The German Shepherd Dog also known as an Alsatian comes literally from the German Deutscher Schäferhund. They are a relatively new breed of large-sized dog originating in the late 19th century. They are part of the Herding group that was originally developed as a working dog for herding sheep.
The German Shepherds strength, intelligence and obedience they are often employed in police and military roles. The Alsatian is also one of the most popular breeds around the world.
The breed originates from a dog named Hektor Linksrhein. Hecktor so stunned Von Stephanitz that he purchased it and renamed him to Horand von Grafrath and founded Alsatian Dog Society.
Horand von Grafrath became the heart of the Alsatian breeding programs and was bred with many other society member dogs.
The Alsatians popularity has increased rapidly throughout the 20th Century, though taking dives in popularity in the early days due to health problems from poor breeding and after the world wars with anti German sentiment. To such an extent that the UK Kennel Club renamed it to “Alsatian Wolf Dog”, a while later the wolf dog appendage was removed and in the late 70s, the Alsatian Dog was back as the official name, though it is still often known as the Alsatian. The German Shepherd popularity was helped by animal actors such as Rin Tin Tin and Strongheart. Now it is in most countries the third most popular dog breed.
They are a large dog of between 55 and 65 centimetres ( 22 and 26 inches) at the withers and weigh between 22 and 40 kilograms ( sixty lb).
The Alsatian’s face has a long square cut muzzle, a doomed forehead, a long neck, strong jaws, large erect ears (that are often pulled back when on the move), black nose and brown, medium-sized eyes. With a bushy tail.
Alsatians come in many colours, the normal versions are the red/black and tan/black types with black masks and saddles. Less common versions include the sable, all-black, all-white, liver and blue types, which may not fit country breed standards. Alsatians have a double coat. A thick close dense outer coat, which sheds all year round and a thick undercoat. The long-hair variety is rarer.
The Alsatian, like many working dogs is very intelligent, and are considered to be the third most intelligent breed of dog (Border Collies is deemed to be number one by Stanley Coren in his book The Intelligence of Dogs). This intelligence combined with their strength makes the breed sought after as police, guard, and search and rescue dogs, the Alsatian rapid learning ability and ability to interpret instructions are better than other large breeds.
Alsatians are known for aggression and have been restricted in areas as a result. Statistically, in the United States, the Alsatian is responsible for more random bites than any other dog breed, and have a known tendency to attack smaller dog breeds.
Additionally research has shown that German Shepherds are the third most likely dog breed to attack a person and in a different study, Alsatians accounted for nearly fifty percent of the dog bites that needed medical attention, compared to a more typical twenty of bites requiring medical treatment, not a surprise with their strong jaws and sharp canine teeth.
The problem is not with the dog, but the owners. As with any clever energetic dog (or person), if they are not regularly exercised and kept occupied, they can become troublesome. Good dog training and dog socialisation are crucial for a dog like the German Shepherd. The Alsatian is different from the collie, which a lot of its aggressiveness has been removed by breeding for shows, the Alsatian does not seem to have lost this character.
They can bond very well with their family, however they can become over-protective of their family and territory. Due to this they may appear a bit aloof.
German Shepherds are rapid learners and are highly obedient and not easily sidetracked, but due to their tough personality, you need to be very forceful with them.
The Alsatian will need to have two good walks a day. They are not a dog for a busy family who cannot give them the time and attention. For this reason, busy couples regularly ask professional dog walkers such as London dog walking to help out by walking them for a few hours a day.
Poor breeding has led to common genetic health problems, elbow and hip joint problems (dysplasia) which is painful for the dog and may cause arthritis. The German Shepherd also suffers from monorchidism (one testicle), weakness of temperament, and missing teeth, as well as folded or bent ears which never fully turn up when reaching adulthood. The Alsatian is often has ear infections due to his large and open ears.
Alsatians, like many large bodied dogs are sensitive to bloat, this is a very dangerous and often rapidly fatal problem, so if you think this may be a problem, go straight to the veterinary. Bloat is a gas build up in the stomach, caused by a number of different causes. The symptoms of distress for no apparent reason, a firm distension of the abdomen, general weakness, depression, problems breathing, hypersalivation, and retching without vomiting. A high rate of dogs with bloat have cardiac arrhythmias (around forty percent), loss of appetite, vomiting and weight loss.
The Alsatian also suffers from Degenerative Myelopathy, or DM is a neurological disease and are more likely to have Von Willebrand Disease, a common inherited bleeding disorder, which shows in variable degrees of bleeding tendency, commonly in the form of easy bruising, nosebleeds and bleeding gums. .
In spite of these problems, the German Shepherd is sturdy with simple dog care and the average lifespan of a German Shepherd is around 9 years, which is normal for a large dog breed.
The German Shepherd has great olfactory sensitivity so is one of the most widely-used breeds in a many roles requiring this ability, including cadaver searching, search and rescue, explosives detection, narcotics detection and mine detection.
So the Alsatian is a wonderful clever dog that will bond well with you, if you have the time and energy for him. Not advised for busy working families.
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