Are Black German Shepherds Good Family Dogs
Black German shepherds make wonderful family pets and companions. Naturally loyal and devoted to their owners, they like to be close to their people and spend lots of time by their side.
Plus, due to their protective nature, black German shepherds make excellent watchdogs and will always feel the urge to watch over you and your family.
Training Goal #: Socialization
Puppies of all breeds have a critical socialization window that closes at 12 to 16 weeks of life, and your GSD puppy is no exception. In fact, for GSDs, who by nature are protective guardians, socialization is extra important so that your puppy learns which strangers are friendly and not a threat.
GSDs are very observant, and your puppy will pick up on your cues and reactions around new people and new situations. During this critical period, having exposure to many different kinds of people in non-threatening situations will help your puppy be confident among friendly strangers rather than fearful or aggressive. And even during times of social and physical distancing, you can still socialize your puppy safely.
Proper socialization cannot be overemphasized for this breed as Adams notes, The foundation for most training is confidence. It is critical that the GSD puppy is well socialized from an early age onward. Safely exposing the puppy to new sights, sounds, and smells is absolutely critical for development. Good socialization translates to confidence.
Certified dog trainer and CGC evaluator Jacqui Foster, CPDT-KA, echoes this sentiment: I tend to lean more towards developing self-confidence in the puppy. For this I recommend short, fun, three-minute games that engage the puppy with the owner as well as in noises, weird and uneven surfaces, family members, etc., throughout the day. A confident puppy is a happy puppy.
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FAQ About German Shepherd Puppies
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A German Shepherd That Is Not Black Can Produce Black German Shepherd Puppies
Yes, you heard right. A German Shepherd that is, say, black and tan, can carry the recessive solid black gene and produce Black German Shepherd puppies. However, both parents must have the recessive gene for solid black to appear in the litter. So if you go to meet your puppy and see that the parents arent solid black, dont be surprised! It can happen. The second way solid Black German Shepherd puppies are produced is by mating two solid blacks. This mix can only produce a solid black litter.
German Shepherds At Birth
The puppies are born! This is the most exciting time in a puppys journey as it is just beginning. German shepherd puppies are born all black. At this point, it is hard to tell what color they will be, and they need to do some growing before we can be sure of their color.
The only exception to this rule is that if your puppy is born all white, they will stay all white, and there should be no further changes.
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White German Shepherd Price
As with any purebred, the prices of a white German Shepherd can vary. So, how much does a white German Shepherd cost on average?
On average, a white German Shepherd will cost $1740 to buy. I obtained this price from the average of 5 breeders I contacted. Prices vary depending on various factors such as breeder reputation, demand, location, bloodline, litter size, and whether full breeding rights are included.
These are the white German Shepherd breeders I contacted to get the prices of current litters. Some breeders will charge more if you want your pup to have AKC full breeding rights. Please note, Im not endorsing any of these breeders, but I wanted to give you a clearer picture of the prices of a white German Shepherd.
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Where Did The White Coat Come From
Dog coat color genetics is a fascinating subject:
No matter what color your dog is, the shades and tones are produced by two pigments: eumelanin and pheomelanin. Genetic markers are passed onto a pup from the parents that tell the cells in each hair follicle what colors to produce and how much.
Eumelanin is responsible for black, which can be diluted to make many other shades, from brown, to blue and gray. Pheomelanin produces red, and when diluted, it makes all shades of gold, yellow, or fawn.
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White German Shepherd Temperament: The Best Dog For Families
Rather than being inferior, many White GSD owners suggest that the opposite is true, that these dogs are calmer and more affectionate than normal GSDs, and they make great family pets!
All the evidence supports this second view, as many White German Shepherd breeders have deliberately bred dogs with a more mellow and sweeter temperament.
These fantastic creatures are great with families, but those with a softer temperament are not so good as guard dogs, service dogs, or for taking part in doggy protection sports. Even so, they excel at agility courses and generally having fun.
In the end, any opposition to this is all about keeping purebred dogs as close to the breeding standards as possible. German Shepherds are working dogs, and many people dont like the idea of a softer German Shepherd!
