Origins: Are German Shepherds Really German?
Origins: Are German Shepherds Really German?
The German Shepherd first appeared in Germany near the end of the 19th century. Though the dog was registered in Germany, it is likely that its ancestors were wolfish dogs and rural sheep herding dogs from nearby areas, including France. The German Shepherd was initially known as the Alsatian Wolf Dog, having supposedly originated from the Alsace area between France and Germany at the time. Eventually the wolf part of the name was dropped and it was called simply the Alsatian Dog. The heavily disputed territory of Alsace became part of France around this time as well, so the idea that the dog wasn’t really German was likely perpetuated at this time. There were also negative connotations to the word “German” well into the 20th century stemming from the World Wars.
It wasn’t until 1977 that the Alsatian name was finally changed to German Shepherd Dog or Deutscher Schferhund in German. The Alsatian dog back then however was still the same dog as the German Shepherd, in spite of some common myths. Sometimes in Europe the dog is still referred to as the Alsatian, but do not be fooled, it is still the German Shepherd.