Alaskan Shepherd

The name Alaskan Shepherd is a combination of the names of the dog’s parent breeds: the Alaskan Malamute and German Shepherd. The Alaskan Malamute is an ancient breed thought to have descended from wolf dogs that accompanied Paleolithic hunters across the Bering Strait over 4,000 years ago. Eventually, it acquired the name “Malamute” after the Mahlemuts Innuit tribe which inhabited the northwest coast of current day Alaska. Alaskan Malamutes were first bred for hunting large game and pulling sleds through icy terrain. In the 1800s, foreign explorers started to import Alaskan Malamutes to the United States as working dogs for Gold Rush expeditions in the Western part of the country. Eventually, American breeders began mating Alaskan Malamutes with smaller dogs for racing and entertainment purposes. This initiative destabilized the breed’s lineage for many years. In the 1920s, however, there was a successful effort to revive the purebred brand. Today, the Alaskan Malamute is the official state dog of Alaska and recognized by the AKC. As its name suggests, the Alaskan Malador’s other parent, the German Shepherd, hails from Germany where it was developed as a herding dog out of regional Shepherd varieties in the 1800s. It was initially called the German Sheepdog after its original purpose. The breed was so well-behaved and responsive that it eventually was used as a working dog in the German military. In fact, In World War I, German Shepherds helped supply soldiers with supplies and rations. In 1899, the Verein fur Deutsche Scharferhunde SV was established to guide the development of the breed, which lead to its popularity as a guard dog and pet in Europe. The American Kennel Club recognized the German Shepherd in 1908 and the breed grew steadily in popularity in North America. It remains a popular dog in the United States and Europe – especially Germany – to this day. The combination of these two parent breeds has resulted in a large, alert, and affectionate pet. The Alaskan Shepherd may have been breed since the early 1900s given the Alaskan Malamute and German Shepherd’s long history in the United States. Nevertheless, it is a scarce hybrid that is not recognized by the AKC.