Why GSD?

as everyone prolly has figured out im not real good with alot of the dogs...just the ones that are all over...like labs haha! but why do they call them German shepherd (dog) i just dont get it! i mean cause i dont call coco my labrador ret. dog! I guess i started thinking about it last night when i saw a license plate that said (Heart) 4mygsd

Probably because they originated in Germany and not to confuse them with the Belgian Shepherd, Australian shepherd, etc. There are a lot of different shepherd breeds out there. Without going into too much detail, this is the simplest way I look at it. We have to say dog because it could mean just a man who is a shepherd...lol...

haha okay makes sense! It'd be a little weird if we had a shepherd man! ;)

Mike is right- also- its to give the dogs a place as a worker all around dog...

Hmmm, good question. I wonder if GSDOG would know the answer to that one. :p ;)
There is also ACD - American Cattle Dog. I guess I could start calling Zoee my Australian Shepherd Dog (ASD)?? LOL

Dont you mean by ACD - Australian Cattle Dog? not amercian? :)

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Originally Posted by Sadie_Sasha

Dont you mean by ACD - Australian Cattle Dog? not amercian? :)

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Probably. LOL I am not a dog expert. Oops. Now I feel stupid. :p

Most breeds have longer names that aren't commonly used. Not many people actually put "dog" on the end of German shepherd dog when they are saying it. In Canada, Belgians are called "Belgian shepherd dogs," though I just call them Belgian shepherds.

A lot of French breeds have "dogue" (an OLD OLD way of saying dog) tacked on.

I think it makes sense, as otherwise you could confuse them with a human employed as a sheep herder who lives in Germany!

Not totally sure if I understand the question..but..

maybe to distinguish a "German Shepherd" from his dog?


:p That may or may not have been a joke...I really don't know. :)

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Originally Posted by Karen

I think it makes sense, as otherwise you could confuse them with a human employed as a sheep herder who lives in Germany!

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LOL ...good point, I hadnt thought of it that way...:)

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Originally Posted by GSDOG

In german it is called Deutsche Schaferhunde..which means German Shepherd Dog...That is what the founder of the breed called it. In america before WWI started the AKC called it the German Sheepdog, during the war they dropped the German part, after the war the AKC changed the name to German Shepherd Dog. .........I actually looked this up because it has been a long long time since I even thought about the dog part of the name...If I am not mistaken Belgians are called Belgian Sheepdogs???

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In the FCI they are referred to as the Mechelen Belgian Shepherd, Tervuren and Groenendael Belgian Shepherds (had to share a section. Dont know why that is), and Laeken Belgian Shepherds.

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The American Kennel Club (AKC) recognizes only the Groenendael under the name "Belgian Sheepdog", but also recognizes the Tervueren (with the alternative spelling "Tervuren") and the Malinois as individual breeds. The Laekenois can be registered as part of the AKC foundation stock service and should eventually be recognised fully by the AKC.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgian_Shepherd_Dog

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Originally Posted by GSDOG

If I am not mistaken Belgians are called Belgian Sheepdogs???

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The AKC is the only registry in the world that calls them Belgian sheepdogs, and it only refers to the longhaired black dogs. :) CKC used to call them Belgian sheepdogs, but there was too much confusion since CKC allows intervariety breeding between all the varieties and classifies them as one breed, and AKC does not.

Well, based on all of this, then I guess Coco Bean and others need to start referubg to her Labrador Retriever DOG so we know they don't mean a person from Labrador who retrieves! :D