5. Fear of Germans resulted in German dogs being killed in America
In America, suspicion of the Germans was so high that even German shepherd dogs were killed. The names of frankfurters, hamburgers, sauerkraut and dachshunds were all changed to American names. German stopped being taught in schools and German-language books were banned.
Before the war, it had been the second most widely spoken language in the US.
The breed was named Deutscher Schäferhund by von Stephanitz, literally translating to "German Shepherd Dog".
The direct translation of the name was adopted for use in the official breed registry; however, at the conclusion of World War I, it was believed that the inclusion of the word "German" would harm the breed's popularity, due to the anti-German sentiment of the era.
The breed was officially renamed by the UK Kennel Club to "Alsatian Wolf Dog",after the French-German border area of Alsace-Lorraine.