White Swiss Shepherd | Dog Breed Information & Facts – Pictures

The White Swiss Shepherd (The Berger Blanc Suisse), perhaps one of the most beautiful specimens of dogs that exists. He is considered an extremely beautiful dog, a good companion at home and very useful in various areas to which he is subject.

This dog is part of the shepherd family, as its name suggests, and has been known by many names over the years. He was called white shepherd, Canadian shepherd or American shepherd, although he is generally known as white German shepherd because he shares all the characteristics of the German shepherd, where he comes from, except the color of his fur.

With a wolf-like appearance and dense white fur, the White Swiss Shepherd is simply a beautiful dog, both morphologically and phylogenetically.

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According to the FCI breed standard, the height at crossbreeding is 60 to 66 centimeters for males and 55 to 65 centimeters for females.

The ideal weight is 30-40 kilograms for males and 25-35 kilograms for females.

The White Swiss Shepherd is a robust and muscular dog, but elegant and harmonious at the same time.

• Head: Graceful, harmoniously situated in relation to the body. The muzzle is wedge-shaped, of medium length, tapering towards the nose. The nose and lips are black, let’s say a shade lighter.
• Jaws: Scissor bite, teeth perpendicular to jaw. The grip is powerful.
• Ears: Rectangular shape with rounded ends. Tied high and straight, slightly forward.
• Eyes: Almond shaped, medium size. An expressive look in brown or dark brown with black eyeliner.
• Torso: Compact and tense body, with well-developed muscles. Withers and chest are clearly defined. The back and loins are strong. The croup is long, slightly sloping towards the base of the tail.
• Legs: Thin and lean, with medium bones. Hind and forelimbs have the correct slope. The movements are coherent and rhythmic.
• Coat: Snow-white and thick, medium to long in length, may be slightly curled. The neck and the back of the legs are decorated with spectacular hairs. The undercoat is straight and harsh.

The White Swiss Shepherd is a cheerful and sociable dog, loves space and cannot sit still, while being very intelligent and obedient.

With a good education, a very disciplined animal. Curious and energetic, especially at a young age, he perceives training as a game: he easily remembers commands and executes them easily.

He has a friendly and calm disposition. He quickly becomes attached to the owner and imbued with warm feelings for the family, obeys children.

Attentive, without nervousness, he observes strangers, controls his territory and is very good with children and hospitable.

The White Swiss Shepherd coexists peacefully with other quadrupeds. It is suitable for beginner dog breeders.

Nature has awarded the Swiss shepherd dog with good health, but not everything depends on natural data. The owner must take care of the pet and monitor its condition. Only in this case can the dog live the maximum number of years.

Every dog ​​owner should be aware of the predisposition of his pet to certain diseases. The following are the diseases that occur most often in the white shepherd dog:

• Dysplasia of the elbow and hip joints – characterized by pain and lameness in the initial stages, at the last stage the dog will be completely or partially immobilized with intolerable pain.
• Allergy – more often an allergic reaction to food is manifested, there may also be an allergy to fleas, to care products.
• Congenital diseases of the spine are anomalies in the development of the number or structure of the vertebrae (scoliosis, lordosis, kyphosis).
• Autoimmune diseases – an attack of the immune system against organs and tissues of its own organism, as a result of which their structural and functional damage occurs.
• Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency – can develop at any age, but more often in individuals younger than 4 years old.
• Osteoarthritis – leads to abnormal development of the hip joint, damage to the cruciate ligaments, dislocation of the knee and damage to the joints.
• Von Willebrand’s disease is a hereditary blood disorder.
• Cauda equina syndrome is a serious neurological disorder.
• Degenerative myelopathy – caused by impaired conduction of spinal cord motor neurons.

Unpretentious in everyday life, he can live just as well in an apartment, subject to daily walks of 2 to 3 hours and regular training.

The White Swiss Shepherd does not require much attention:

• Minimal hair care – during the moulting period, it is enough to comb it 2 times a week with a frequent (for medium length) or rare (for long hair) comb;
• In spring and summer, during the period of high tick activity, daily inspection of the animal;
• The ears, the eyes, the oral cavity are treated as they become dirty;
• The claws are trimmed once a month.
• It is important to follow the diet and the vaccination schedule.

• The first officially registered German Shepherd Dog with a normal coat had a great-grandfather with a pure white coat.
• The Swiss shepherd dog was prized by farmers for blending in with the white wool of sheep, without standing out in the flock that was under his protection.
• For a long time, they did not want to recognize this breed as a separate species. All because of the misconception that white coat color negatively affects the performance of dogs.

The White Swiss Shepherd is a direct descendant of the German Shepherds, and in fact, the former and the latter were considered the same breed. In the late 19th century when the German Shepherd breed was formed, all colors were accepted for standardization, including white. The White Shepherd and the White Swiss Shepherd, as well as the German Shepherd, are now thought to be three different breeds, despite having the same origin.

The process of separation began after 1920, when the German Shepherd breed, which was white in color, was rejected to participate in dog shows. By the way, it is interesting to know that the first officially registered German Shepherd named Horand von Grafrath had a classic color, although the maternal great-great-grandfather of this dog was pure white. After 1970, breeders appeared who began to deliberately breed white sheepdogs, and American enthusiasts played a big role in this.

As paradoxical as it may seem, some individuals born in the United States were first registered in Switzerland – apparently to emphasize their ancestral roots. Although, in their native country they were registered as a subspecies of German Shepherds, and the first association of the white shepherd breed appeared in America, and not in their native country, which is again paradoxical. In Switzerland, these dogs, as a separate breed called Berger Blanc Suisse, were not registered and officially recognized until 1991. After Switzerland, in 1992, Holland and other European countries recognized the breed.