Thursday, April 15, 2010

Where did the German Shepherd get its name?

Ive always wondered that,


I love german shepherds. they are the best!

Where did the German Shepherd get its name?
The answer to your "Where?" question is "North America".


The "When?" that you didn't ask was 1913, when Benjamin Throop and Anne Tracy founded The German Shepherd Dog Club of America. Prior to that the breed had no name in English speaking countries. In its homeland it had the German-language name, die deutsche Schäferhund.





However, your REAL question is probably a "Why?" rather than a "Where".


And the answer to THAT is that it's because the breed was developed in GERMANy to HERD SHEeP in the boundary patrolling way used there, a method very different to the technique used by Collies.


die=the, deutsche=German, Schäfer=shepherd, hund=dog. So "our" name for the breed is a direct translation of the original name





I don't know what the breed was first called, when the Phoenix Club was formed in 1891, but it doesn't matter, as that club disbanded in 1894.


On 22 April 1899 the Verein für deutsche Schäferhund (SV) was formed, with Max von Stephanitz as president and Artur Meyer as secretary, attracting 60 members that year (reaching 50,000 in 1923, around 100,000 in 1999); it takes responsibility for breed registration and breed direction. Basically, the breed is developed from working stock of 3 "types" found then in the regions of Thuringia, Frankonia and Württemberg. On September 20th the club approves by-laws, opens its Registry and, at the suggestion of A. Meyer and M. von Stephanitz, composes the breed-standard to be passed to the VDH (German Kennel Club). Verein=Club.





The first GSD registered (SZ 1) is Horand von Grafrath, a Thuringian dog originally named Hektor Linksrhein; his parents later receive registrations SZ 153 %26amp; 156.





The SV's web-site: http://www.schaeferhunde.de/





Some other notes from GSD history:


● A few GSDs found their way to Western Australia (1904), NAmerica (1906) and Britain before World War 1. In Britain they had no Breed Register, and were usually known as "French Police Dogs"; those that were shown went into the "Other Breeds" classes where they could win prizes but could not become champions.


● 1917 Anti-German feeling in the USA sees the breed renamed and its club becomes The Shepherd Dog Club of America until 1931.


● 1918 The breed's first British club is formed. In an attempt to hide the German origin, they name the breed Alsatian Wolf Dog, and so the club is The Alsatian Wolf Dog Club. Alsatian derives from the province of Alsace-Lorraine which was sometimes German, sometimes French. The "Wolf" was probably a combination of implying that the dog had to protect the sheep from wolves, and because Germans use "wolf" to describe the grey-sable colouring common in early GSDs, but it backfires with rumours of wolf-crosses (at least one of which is true).


● 1924 The British Alsatian League is formed. Later that year the 2 British clubs merge as the Alsatian League %26amp; Club of Great Britain. Although in Queen Elizabeth II's decades Britain's royal family are better known for Corgis, in the period 1924-1934 at least the 3 princes Edward Prince of Wales (later briefly King Edward VIII), Henry, and George (later King George VI) were involved in Alsatians, most prominent being the Prince of Wales who was a successful competitor in both breed %26amp; obedience classes and became an Honorary Member of the Alsatian League %26amp; Club


● 1927 The 40th Convention of the Graziers' Federal Council of Australia, held June 20-22 in Adelaide, unanimously passes “That the Commonwealth Authorities be requested to prohibit the importation or breeding of Alsatian Dogs.”


● 1929 NZKC changes the breed name to Alsatian Dog


● 1929 Australia bans Alsatian imports. Some states require native-born Alsatians to be de-sexed


● 1931 In January, Britain renames the breed "Alsatian"


● 1936 Britain renames the breed "Alsatian (German Shepherd Dog)"


● 1962 The new "Alsatian Dog Act" comes into force in Western Australia. All GSDs have to be desexed – but desexing is illegal in WA! Initially, the GSDA of WA. imported sterilized German Shepherd puppies from other states, with the pedigree papers in the name of the GSD Association. The buyers of the pups could then apply to have their pup transferred into their name, and club officials checked that the property of the prospective new owner was adequately fenced. The GSDA could approve or disapprove applications! The GSDA sent letters to owners of GSDs that had been found out in the street unaccompanied.


● 1968 On May 16 %26amp; 17, representatives of 11 nations’ GSD clubs meet to discuss forming a European Union of German Shepherd Dogs (EUSV). Following a busy weekend, Austria, Belgium, Britain (the BAGSD), Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the then Czechoslovakia set up the EUSV.


● 1972 Australia suspends its ban on importing GSDs. First legal import is NZ.Ch.Casar von Konig who goes to Adelaide's Gil Sharman. It took until December 24th, 1976 for Western Australia to end the ban.


● 1974 The WUSV (World Union of GSD C
Reply:Thanks for the points, voters.


It's a pity that [?] wasn't interested enough to choose a Best Answer herself, eh!


And I wish that Yahoo's "Preview" was actually a preview, so that I'd have known to abridge my notes from history!


Les P Report Abuse

Reply:Well they're from Germany...and they were used by shepherds to herd sheep...hence German Shepherd...the only thing interesting about their name is that they're officially called German Shepherd Dogs because their name in German is Deutsche Schäferhunde meaning literally "German Shepherd Dog".
Reply:The breed originated in Germany. The rest describes their function:


Sheep %26amp; herd = Shepherd. The name is actually German Shepherd Dog.
Reply:http://animal.discovery.com/breedselecto...





^in history of the dog.
Reply:from a French Poodle "Oh invade me, Wolfgang, you big German shepherd you!".
Reply:Thought it was obvious...?
Reply:german sheep dog
Reply:germans used them to herd sheep?


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