Alsatians v German Shepherds

[parikrama]

Is there any difference between an Alsatian dog and German Shepherd dog. I have believed it is one and the same, but still have not found a perfect answer for this.

[incitatus]

I too believe them to be the same thing....

[ravenhair]

They are indeed the same thing; the difference lies in the usage of the terms. In British English, the decision was taken to rename them Alsatians around the time of the First World War, when anything with a German link was undesirable. American English still uses German Shepherd.