Information, Facts & Origins of the Alsatian Dog
The Alsatian Dog
comes from Germany and was bred originally for
herding and guarding sheep.
It's origins can be dated back to the 1700's. The Alsatian
Dog is also known by the other names of the German Shepherd Dog and
the Deutscher
Schaferhund.
The advent of the two World Wars influenced the history of this
dog. The association with Germany was unpopular following the wars
and the breed was therefore given the name of the Alsatian Wolf
Dog after the German-French border area of Alsace-Lorraine. The
term 'Wolf Dog' was then dropped as it was believed that this
would also prove to be unpopular. Finally, in 1977, the breed name
was changed back to the German Shepherd Dog. This dog is classified as one of the
Herding Dog Group which we
go on to describe in detail in the section at the bottom of this
page. The Alsatian Dog was first Registered by the AKC (American Kennel Club) in
1908. Dog Name Facts and Dog Names:The word Alsatian is often mis-spelt as
Alsation.
Description
of the Alsatian Dog and Puppies - Coat and Colors information
The Alsatian Dog's coat is normally a shade of solid black,
grey, tan, gold and white.
The coat is normally medium, straight and hard
Dog & Puppies Health information - potential problems of the Alsatian Dog Breed
All owners of dogs and puppies
are concerned about the health care of their pets and just as with
people dog health issues arise from time to time. Solving dog
health issues, including those of the Alsatian Dog, can prove to be
costly and it would be wise to consider the benefits of obtaining
canine health insurance. Diseases in dogs may occur because of
trauma, infection, immune system abnormalities, genetic factors,
or degenerative conditions. The most common health problems and questions
occur in relation to the Bones, Joints, Muscles, Nerves, Ears,
Eyes, Teeth and the Mouth. Other, more serious, issues can relate
to the Digestive System, Heart & Respiratory Systems, Immune &
Blood Systems, Reproduction and Urinary Systems. Potential health
problems of the Alsatian Dog can include:
Hip dysplasia
(abnormal development of hip joints)
Skin disease
Congenital heart
disease
Bloat
Panosteitis (an
inflammation of long bones in the legs.)
Should any Alsatian dog or puppies health
problems occur it is advisable to raise any issuess you may have
with a Veterinary Surgeon.
Information
on Grooming and Care of the Alsatian Dog Breed
The Alsatian Dog
requires weekly care and grooming.
Grooming consists of not only brushing out the coat and bathing
but also giving attention to the eyes, teeth, ears, feet and
nails. A regular routine helps to ensure that any potential health
problems are identified as quickly as possible, especially
important in puppies and older Alsatian Dogs.
Life
Expectancy information of the Alsatians
The life
expectancy for the Alsation breed is 12 – 14 years.
Age
comparison between the Alsatian Dog Breed and People
Age
comparisons between dogs and people are always a matter of
debate - we hope that the following information clarifies the
situation. After the 1st of life, a dog is equivalent to
16 human years. After 2 years, they are equivalent to a 24 year old, at
3 years a 30 year old, and each year after, add 5 human years to determine
a dog's equivalent age.
The
Pictures reflect the Size of Adults - not Children and Puppies!
The pictures above allow for a useful comparison of sizes
providing an accurate portrait of the size of an average Alsatian Dog- essential
information but unique to this site. The size of puppys are
considerably smaller and the full grown size of the canine can
easily be forgotten when confronted with cute puppies! The slogan
"A dog isn't just for Christmas - it's for life!" came
about as a result of well meaning people buying puppies at the
Xmas, unaware of
the puppy's growth rate. The pictures provided make it very
clear exactly how big puppies will grow and whether they will
suit the living conditions of the family.
Alsatian Dog - Puppies Info and Names
The
following considerations should be made when
choosing puppies:
Budget
- Purchasing, training, equipment, medication and feeding
costs of the breed
Convenience
and Grooming time e.g. long or short hair
Personal
situation - time available and medical conditions such as allergies
etc
Exercising
requirement for the Alsatian Dog breed
Living
Condition for the dog breed - suitability for puppies
Family
- is the dog suitable for a child or an elderly person
Herding
Dog Breed Information
Dogs in the Herding Group ( sometimes referred to as the Pastoral
Group )
include the Alsatian, were developed to perform a variety of tasks
relating mainly to the herding of livestock. The types of
livestock that these dogs are associated with are quite diverse
and include sheep, cattle, reindeer and any other cloven footed animals.
The Herding groups of dogs are eminently suited to these pastoral
tasks as many of the breeds have a weatherproof double coat to protect
them from the elements when working in severe weather conditions. Their
natural abilities have been fully recognised and the initial
livestock herding function have been extended to
include police work and Search & Rescue amongst other duties.
Herding
Dog Breed Duties and Tasks
Characteristics and features of Herding Dogs, including the
Alsatian,
have been introduced and strengthened by breeding with animals who
already demonstrated the desired traits. Breeding for appearance
was only introduced in the 19th Century. Before this time dogs and
puppies were bred to increase useful abilities and traits helpful
for the duties they were intended for. Herding Group dogs share the
amazing ability to control the movement of other animals. They
also have great stamina reserves which allow them to work from
dawn to dusk. The dogs are tenacious creatures who have the
ability to herd animals such as cattle which are many times their
size. They leap, run around frantically and nip at the heels of
any animals that they are herding. Add this behaviour to aggressive
barking and steely eye contact and their ability to influence much
larger animals is fully understood.
Thus,
the various Herding breeds, including the Alsatian, were bred
and introduced to help man according to his specific requirements
such as:
Herding
or Droving various animals including cattle and reindeer
Police
work
Tracking
Providing
a service to handicapped owners
Performing
Search
& Rescue
Acting
as sentries and couriers for
the Armed Forces
In
this day and age not every Alsatian might be called to undertake these
tasks, but nevertheless, they still harbour the skills and
characteristics that made the original Alsation breeding program
successful.
The
Herding dogs are medium to large in size. Alsatians are intelligent, active, courageous, and
determined dogs who make excellent companions and respond well to
firm training. Alsations instincts are very strong and given half a
chance they will try to herd, or round up, the family. They
enjoy work and look to their owners to provide tasks to enable
them to meet their instincts and be rewarded accordingly. Dog
Name Facts and Dog Names: The word Alsatian is often mis-spelt as Alsation or
Alsations.
