The American Tundra Shepherd Dog is a breed of shepherd dog. Above all, it is a rare breed in it's early development just as the German Shepherd Dog (GSD) was a hundred years ago. I draw many comparisons with the early working shepherd dogs of Europe and distinct differences as well. We know from written documents that wolf crosses were occasionally used until Baron von Stephanitz called for an end to this practice.

The American Tundra Shepherd Dog (ATSD) is a neo-primitive shepherd dog, much as the early shepherd dog of Europe must have been in their prehistory when their wolf ancestry was prevalent. A tractable animal capable of working for man but with a high level of personal autonomy inherent to it's behavior. I have seen photos of some of these early bat-eared, ugly shepherd dogs. These early shepherd dogs have little resemblance to the shepherd dogs of today. These shepherd-wolf dogs would also have stronger wild instincts as does the ATSD.

These instincts are exhibited in its sensitivity to its environment as compared to the modern shepherd dogs many of which have had the instinct for survival completely bred out of them. These dogs are highly controllable, eager to please, and in some cases willing to die for their master. The ATSD can be all of these things. I have found that most people are not qualified to raise and train an ATSD. I am speaking as an originator of the breed who has been living with, training and breeding these dogs for 20 years, also as a professional K-9 instructor. Unless you have some knowledge of wolf behavior and experience in dog training you could not possibly help your ATSD puppy be all that he can be.

Socialization from an early age and puppy training must be ritual, and constant well into adulthood. If he turns out to be a dominant animal, as some dogs will, he will have to be matched. One percent of ATSD, usually males will be difficult. These are strong-willed dogs that can attain a high level of personal autonomy unless subjugated by a strong hand. I appreciate these animals but they are not welcome in a civilized environment. These dogs can be highly aggressive just as any police dog but too dangerous for a non-professional.

This is an example of one extreme. In this same breed can be seen the complete opposite extreme in behavior which I also appreciate. I say this because I have a black and tan male that I refer to as a one-percenter. I also have a black male that is just as unfriendly in that he wants no part of any human but me. About 30-40 percent of ATSD show some level of this behavior. He will not let anyone pet him and acts fearful and distrustful around people. His attitude toward me is very submissive to the point that one would assume he has been beaten. Of course this is not true but unless you recognized this as typical wolf behavior you would not understand. He would bite if cornered but avoids conflict as a general rule and it would take an army of animal control officers to catch him. Although the one-percenter would probably be shot attacking a police officer. The point I am trying to make is; Speaking as a K-9 trainer is that the level of aggression or fight instinct ranges from very little to the other extreme that you would find in a police dog. All ATSD whether dominant or submissive are great companions to their masters. Remember you are ultimately the dominant animal.

Speaking of animals the ATSD dog is an awesome hunter. Several of my friends used to have problems with ground hogs and raccoons in their gardens. They seem to have a natural herding ability but as far as I know that is as yet proven.

The ATSD are prejudice against other breeds or domestic animals in general. The ATSD can be raised from puppy-hood with any dog, cat, horse, cow whatever and he will regard them as his own but outsiders beware it may take you a while to fit in, if at all. Another unusual aspect of their behavior regarding other dogs is that the ATSD recognizes his own kind. You cannot fool him with a look alike. When a group of ATSD are brought together calm will prevail with some responsible handling. But bring any other dog onto the scene and see the resulting disturbance. I view this as canine racism.

There is another kind of ATSD as well. Just as in all breeds there are the ambassadors of the breed, the dogs which are open, friendly to a point and behave well under all circumstances. Eager to please, outgoing and full of spirit, these are the dogs that are most prized to me as a breeder. As a the breed develops fully 50 percent or more are of this character. Also they are the future of the ATSD, and usually black and tan.

Think you can handle the truth? The truth is: if you do not use an air kennel to housebreak, your ATSD may never be housebroke. If you do not have a dog run for your ATSD you may never be able to maintain control of your ATS. Confinement give's you security and control. Let your ATSD run loose and your going to have trouble. We call this lack of responsibility the hillbilly mentality. We will not sell dogs to hillbillies.

A working dog philosophy is a must. A working dog is a kennel dog. A working dog is a dog worked everyday. He should work (train) when he is first removed from the kennel then he may be allowed to play or come in the house. An ATSD needs his own space for the time that he cannot be supervised. Be prepared to adopt this lifestyle when contemplating the purchase of an ATSD.

I would like to add this note on behavior. The ATSD does not bark unless he has a reason. This aspect of behavior makes living with an ATS a joy as compared to the incessant noise of most other breeds. ATSD live longer and healthier lives than other breeds. Of the few ATSD selected at random overtime to undergo OFA certification, all have passed that applied with good or excellent results. Thirteen years seems to be the average life span of an ATSD, one more commitment that must be considered before buying.

