The White Shepherd Is Still A German Shepherd
Although there are people who would like to promote the idea of a separate breed, White Shepherds have most of the characteristic features of standard GSDs.
- Shed moderately year-round with a heavy loss of undercoat twice a year.
- Need brushing two to three times per week.
- Require up to two hours of exercise daily, best split into at least two sessions.
- Mental stimulation, reinforced training, and socialization are key to raising a well-behaved White Shepherd.
- White Shepherds have the potential for dog aggression. Socialization and neutering can help your Shepherd get along better with other dogs.
- Your White Shepherd is a versatile working dog, well-suited for many activities such as police work, guide, therapy, search and rescue, agility, and herding.
- White Shepherds are good family pets that require consistent time and attention to prevent boredom, destructiveness, anxiety, and aggression.
How Easy Are White Shepherds To Train
White Shepherds and white German Shepherds are both exceptionally intelligent. German Shepherd Dogs are rated as the third most intelligent breed of dog, behind Border Collies and Poodles. They are very easy to train if you are consistent in your commands and train regularly each day.
The German Shepherd Dog Club of America has some excellent short articles on training a German Shepherd puppy. Their advice can easily be applied to a White Shepherd puppy. Using consistency and practice in your training works for any dog. Rewarding positive behaviors is always good advice. And so on.
Things that White Shepherd puppies need to learn at home include:
- House training
- Bite inhibition
- Rules of the home/manners
- Basic obedience including walking on a leash, coming when called, etc.
- Grooming
These are all important things for a puppy to learn. House training is huge. Soiling in the house is one of the biggest reasons why dogs are dumped at shelters. This is the very most basic thing that a dog needs to learn if he wants to keep his home.
Dont forget to clean your puppys ears or at least check them regularly. Shepherds can have some ear problems occasionally.
What Will It Cost To Own A White German Shepherd
Owning a dog is not cheap. Purchasing a White German Shepherd puppy is far from cheap. Breeders may charge between $750 and $1,500. The initial cost of supplies could be around $500. Yearly medical costs could be about $500 while yearly non-medical costs could reach $1,000.
If youre lucky enough to find a White German Shepherd in a rescue shelter or adoption organization, you could spend as little as $150 to $250 in adoption fees.
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The Appearance Of White German Shepherd Puppy
The look of this german shepherd breed makes it one of the most treasured breeds among dog lovers. This German shepherd breed looks more similar to a sleek white wolf. Their striking white color coat and large frame make this breed look like a real wolf who is sharing the room with you in your home.
This white German shepherd comes in two varieties, one with solid white color while other varieties have white-colored coats having cream notes. Both this variety of white German shepherds has incredible plush with a thick inner coat.
The white German shepherd has a small to medium-sized coat with a slight amount of feathering which is usually sleek and straight.
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When you look at a white German shepherd dogs, their coat looks like shining in the light, but when you actually touch them, they are rough in texture. The outer coat in this breed is rough and coarse to touch but the inner coat is a little soft.
The white german shepherd shares the same physical characteristic in terms of body postures and shapes as another colored German shepherd. This breed is more muscular and slender in shape and with a proper diet, you can maintain their majestic look.
They have a slender and long muzzle with facial features indicating sharp landmarks. The ears in this breed after reaching adulthood have a triangular shape and stand upward at attention. But in the puppy stage, their ears stay floppy.
How Big Do Black German Shepherds Get
They are a large-sized dog that grows up to the same size or even bigger than regular German Shepherds.
The adult male Black German Shepherd has a height between 24 to 26 inches . The females are smaller with a size ranging from 22 to 24 inches .
The male ones have an average weight between 65 to 90 pounds while the female is on the lighter side, weighing 50 to 75 pounds .
Young Black German Shepherds mature and reach their full-grown size between 18 months to 2 years of age.
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White German Shepherd Personality
This breed is popular for its fierce loyalty toward those who love them and take care of them. They prove to be great and most loving companion dogs. You can trust this breed as a leader of the pack.
With their intense look, they may seem daunting to your friends and neighbors but in real they are welcoming and lovable friends when you raise them in an uplifting environment.
This breed is known for its dignified appearance. Those who look at this breed for the first time may feel it daunted but when you start loving them, you will see them as huge goofballs.
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They have guarding nature and will protect you every time. This breed is popular all around the world for their work ethics and they have a tendency to put their heart into everything they do. The white german shepherd breeders that will make an incredible companion for you.
This breed loves playing with their favorite human partner and will always be protective of them. They love playing and being around their favorite human being. This white German shepherd breed love participating in fetching up balls.
When it comes to loyalty, no breed can compete in protecting you and other members of your family. They will prefer forming a close bond with you and your family and they will always stand by your side.