White German Shepherds Puppies Cause Fading
Another false claim!
In the past, many people believed that if you bred a white dog with a standard color, it would cause faded colors in the pups. People were worried that the German Shepherd dog breed would eventually look very different because of this.
As a result, thousands of white pups were needlessly slaughtered, mainly in Germany from the 1930s onwards.
Recent research has proved that white dogs do not affect the coat color of subsequent pups. If you breed two whites together, theyll produce solid white puppies. However, a white dog and a non-white dog have a 50:50 chance of making a white pup only if the non-white dog carries the recessive gene that causes the white coat.
Otherwise, all the pups will be different colors, and none of them will have diluted colors.
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Typical Attributes Of The White Gsd
Apart from coat color, white German Shepherds are no different from any other GSD. They may need baths more frequently because dirt is much more noticeable on their pristine white coats. Nevertheless, the care they require is the same as every other German Shepherd.
Even if the AKC considers the white color a fault, the genes that cause this coloring does not affect the dogs conformation, temperament, health, and longevity.
This discrimination might even go in the white GSDs favor since the breeders that produce them tend to be true fanciers of the coat color. Therefore, they take special care to ensure their dogs are selectively bred for the best outcomes.
Because of this, it is reasonable to believe that white German Shepherds are less prone to elbow and hip dysplasia, which is common to the breed.
They generally live long and healthy lives as opposed to common GSDs that sell without lineage records and health certificates.
German Shepherd Colors & Patterns
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When getting a German Shepherd, one of the most important things to consider is his function. Is he going to be a family pet? If so, he must look friendly. Will he be a guard dog? If so, he must look intimidating. And if you want to enter the dog in the show ring, he better look the part. The color of the German Shepherd plays a vital role in all of this.
German Shepherd colors are usually black and red and black and tan. Tan or red can be replaced by liver, white, cream, or silver, whereas black can be replaced by blue or gray. These colors are often distributed in a bicolor pattern, including saddle, blanket-back, sable, and brindle.
In this article, you will learn more about every German Shepherd color, including the various combinations, their rarity, how the dogs look, and their best use. You will also learn more about the distribution of these colors and the patterns you can expect a GSD to have.
Each section also includes a best for verdict that highlights my recommendation for who the specific dog is best suited for. Lets get started!
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Training Goal #: Impulse Control
Learning to control their impulses is important for all puppies, and for the GSD, it can be one of the most important ways to curb problem behaviors to which this breed is prone if allowed to become bored: behaviors such as excessive barking, digging, aggressive chewing, and inappropriate chasing .
The key to impulse control is getting your dog to focus on you. This will have beneficial effects for all the rest of your training efforts, especially in AKC dog sports like Obedience and Rally.
Require that your puppy sit before getting food, playing with an exciting toy, going outside to play, or any other favorite activity. As your GSD puppy advances in obedience training and knows more commands, you can require more advanced commands or tricks in order to receive treats or play.
What If These 2 Dogs Are
The charts below each picture are the possible outcomes for the puppies and what % chance each outcome has.
So if black dog has Em/Em, we had 3 possibilities: Solid Black, Black & Tan, or Dark Sable. Neat! But it gets a lot more interesting if the black dog carries e as well. Now, were going to assume that when black dog carries e, she is also carrying for very light or white Phaeomelanin.
So there you have it. In the majority of cases, breeding a white GSD to a black GSD would result in one of the above cases, but you cant be sure which unless youve tested the A Locus of the white dog and the E Locus of the Black dog.
Now, as luck would have it, I happen to have Embark test results for the black dog:
Black Dog:
White Dog:
For the white dog, we dont know for SURE because he hasnt been tested, however based on litters he has produced he is almost certainly a/a. If you look at our possible permutations above, this means our made up pairing would produce only solid black puppies.
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White German Shepherd Health Issues
Many people mistakenly believe this breed of German Shepherd is a flaw in the dogs genetic line, which will lead to different genetic health-related issues. In fact, this line of the breed is only susceptible to the same health issues and risks that the traditional German Shepherd can develop.