ATSD's come in a variety of colors. As the word shepherd connotes the primary color is black and tan. The black and tan coats come in conjunction with and directly relates to the working ability of the dog. Black and tan's come in variations as well such as black and cream, black and platinum, black and rust. Naturally we prefer short to medium coat length. This pertains to their colors also. Other colors include black, grizzled variations such as black and tan, cream, or rust. Many of these variations display a grizzled saddle but the true black and tan has a distinct black saddle without fade or obvious grizzled appearance. In the past we referred to these grizzled variations as simply sable or brindle but these terms were not found to be descriptive enough. Fault colors are solid red or yellow and of course white. It is not the policy of the American Tundra Shepherd Dog (ATSD), (The ATSD breed club) to breed fad colors. It is generally accepted by scientific breeders that this only leads to complications to the vigor of the breed.

From the beginning of my association with the breed, 20 years ago, when we refered to the ATSD as the quarter wolf, my vision of the ATSD was as a shepherd type dog, as opposed to a wolf-like dog. Originally known as the National Kennel Club (NKC), the founder changed its name in 1988 to Universal Kennel Club (UKC) until forced by the real UKC to change the name of it again where upon he seemed to have settled on the name Global Kennel Club (GKC). Apparently , from the animals I have seen breed by Global Kennel Club (GKC), the founder's registry, their vision is of a wolf-like dog. Therefore my philosophy is diametrically opposed to theirs and the breed seems to be splitting into two obvious types.

I accept that people want a wolfy looking animal that acts more like a dog and I will judge them as such. After all I consider myself the ultimate judge of the ATSD. Few people have more than a cursory knowledge of the bloodlines. Many have only been involved 5-10 years if that and do not even know their own dogs pedigrees. How could you breed dogs and not even know their pedigrees? You cannot, therefore you could not know what process to follow to gain a result. I know of only two people that know GKC and ATSD pedigrees 100%, Tom Baswell and myself. GKC does not even have all the bloodlines the ATSD has. How could they know them? They don't! I personally have been documenting the pedigrees of every ATSD I have been able to locate for 20 years. We, the ATSD have been researching pedigrees since it was formed. There is no other ATS Dog registry with as complete a record of pedigrees as the ATSD. What's more we register for free and include a full pedigree no matter who bred the dog ATSD or GKC. I have recently declared a two year moratorium on registration fees. We are also offering a reward for information leading to the location of lost ATSD dog breeders and/or owners - ATSD aficionados alienated by the GKC.

The ATSS was formed in 1988 by Greg & Joan Oberhelman. I became the President in 1990. I have been alienated from the breed founder since 1986. I see this as when the focus and influence I had on the breed as a whole was removed. But I digress. I consider the GKC irrelevant and normally would not give the subject the time of day.

The ATSD is evolving through a process of pure breeding within it's own bloodlines. The ATSD provides a stern focus and we will continue our work irregardless and despite what non-members do to the vision. If they can survive, more power to them. But remember: if you get an ATSD from anyone other than an ATSS certified breeder you are not protected or guided by the ATSS Code of Ethics and their leaders. Therefore you will have no credibility as is the case with the GKC, their leaders, and the members. The fact of the matter is the ATSD would be much further advanced and refined if better stock was used in the beginning. Puppy selection was haphazard as well. Some of the best pups were put down merely because of a white spot on the chest. My observations indicate that mark as a mark of tractability and domestication.

To some observers GKC's breeding policies may seem erroneous but a sinister motivation is behind these machinations. Unfortunately I and everyone that ever became involved with the ATSD and the founder of the breed has been duped into being guinea pigs for the Frankestein of all dog breeders. Not only have the dogs been misused so have the hapless owner/buyer/ perspective breeders. But I believe in the potential of the ATSD and I am not alone. Sooner or later these people become disillusioned and wind-up seeking out the ATSD. Not only do we rescue ATSD's we rescue their master too! The ATSS knows how to discern whether someone is truly dedicated to the breed or not. We are a breed club. Our focus is breeding better dogs not making a fast buck.

Unfortunately there are still people, including the founder of the breed, which exhibit that old hillbilly mentality, without which the ATSD would surely have progressed further that it has. This mentality has caused a high mortality rate in the ATSD resulting from improper or total lack of pre-education of potential buyers by the GKC breeders. Some people might argue my next point, but I believe the ATSD stands a good chance of becoming extinct. Yes there are quite a few ATSD's out there but very few are ever registered or bred at all, much less correctly. We are determined to only sell our best pups to people who can give us some assurance that they will participate in our breeding program. We have much to achieve with this dog. Dedicated trainers/owners and breeders are needed. The ATSD has great potential as a working dog. A one owner dog you will never forget or want to live without. Truly a member of the family. But not a dog for everyone, if your looking for a rewarding canine challenge, we may have the dog for you. For photos and more articles on the ATSD, please visit our website @ www.americantundrashepherddog.com