Can A White German Shepherd Produce Standard Colored Offspring
The answer is YES!
The only way to get 100% solid white offspring is to breed two White German Shepherds, but if a White German Shepherd is bred to a colored German Shepherd, they will throw colored puppies. What proportion depends on whether the non-white Shepherd also carries the recessive white gene.
If the non-white carries the recessive white gene, the puppies will have a 50/50 chance of being white or colored.
If the non-white doesnt carry the recessive white gene, all the pups will be colored.
Given that we cannot know what color or pattern a White German Shepherd is masking, it is not easy to determine what colors the pups will be when bred to a non-white German Shepherd.
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German Shepherd Grooming & Care
Regardless of the color of your German Shepherd, your grooming process will be very similar, so dont think that choosing a specific color will help cut down on shedding!
These dogs have a long and fairly dense double coat, which means they do shed a lot. To keep your pups coat healthy, you should plan to brush them with a wire brush two to three times a week. This will help spread natural skin oils and also cut down on matting, tangling, and shedding. You wont avoid shedding altogether, so be prepared to do routine cleaning around the house in addition to regular brushing.
You should bathe your Shepherd about once a month or once every six weeks. Bathing more often can deplete those natural oils and lead to dry skin and irritation.
German Shepherd Dog Care
German Shepherds can be a handle to care for. They have large grooming needs, a hungry appetite and need a lot of exercise to keep them entertained. However, its always worth it!
You should ensure that you are exercising your German Shepherd for 60 to 90 minutes a day. This includes walks, playing and mental games. Your doggie will want a big back yard to run around in too, so they will not be getting the exercise they need if you live in a small apartment. Without adequate exercise, they can develop unwanted and destructive behaviors due to frustration and boredom.
The German Shepherd is a very intelligent dog and is therefore very easy to train. Their ease of training means that they make a great family dog as well as a dog for couples or individuals. However, they can be a little stubborn, so you should never punish them or scold them.
If youre lucky and have a medium coated German Shepherd dog, you may be able to get away with brushing them twice a week. However, if your dog has long hair, then youre going to need to brush them daily to prevent knots and tangles forming. They can shed a lot too, so their grooming needs can be difficult.
Because the Shepherd is a large dog, their diet should also be large. It is recommended that you feed them a diet specially formulated for large dog breeds and you should always check the back of the dog food packet to see how much of a certain food you should be feeding your dog based on their weight.
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Characteristics Of The White German Shepherd
White German Shepherds have many of the same characteristics as other German Shepherds. As puppies, they are born in litters of around five to ten puppies and can cost anywhere between $750 to $1000.
Appearance
White German Shepherd puppies look like little balls of fluff and are extremely cute! However, they grow very quickly and reach 50% of their adult size normally by around 4 months. By 1 year of age, they should be at their adult height. You should always buy from a reputable breeder because sometimes breeders try pass off German Shepherd mixes for pure white German Shepherds.
The White German Shepherd can weigh anywhere between 50 to 85 pounds with a male weighing more than a female. They are classified as a large dog breed and stand tall at 22 to 26 inches at the shoulder. Again, females are normally shorter than the males.
They are a very muscular and athletic breed, which is no surprise because they were bred for their working capabilities. They are very strong and wear a proud posture and have erect ears. Their feet are big too, even when they are puppies!
Coat
The White German Shepherd has two different types of coat short coat and long coat. If your White German Shepherd has a long coat, it will typically be much longer than other German Shepherds in the breed. The fur is thick and straight and does require quite a bit of grooming, although we will go into more detail about that below.
Color
Temperament
Lifespan
Do White German Shepherds Make Good Pets
White German Shepherds make wonderful pets as long as you can provide for their basic needs. You will need to have a suitable lifestyle to exercise and care for them properly.
A question often asked is whether German Shepherds are good first dogs. Let me offer my experience here as my first dog was and is a female GSD. They do make excellent first dogs, but you need to have lots of time and energy to socialize and train them.
If you are looking for a dog that needs hardly any exercise, grooming, or training, then a white German Shepherd is definitely not for you!
From a young pup, your GSD will need lots of attention and interaction from you. The white German Shepherd is good with children and other family pets, more so if raised with them.
All German Shepherd types require a home where someone is around during the day as they cannot tolerate being left alone for hours and hours on end. If you are out at work, you will need to plan and have a routine. You can enlist the help of friends, relatives, dog-sitters/walkers, or take your pup to doggy daycare.
German Shepherds are medium-large breed dogs, but exactly how much space do they need? Even though they are high-energy dogs, with lots of planning and hard work, theycan thrive in smaller homes even in apartments as long as their needs are met. You will be required to put in more work and dedication, but it can be achieved if you are determined to make it work.
