Alsations

[tartanwiz]

Every owner of an alsation I ever meet calls their dog a 'German Shepherd'. They were always Alsations in my day. Has the name changed for some reason, or are the owners just being snobbish?

[amarillis]

The proper UK name for the breed is German Shepherd Dog but they are usually informally referred to as GSDs or simply German Shepherds, although Alsatian also is commonly used in the UK. The reason for the alternative name is historical: during World Wars 1 and 2 Germany was out of favour in the UK and many names were de-Germanised.

[camille79]

I think it harks back to when Alsace was actually part of Germany so the names are pretty much synonymous.  The french word is Berger Allemand (lit. german shephard) and when I lived in Strasbourg the locals were quite offended that the dog as also known as an "alsatian"

[tartanwiz]

OK, my question is answered. The real name is German Shepherd nowadays. But I still think the owners are being snobbish. "That's a fine Alsation you have there". "Alsation? It's a German Shepherd, don't you know? Ohhhhhhhh look at me with my German Shepherd. Commoners call them Alsations of course. I'm better than you.".

[bernardo]

I've always known them to be referred to equally as both names, and I have never perceived any element of snobbishness or social hierarchy of one above the other.

[woofgang]

I don't think its particularly being snobbish (at least not where I live,) its a bit like people mixing up labrador retrievers and golden retrievers and weimaraners and vizlas.) If you are proud of your dog, you want it called by the right name  

[camille79]

I agree that you would want your dog's breed to be correctly stated Wolfgang, but a german shepherd is an alsatian!  The words are totally synonymous and so it is not correct or incorrect to use either.  German shepherd sounds grander but, at the end of the day, the dog is still what we used to know as an alsatian.

[ezapf]

Point of note: I have known many German Shepherds, in fact my brother had one years ago and I have never heard the term Alsation in the US.

[Dusky]

May I please thump my tub here for a moment?  It is AlsatiAN.  As in AmericAN, BelgiAN, AfricAN, AustraliAN, RussiAN; even GermAN, for goodness' sake.

 

Thank you.  I feel better now. 

[thewillow]

I always thought that alsatians were the short-haired ones and German shepherds were long-haired.

[Cetti]

This doggy can be called an Alsatian, German Shepherd or a Deutshe Schaferhund.

 Have a look at the link for the history and different names - all are correct.

 

http://www.dogbiz.com/dogs-grp7/germ-shep/germ-shep.htm

 

[Dusky]

...I really must try decaffeinated...

[Hayhoe]

I think alsatian sounds grander than german shepherd

[doghandler]

Hi,

I am a police dog handler and I work a German Shepherd Dog.

I have lost count of the times that I have been asked if it is an Alsatian. The GSD was renamed the Alsace wolf dog during the war because people were shooting their dogs following all the propaganda that anything German was evil.

Unfortuntely this backfired as even more were shot because of the reference to 'wolf'.

This was then quickly shortened to Alsatian, often misspelt as Alsation.

In the early 70's the SV (German GSD Club) asked the UK if we could go back to the proper name for the breed and this was agreed.

They have officialy been called GSD's ever since.

I do not think it 'snobish' to call them GSD's just correct. It could be argued that those who think we should call them alsatians and that GSD is totaly wrong are - technically - ignorant to the name and history of the breed.

I produced a web page many years ago about the history of the police dog here in the UK, this also has a section relating to the history of the GSD. It explains all of this. Should you wish to read it you will find it at;

www.policedogs.co.uk

Hope this helps - Pete