's and the diffrence is that a German Shepherd is a pedigree and will have all the papers saying it it a pedigreed dog and an alsation is a German Shepherd CROSSED with another breed i.e rottie.
2006-11-19 09:30:59 · answer #2 · answered by Lisa W 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They were changed from Alsatian to German shepherd in the 1980's not the other way around.
Mentor: The Germans call them 'Deutcher Shaeferhund' which means Gemran shepherd dog.
2006-11-18 23:28:27 · answer #3 · answered by fenlandfowl 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
During World War II, people in "Allied Countries", US, Britain, etc, didn't want a dog that was German. So, they began calling German Shepards "Alsatians", which, in a way was correct, because the dogs came, partly, from the Alsatian region in Europe.
Booth W
2006-11-19 06:27:41 · answer #4 · answered by BOOTH W 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Anti German feelings during WW1.
same reason the royal family changed their name to Windsor.
2006-11-18 23:06:55 · answer #5 · answered by ffordcash 5 · 5⤊ 0⤋
The word "Alsatian" is the name Germans use.
The English speaking people just called them German Shepherd Dogs.
Alsatian is the correct name of the breed,and they were used as Shepherd dogs protecting the sheep and the Shepherd.
2006-11-18 22:39:20 · answer #6 · answered by mentor 5 · 0⤊ 5⤋
In WW1The Brithish changed the name.
So as not to be associated with the German Hun
2006-11-18 22:30:23 · answer #7 · answered by gavsmam 2 · 3⤊ 1⤋
I think for similar reasons that the "Russian wolfhound" was changed to a Brozoi. I think they feel it's better for their image.
2006-11-19 00:45:04 · answer #8 · answered by dobes 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
this is a new one on me as i always thought a german shepherd was long haired and an alsation short haired. i always see german shepherd pups advertised for sale so cant see how name is changed to alsation
also, arent GS hump (curved) back and alsation straight backed, I dunno! but you got me curious now
2006-11-18 23:03:02 · answer #9 · answered by kelly c 2 · 0⤊ 4⤋
It became a victim of the `politically correct` brigade eighty years ago.
2006-11-18 22:38:26 · answer #10 · answered by Social Science Lady 7 · 5⤊ 1⤋