American Alsatian Dog Breed

Below are details and specs for the American Alsatian dog breed.

A large-sized breed. Males weigh 80-120 pounds, and are 25-28 inches at the shoulders in height; females weigh 75-100 pounds, and are 24-27 inches in height.

Alsatians are intelligent, sensitive animals with easygoing personalities. These dogs are very easy to train, and are great with kids and other pets. While not known for their watchdog abilities, their breeding as therapy dogs makes Alsatians excellent family companions.

This breed needs a moderate amount of care; it sheds excessively, and thus will need frequent brushing.

Unlike many dog breeds, the American Alsatian's exact origins can be pinpointed to a specific time and place: February 4, 1988, in Oxnard, California, when a female purebred German Shepherd named Swanny whelped a litter of puppies after mating with Buddy, a purebred Alaskan Malamute. The breeder responsible for producing this litter was Lois Denny, a lifetime animal lover and dog breeder; Denny's overall goal when initially crossbreeding a German Shepherd and a Malamute was to develop a breed similar in appearance to the Dire Wolf – a wolf breed from the prehistoric times – but with great intelligence and a gentle temperament like those of therapy dogs. Denny originally called her Shepherd-Malamute mix the North American Shepamute.

Over a period of nearly two decades, Denny continued refining the offspring, and at some point she added English Mastiffs to her selective breeding efforts in hopes of further clarifying the new breed's Dire Wolf-like appearance. During this eighteen-year crossbreeding period, Denny's undertaking gained notice, and became known as the Dire Wolf Project. By the early 2000s, Denny had arrived at what she considered a pure breed, and renamed it the Alsatian Shepalute, since the German Shepherd has also been called the Alsatian Wolfdog. In 2010, the breed's name was again changed, this time to the American Alsatian to reflect its country of origin.

Today, as one of the only large-sized companion or therapy dog breeds, American Alsatians are somewhat rare and exist mainly in the United States.

This breed has a medium-length, thick double coat. An Alsatian's well-proportioned body is generally a bit greater in length than in height. The large head, often surrounded by a "ruffed" collar of thick hair, is oval-shaped, with an unusually large muzzle; the eyes are almond-shaped, medium-sized, and yellow or light brown in color; the triangular ears are high- and wide-set, and normally carried erect. The chest is both broad and deep, the legs are angled backwards slightly, and the bushy tail is long and curved slightly.

Sensitive, intelligent, laid-back, and obedient, the American Alsatian behaves exactly as a therapy dog should: the breed is devoted to its handler, responds well to any and all commands, and is extremely easygoing – almost to the point of being lazy. These dogs make great family pets because of their low-key natures and affectionate, loving temperaments; their intelligence and sensitivity make them very easy to train. This breed is extremely people-oriented, and as such may suffer mild separation anxiety if left alone for extended periods. Their low energy levels, low barking tendency, and overall lack of aggression make them poor watchdogs, but their sheer size will likely deter any intruder. Overall, this breed is an excellent choice for families looking for a gigantic lap-dog.

Life expectancy is 12-14 years. Alsatians are a healthy breed, but a few may suffer from elbow and hip dysplasia and/or arthritis; rare cases of epilepsy are also found.