# German Shepherd vs. Alsatian **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 7, 2003, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-shepherd-vs-alsatian/173610 "2003-05-07T06:51:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![True\_Fantus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9d8465/32.png) [@True\_Fantus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/True_Fantus)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2003, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-shepherd-vs-alsatian/173610/1 "2003-05-07T06:51:09Z")
M question: What is the difference between a German Shepherd dog and an Alsatian dog? My wife told me that the English refused to accept German Shepherd as a name and used the name Alsatian for the same breed of dogs. Sounds too much like the “freedom fries” debacle in the USA. Anyone knows the answer? ~TF ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2003, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-shepherd-vs-alsatian/173610/2 "2003-05-07T07:17:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by True\_Fantus \* > > What is the difference between a German Shepherd dog and an Alsatian dog? My wife told me that the English refused to accept German Shepherd as a name and used the name Alsatian for the same breed of dogs. > > Sounds too much like the “freedom fries” debacle in the USA. That is precisely what it was. The name change came about in Britain during WW I, precisely to disassociate the breed from any unpopular connection to Germany. The U.S. did the same thing - renaming them “Sheperd Dogs” ( which unlike Alsatian, didn’t stick as a name ). - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![Penguin\_assassin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5e9695/32.png) [@Penguin\_assassin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penguin_assassin)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2003, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-shepherd-vs-alsatian/173610/3 "2003-05-07T07:26:26Z")
There’s an interesting essay on [The age of manipulated public opinion](http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=43&ItemID=2541) which lists the German Shepherd name change and a few more > [@](#): > > In time, the masses got the message and reached a fever pitch of so-called patriotism: > €Fourteen states passed laws forbidding the teaching of the German language. > €Iowa and South Dakota outlawed the use of German in public or on the telephone. > €From coast to coast, German-language books were ceremonially burned. > €The Philadelphia Symphony and the New York Metropolitan Opera Company excluded Beethoven, Wagner, and other German composers from their programs. > €German shepherds were renamed Alsatians. > €Sauerkraut became known as “liberty cabbage.” > €Even Irish-American newspapers were banned from the mails because Ireland opposed England-one of America’s allies-as a matter of principle. > : so very similar to freedom fries and has been going on for a while now ☹ ---
**Author:** ![True\_Fantus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9d8465/32.png) [@True\_Fantus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/True_Fantus)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2003, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-shepherd-vs-alsatian/173610/4 "2003-05-07T08:06:16Z")
Thank you for clearing that up. Personally I think it is a waste of time and money to change names. I am from South Africa, and since becoming a true Democracy we have seen numerous name changes in the country. Not only streets names changed, but cities and town names changed. We used to have 4 provinces, now we have 9. We used to have 2 official languages, now we have 11… More Country info at: [http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/sf.html](http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/sf.html) Although one can understand WHY these changes happen, one must also consider the cost implications of such changes. Imagine 20/30/50 years from now, trying to explain poetry, lyrics, and books to students, which contain names changed by “doing the politically correct thing”. A change of a name of a city not only has cost implications for the residents of said country, but worldwide, as maps, information, web pages etc. need to be updated. I feel that this just causes greater rifts and more misunderstanding between nations and their peoples. ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2003, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-shepherd-vs-alsatian/173610/5 "2003-05-07T10:08:37Z")
**True\_Fantus** : I don’t want to get involved in a debate about the costs and benefits of name changes in the geography of South Africa, but I’m certain it cannot be compared to the renaming of a breed of dog. For what it’s worth, the British Kennel Club authorised the breed to be known again as German Shepherd in 1930, and all its documentation uses that name these days (sometimes in addition to “Alsatian” for people who may still use that term out of habit). Publishers of maps internationally have many more changes to consider than the South African name changes, and their convenience is unlikely to be a very high priority compared to the reasons why national borders change and countries/provinces are renamed. Welcome to the SDMB by the way. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2003, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-shepherd-vs-alsatian/173610/6 "2003-05-07T10:25:29Z")
Oceania is at war with Eastasia. Oceania has always been at war with Eastasia ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2003, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-shepherd-vs-alsatian/173610/7 "2003-05-07T11:30:35Z")
Did the name Alsatian come from the province of Alsace? ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2003, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-shepherd-vs-alsatian/173610/8 "2003-05-07T11:37:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Guinastasia \* > Did the name Alsatian come from the province of Alsace? Yep. I believe the first puppies imported into Britain came from Alsace, hence the adoption of that name when it became expedient to do so. - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2003, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-shepherd-vs-alsatian/173610/9 "2003-05-07T12:37:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mangetout \* > \*\*Oceania is at war with Eastasia. Oceania has always been at war with Eastasia \*\* 2+2=5 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2003, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-shepherd-vs-alsatian/173610/10 "2003-05-07T12:44:16Z")
I once knew a guy who was _so mean…_ (“How mean _was he?_”) He was so mean, he would buy German shepherds just to have them neutered. Not dogs. _German shepherds!_ > [@](#): > > the British Kennel Club authorised the breed to be known again as German Shepherd in 1930, and all its documentation uses that name these days I was watching _UFO_ (1970) and they used “Alsatian” to describe a dog. ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2003, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-shepherd-vs-alsatian/173610/11 "2003-05-07T15:37:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Johnny L.A. \* > \*\*I was watching _UFO_ (1970) and they used “Alsatian” to describe a dog. \*\* Well that’s the Kennel Club for you! I can’t relocate the site I got that info from, but apparently the term must have fallen out of favour again during WWII because they [reinstated it again formally in 1979](http://petplace.netscape.com/articles/artShow.asp?artID=2415). Everybody I know always calls them Alsatians even today, and I assumed that German Shepherd was an American term until quite recently.