About White German Shepherds

White German Shepherds are striking animals that have the same physical and temperament characteristics of their more commonly colored German Shepherd counterparts. They are loyal family pets, active sports dogs, and diligent protectors of their families and homes. Although white is not a recognized color variety in most major registries, the white German Shepherd dog has a loyal and devoted following, which keeps the breed alive and thriving in many countries.

  1. History

    • White German Shepherds were developed when European breeders added dogs with strong Shepherd characteristics to help broaden the narrow gene pool of the German Shepherd dog. The new dogs had recessive white genes that began to result in white-coated dogs during the course of breeding. Officially, the German Shepherd Dog Club of Germany does not recognize "white" German Shepherds, and most formal dog registries followed suit.

    Registries

    • White German Shepherds are a variety of the German Shepherd Dog. While they can be registered, they are the only color variety of GSD (German Shepherd Dog) that is disqualified from breed showing in the American Kennel Club, the German Shepherd Dog Club of Germany and most other major dog registries. Although they cannot compete in breed conformation classes, all white German Shepherds are eligible for competition in other classes, such as obedience, agility, tracking and Schutzhund (or "protection dog" competition). Because white German Shepherds are not eligible for conformation showing in official registries, owners and enthusiasts of the color variety formed their own White German Shepherd Club in order to improve their breeding programs.

      Even though the white German Shepherd originated from German Shepherd Dogs this selective breeding for color has created a new breed. It still carries all of the traits, but no longer holds the dominant brown and black color pattern, of German Shepherds.

    Temperament

    • Like all German Shepherds, the white variety must be fearless, yet loving and loyal, protective of their owners and homes, and very active. They excel at sports because of their athletic builds, as well as their love of sporting behaviors such as agility, obedience, herding and tracking. The White German Shepherd, like its colored relatives, makes an exceptional police dog and guard dog. Because of their very reliable temper and extreme intelligence they also make wonderful service dogs for blind and handicapped individuals.

    Size

    • The White German Shepherd is a large dog between 22 and 26 inches at the shoulder, and they should be longer than they are tall. The dogs will generally be muscular and strong. Their size and strength does not keep them from being excellent family pets, however, and they are often very cautious around small children to keep from knocking them over, often becoming quite protective of the children of their families.

    Inherited Health Problems

    • White German Shepherd Dogs carry the same tendencies for hereditary health problems as all other GSDs. They have a high tendency for hip and elbow dysplasia, von Willebrand's Disease (a dog version of hemophilia), eczema, epilepsy, keratitis (inflammation of the eye) and dwarfism.