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Do White German Shepherds Have Increased Risk Of Health Problems
Generally speaking, White German Shepherds do not have any proven increased risk of health problems related to their coloring.
This might be surprising if, for example, you compared them to Dalmatians, whose susceptibility to deafness is said to be associated with their coloration.
However, the white fur of Dalmatians is linked to a white piebald gene that also impacts inner ear structure, unlike the White GSD.
Exercise Need For White German Shepherd
They are a highly active breed that requires at least 1 hour of physical activity daily. This breed love playing, walking, running, fetching balls, and will gladly participate in every sport with you.
The white German shepherd breeders is good in advanced sports activities like jumping, agility, herding as well. With little effort, you can make this intelligent breed learn to walk on treat meals alike. It will help to offer the required exercise to your pooch when you are in the mood for some lazy morning.
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How Big Do White Shepherds Get
According to the UKC breed standard for the White Shepherd, the ideal height and weight for the White Shepherd at maturity is 25 inches tall and 75-85 pounds for males and 23 inches and about 60-70 pounds for females. Dogs can be and inch up or down in height.
The UKC breed standard for German Shepherds calls for male dogs to be 24-26 inches and female should be 22-24 inches. No weight requirements are given.
AKC lists the German Shepherd Dog as 24-26 inches for the male and 22-24 inches for the female. Males weigh 65-90 pounds females weigh 50-70 pounds. This includes white German Shepherds even though they cannot be shown in conformation.
So, you can expect most White Shepherds and white German Shepherds to be very large dogs, especially the males.
So Exactly What Is A White German Shepherd
The White German Shepherd Dog is a German Shepherd with a white coat.
The White German Shepherd Dog Club International, Inc. constitution states the FIRST objective of the Club shall be: To preserve the name and heritage of the White German Shepherd Dog as an integral and inseparable part of the German Shepherd Dog breed.
For years the White German Shepherd has been misunderstood and even ostracized as a defect in the German Shepherd breed.
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Can A White German Shepherd Breed A Colored Litter
Breeding a white German Shepherd with a colored German Shepherd will produce colored offspring with the occasional white puppy in the mix but a white puppy might not happen at all!
This is dependent on the colored German Shepherd and if they carry the white gene. If a non-white GSD carries the recessive color gene, the offspring has a 50% chance of being colored or white. If a non-white GSD does not carry the recessive color gene, all of the puppies will be on a colored variety.
Because breeders cant determine if a non-white German Shepherd carries the white gene or not, it is difficult for them to determine what colors the pups will be before breeding them.
However, two all-white German Shepherds cant produce a colored litter all the puppies with be white and carry the recessive gene.
White Shepherds Should Have A Stable Temperament
White Shepherds should have the self-confidence and work ethic that any GSD would. Club judges do not tolerate shyness, fearfulness, or aggression.
White Shepherds can be aloof with strangers, but once they become familiar with someone, they usually are cordial.
The emphasis on the White Shepherd revolves around its working ability, which is an attempt to remain true to the original intention of founder Max von Stephanitz.
Not only should a White Shepherd have the ability to work, but it should visibly enjoy any tasks, while showing focus and excellent execution.
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They Are Clever Busy And Active Dogs
They are a very high energy breed and it is good to make sure that they have an outlet for this energy to ensure that they do not get bored. Boredom can lead to problem behaviors. They are dogs that do well in dog sports like agility and obedience and their fitness, motivation levels and intelligence are why they are often used in the military and police and as service dogs. They should not be left alone at home for extended periods and may benefit from a dog walker if you have to work during the day.
It is important to also make sure that they get enough stimulation around the home. Alongside exercise and training, making sure they have some enriching and interactive treat toys can be very beneficial.
Can German Shepherds Be White
Yes, German Shepherds can be white. The color of a dog is determined by two gene series that are separate from breed and ancestry determination genes. One gene series determines the coat color and the other gene series determines if the dog has an agouti or solid coat pattern.
There are four other possible coat-color series that can take place in dogs including white. These are black, chocolate, yellow, and isabella which was previously known as a fawn.
On the other hand, there are three possible agouti patterns that can be present on a dogs coat including solid, ticked, and grizzled. A German Shepherd with a solid coat pattern can have a white coat.
A German Shepherd with an agouti coat will have a solid colored back and a ticked pattern down its legs, front chest, belly, and head which is known as a black overlay or black trim.
The German Shepherd that does not seem to fit into the above colors or patterns is the one that has an extremely rare solid grizzled coat that is also known as a sable German shepherd.
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