When it comes to medical conditions, White German Shepherds are known to face a few threats during their lifespan. As potential dog owners, it is important that you are aware of these threats.
Black Colour Has No Negative Stigma
Some people considered black colour a negative stigma and feared this dog due to its solid black colour. The solid black colour has no adverse effect on the dog or its personality. This dog is just as ardent, attentive, active, and smart as other breeds and is not inclined to offensive behaviour. The dog might feel disconnected at the outset, but the dog will be your companion for life after the bonding.
In contrast to the negative stigma of Black German Shepherds are easily trainable and often used as police dogs, military dogs, and disability aid dogs. The protective hunch of Black German Shepherds is compelling, which is why they are usually used to protect the herd, livestock, and human beings.
However, its the owners job to make him socialize with others from a young age so that the dog gets adaptable with people in adulthood.
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What Coat Type Do Black Gsds Have
The Black Shepherd has a medium-length double coat a dense and straight outer layer with a soft undercoat.
These dogs may get long hair, which is a bit wavy and fluffy. Usually, they have a longer or straighter coat than the Standard German Shepherd.
But no matter the length of their coat, this canine has one primary color, black.
For a German Shepherd to become black, both of his parents must have a recessive gene for a black coat. A more sure way of producing this rare canine is by breeding two Black Shepherds.
What Happens When You Breed A Black Gsd To A White Gsd
This question comes up from time to time, and if you dont have much knowledge of how the genetics of German Shepherds coats work, its a fun thought exercise! The reality though is that its one of those simple questions with a really complicated answer and without genetic testing, difficult to predict.
A note about responsible and ethical breeding
German Shepherds, like many other breeds, have a number of genetic diseases or predispositions that need to be taken in to account when breeding. At a bare minimum, both parents should have their hips x-rayed and certified by an expert panel such as the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals , SV or a PennHip certified Veterinarian. According to OFA, about 20% of GSDs carry Degenerative Myelopathy . A $45 DNA test can tell you if a given dog carries for this, and there is no reason to ever breed 2 dogs without knowing if they carry for this disease.
Dont just breed because youre curious what the puppies will look like. The price of DNA testing has come way, way down and it is possible to answer the question of What colors would I get if I bred my dog? for about $120 via DNA tests, or for FREE if you know enough about the parents of each dog!
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Notable Individual German Shepherds
- The dog on which the breed was founded
- Horand von Grafrath , considered the first German Shepherd and the genetic basis for modern German Shepherds
What Is The Rarest Color Of German Shepherd
The rarest color of German Shepherd is isabella, which is also known as lilac. Not only is this color visually appealing, but it is also difficult to predict when breeding. The recessive blue and liver getting combined are not very likely, which makes almost all isabella shepherds pleasant surprises.
Even though these dogs dont win shows as they are seen as faults by the AKC, they are showstoppers and breeders who end up with one of these immediately add a premium to the price. Getting a lilac shepherd from a reputable breeder is advisable because unscrupulous breeders may repeatedly breed puppies and neglect the non-isabella dogs hoping to profit from the lilac pups.
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If Youre Looking For A Black And White German Shepherd Youll Want To Contact A Reputable Breeder
While some people find these dogs intimidating, they will eventually love them. You can find a black and white German shepherd puppy that suits your lifestyle. The only downside of a black and white German shepherd is the price. The cost of the pup is a relatively small proportion of purebred dogs.
There are several reasons to buy a black and white German shepherd. You may want to purchase a black and white German shepherd puppy if you are a dog lover. The cost is higher if youre looking for a black and white puppy. A black and white German shepherd is more likely to be loyal, but a French bulldog is more likely to be aggressive and sociable.
When purchasing a black and white German shepherd puppy, it is important to find a breeder with a good reputation. A black and white German shepherd puppy is much less expensive than its tan counterpart. But the price tag is higher, so it is worth taking your time to find one that is compatible with your lifestyle. The most suitable color for your dog is based on its coat and eye colors.