Alsation or GSD?

[Ravenwood]

When I was a little girl (a long time ago!) we had a couple of Alsations - at least that is what they were always called but it seems that you never hear that name anymore and they are all GSDs - why is that?

 

[Tinkerbee]

My family back home all call them alsatians...

I call them GSDs though

 

[severnmiles]

The name Alsation came in after the war when it was thought that the name GERMAN Shepherd Dog would make it an unpopular breed. The proper term was Alsation Wolf Dog which became shortened to Alsation.

 

[Ravenwood]

Thanks for that information - you see I am not THAT old, so I didn't know!!

 

[severnmiles]

[ QUOTE ]
Thanks for that information - you see I am not THAT old, so I didn't know!!

[/ QUOTE ]

Cheeky! I'm 21!

 

[echodomino]

Very cheeky haha I'm 20 and I knew that

LOL

I prefer GSD to Alsation - I don't know why but I think Alsation sounds more aggressive, which the breed isn't.

 

[Maesfen]

I'm exactly the opposite! I prefer and still refer to them as Alsations, it's a far friendlier name than GSD - to me!

 

[foxviewstud]

i have had this argument with my cousin she told me that they were different breeds and being that i have a lot of dog book that say they are the same i knew she was wrong, but rather than addmitting she was wrong she said the books were wrong.

lol severn hit it on the nail exactly.

 

[WelshRareBit]

I prefer Alsation, but you dont hear i used so much now, I dont know why i prefer it, maybe because its the name i grew up with.

 

[MurphysMinder]

Severnmistletoe has beaten me to it. When I was breeding GSDs we often used to have people thinking the long coated pups were German Shepherd and the normal coats Alsatians. I think nowadays the majority of people do call them German Shepherds, though not so long ago I saw an advert in the paper for Alsatian x German Shepherd pups!

 

[severnmiles]

Haha, interesting cross...not! We've always had GSD's (mostly rescued, nearly all purebred German lines too - longer snout! Still have a 9y.o bred by Rustenberg) and as a kid someone once said to me I like Alsations but not GSD's, I thought how does that work then?

 

[Onyxia]

[ QUOTE ]
Severnmistletoe has beaten me to it. When I was breeding GSDs we often used to have people thinking the long coated pups were German Shepherd and the normal coats Alsatians.

[/ QUOTE ]
Thats what I have found.
Funny thing is in my experiance people wanting one because "its hard" want an Alsation, people who just love them want a GSD-LMAO!!!

[ QUOTE ]
I think nowadays the majority of people do call them German Shepherds, though not so long ago I saw an advert in the paper for Alsatian x German Shepherd pups!

[/ QUOTE ]
PMSL!!!!!!!

To OP, I prefere GSD simply because I have found on the whole Alsation is used by people who admire them for all the wrong reasons and shouldnt have dogs.

 

[MurphysMinder]

Yes, I prefer GSD too because that describes what they were bred for, to look after sheep. They are after all in the Pastoral group.

 

[severnmiles]

[ QUOTE ]
Yes, I prefer GSD too because that describes what they were bred for, to look after sheep. They are after all in the Pastoral group.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ditto.

 

[CAYLA]

GSD...I hate them referred to as Alsations

...it sounds horrid.