Dog Breeds

White swiss shepherd

Intelligent, who likes to perform tasks that a man requires from him, an energetic shepherd dog similar to a German shepherd. It comes in two types of coat: short and long-haired. White swiss shepherd can calmly lie around all day, but it needs a minimum of an hour of intense walk a day. Treated gently, they learn very quickly.

Nature

White Swiss Shepherds are derived from German Shepherds. However, their breeding went in a different direction than breeding German Shepherds. Breeders sought above all to get a nice family dog. His appearance favors it – a white dog, even large and with erect ears, looks softer than a dark dog.

In white shepherds there was no predisposition for defense sports. Also, the exhibition selection went in a different direction. White shepherd dogs have straight backs, not falling down like in modern German Shepherd Dogs.

There are also differences in the psyche of these two races. The white shepherd is calmer and less excitable than a typical German shepherd. This makes it easier to drive.

Skills

White swiss shepherd can be trained for sports obedience, tracking or agility. Although less spontaneous than German, they require time. White shepherd can calmly lie around all day, but it needs a minimum of an hour of intense walk a day.

White swiss shepherd. Training and education

White swiss shepherd dogs kept the willingness to cooperate with people typical for a typical shepherd dog. Treated gently, they learn very quickly. They are gentle and patient with children.

White swiss shepherd

However, there are excessively distrustful individuals. That is why dogs of this breed require careful socialization. From a young age, they should be familiarized with various situations, people, animals, etc. Otherwise, they can react with anxiety or aggression.

Who is this race for?

White shepherds are generally easy to raise; even suitable for novice owners. However, you have to remember that they are big dogs, requiring them to be moved and some occupations. It’s a good choice for an active family.

White swiss shepherd. Advantages and disadvantages

Disadvantages

  • it molts intensively twice a year
  • there are fearful individuals

Advantages

  • calmer and less excitable than the German Shepherd
  • easy to raise
  • willing to cooperate
  • patient with children

White swiss shepherd. Health

Generally, it is a healthy breed, but dysplasia of the hip and elbow joints occurs, so it is best to buy a puppy from the parents tested.

White swiss shepherd

Feeding

He is not fussy, he can be fed good quality dry or wet food or food prepared at home.

White swiss shepherd

Care

Care for the coat of a White swiss shepherd is simple – just brushing once a week, more often during molting. In long-haired dogs, pay attention to the longer hair behind the ears, because they tend to felter.

White swiss shepherd. History

White shepherds come from German Shepherds. Initially, white individuals were also registered and exhibited. This coat is caused by a recessive gene. For white puppies to be born, both parents must transfer this gen. His carrier was Horand von Grafrath – the first officially registered German Shepherd who had a white grandfather, a dog named Greif.

So the color was visible from the beginning and was not considered inferior. At the end of the nineteenth century, the Habsburg court even tried to lead a clean line of white shepherds, which were to blend in well with the white dresses of queens and gray horses.

White swiss shepherd

The modern pattern of the German Shepherd treats the white coat as disqualifying. Germany contributed to this during World War II. They found white to be faulty for several reasons. First, they thought that mating white and colored dogs contribute to the red color saturation in offspring. This is not true, because the brightening of the red color is influenced by completely different genes than the formation of white.

Secondly, white dogs were considered ‘albinos’ and were thought to be deaf, blind and photosensitive. This argument is also not covered in reality. These dogs are not albino because they have normal pigment in the skin, mucous membranes and eyes. Deafness, blindness and photosensitivity can occur in dogs with white coats conditioned by completely different genes.

Thirdly, it was believed that white dogs are not suitable for work, because they “merge” with sheep. Meanwhile, some shepherds preferred white dogs because they could easily distinguish them from wolves.

White swiss shepherd

Recessive traits are very difficult to eliminate, which is why white puppies get up to today in German Shepherd litters. They were often put to sleep by breeders just after birth or quietly distributed without papers. Especially in Europe, the occurrence of this color has been significantly reduced. However, some breeders from the USA and Canada have set up clubs specifically for white shepherd dogs and have started breeding them independently of “normal” German shepherds.

In America, the breed is known today as the “white German Shepherd” or simply “White Shepherd”. Europeans liked these dogs so much that they began to be brought to the Old Continent and bred, registering in American or European clubs, not associated with FCI. In Europe, the breed gained the name “White American-Canadian Shepherd”. Her huge popularity contributed to recognition in 2002 by the FCI. Switzerland applied for recognition, which is why the breed received a new name: “White Swiss Shepherd”.

White swiss shepherd

All this caused a lot of confusion and problems with registering dogs. Pedigrees of many independent clubs are not recognized by the FCI. The FCI also does not want to register dogs from America that have a different breed name.

Template

White Swiss Shepherd Dog – Group I FCI, section 1, Model No. 347

  • Country of origin: officially Switzerland, however, the breed comes from white German Shepherds, and its breeding as a separate breed began in the USA and Canada
  • Character: nice companion dog, gentle towards children, watchful guardian, learns quickly and willingly works with people; he may be distrustful of strangers, but he should not show fear or aggression
  • Size: dogs: 60-66 cm, bitches: 55-61 cm
  • Weight: dogs: approx. 30-40 kg, bitches: approx. 25-35 kg
  • Coat: two types of coat: short-haired shepherd – medium-long, thick, close-fitting coat and long-haired shepherd – long coat, forms a feather on the back of the limbs, stomach and tail, it can be slightly wavy; in each case, the coat is double-layered, composed of hard topcoat and dense undercoat, close-fitting
  • Color: white (often ivory)
  • Lifespan: 11-12 years
  • Vulnerability to training: very high
  • Activity: active, but adapts to a calmer lifestyle, provided that we provide long walks
  • Resistance/susceptibility to diseases: very resistant; there are genetic diseases: hip and elbow dysplasia as well as allergies

Interesting facts

In the 1920s, white shepherds went to the USA and Canada. The breed was popularized first in these countries – hence the white Swiss Shepherd Dog often functions as a white American-Canadian Shepherd Dog. It wasn’t until around 1970 that the first copies were imported into Switzerland.

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