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I think WGSDs are pretty.lol.
White German Shepherds rare?
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I can honestly say that I have only seen one white GSD in person. I have never seen a Panda or Liver GSD in person. Also you would not believe how many people have told me that they did not know GSD's came in any other color besides black/tan. People to this day do not believe that my black GSD is purebred. Before I got my black GSD I had never seen one in person, I just knew that they were out there.
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I think that was proven to be an old wives' tale actually.
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I saw a liver GSD once. It wasnt really what I'd call a liver color, more like a rich chocolate. She had the most beautiful piercing emerald green eyes.
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that seems like a pretty dog!
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I know isnt there another breed of dog thats white for a reason?I remember seeing 2 of them walking around in this small town near San Diego.I forgot the dog names, but they were big, white, with floppy ears, and were white to trick wolves into thinking they were sheep.
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Great Pyrenees are white livestock guardian dogs as are Akbash, Kuvasz, and Maremma.
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Yes, they're more a chocolate brown color. Liver in GSDs is actually the exact same genetic mechanism as chocolate Labs. A chocolate lab is a black lab with liver dilution, just as a liver GSD has it's black markings diluted. Same genes.
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Didn't someone that used to post here frequently have a beautiful liver GSD? I think she also had a regular black/tan one also. The B/T was a female, and the liver was a male she adopted as a pup who almost died shortly thereafter, but I don't remember why. I just remember photos and the discussions of him being in the doggie ICU hooked up to IV's and whatnot.
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Yea that one.those are huge dogs.
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Sorry coming onto this thread late...
From what I understand, white german shepherds were accepted since the beginning. Then, in 1968 (I think) AKC breeders got them banned from showing in conformation. They could still be AKC registered and shown in performance events.
Also, the white shepherd was preferred for herding as to disguise him from predators. Likewise, most livestock guardian dogs are also white. When the white shepherds began being used for military purposes, they felt they stood out too much and were not easy to camouflage. However, those that wanted to ban white shepherds said the white color was a fault in herding as the shepherd could not distinguish the dog from sheep. Um, whatever!
However, the white shepherd is no different from the colored shepherd. Yes, from my understanding, a white is recessive so the parents must be homozygous white or heterozygous white to produce white.
The UKC also registers german shepherds but they can be registered as either german shepherds (who just happen to be white) or a separate designation as a "white shepherd". Most breeders who AKC register their dogs will UKC register them as german shepherds. Otherwise, a breeder cannot breed a registered german shepherd to a registered white shepherd as they would be declared 2 separate breeds.
I have been following the white shepherd as I am impressed with the health records kept on a lot of these dogs. Very, very impressive health stats. Plus, most modern white shepherds , probably due to the fact that conformation showing was limited, have maintained a nice old style look with a straighter back and a lot less angulation. Most of the breeding dogs I have seen all have performance titles. So, there you go!
But, I am no expert and everything I have written is just from my own research so take it for what it is worth!
From what I understand, white german shepherds were accepted since the beginning. Then, in 1968 (I think) AKC breeders got them banned from showing in conformation. They could still be AKC registered and shown in performance events.
Also, the white shepherd was preferred for herding as to disguise him from predators. Likewise, most livestock guardian dogs are also white. When the white shepherds began being used for military purposes, they felt they stood out too much and were not easy to camouflage. However, those that wanted to ban white shepherds said the white color was a fault in herding as the shepherd could not distinguish the dog from sheep. Um, whatever!
However, the white shepherd is no different from the colored shepherd. Yes, from my understanding, a white is recessive so the parents must be homozygous white or heterozygous white to produce white.
The UKC also registers german shepherds but they can be registered as either german shepherds (who just happen to be white) or a separate designation as a "white shepherd". Most breeders who AKC register their dogs will UKC register them as german shepherds. Otherwise, a breeder cannot breed a registered german shepherd to a registered white shepherd as they would be declared 2 separate breeds.
I have been following the white shepherd as I am impressed with the health records kept on a lot of these dogs. Very, very impressive health stats. Plus, most modern white shepherds , probably due to the fact that conformation showing was limited, have maintained a nice old style look with a straighter back and a lot less angulation. Most of the breeding dogs I have seen all have performance titles. So, there you go!
But, I am no expert and everything I have written is just from my own research so take it for what it is worth!
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I think you are a little bit off in your history of the White German Shepherd dog, Maple.
The Whites were originally excluded from the breed standard in Germany in the 1930's because it was believed that the white coloring was a dilute and would cause dilution of other colors if bred to normally colored dogs. The AKC followed this in the 1950's, based on the same faulty logic. It never had anything to do with the herding or working ability (or lack thereof).
Herding dogs and livestock guardian dogs are two very different things. Guardians stay with the flock to protect them, especially when there is no human sheep herder with them, but do not herd. Herding dogs move the sheep under the supervision of the sheep herder who directs the dogs on where to move the sheep to. While Whites can certainly herd, they were not "preferred" for herding.
As for military use ... back in the days of World War I and World War II where most dogs in the working dog programs had been donated by the owners, rather than come from a military dog program, dogs of all colors were accepted - heck, even most breeds were accepted - regardless of color. White dogs would certainly not have been difficult to camouflage - the German Army camouflaged white horses all the time, which are a heck of a lot bigger than a dog.
The Whites were originally excluded from the breed standard in Germany in the 1930's because it was believed that the white coloring was a dilute and would cause dilution of other colors if bred to normally colored dogs. The AKC followed this in the 1950's, based on the same faulty logic. It never had anything to do with the herding or working ability (or lack thereof).
Herding dogs and livestock guardian dogs are two very different things. Guardians stay with the flock to protect them, especially when there is no human sheep herder with them, but do not herd. Herding dogs move the sheep under the supervision of the sheep herder who directs the dogs on where to move the sheep to. While Whites can certainly herd, they were not "preferred" for herding.
As for military use ... back in the days of World War I and World War II where most dogs in the working dog programs had been donated by the owners, rather than come from a military dog program, dogs of all colors were accepted - heck, even most breeds were accepted - regardless of color. White dogs would certainly not have been difficult to camouflage - the German Army camouflaged white horses all the time, which are a heck of a lot bigger than a dog.
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Abby,
Well, there you have it then...so much for my research!!:blush:
Well, there you have it then...so much for my research!!:blush:
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I just got my first German Shepherd, I have been wanting one for years. He is a snow white looking one. I was trying too do research on them being I havent seen any in my area before and it is crazy how many different sites contridict each other. One site says dont ever buy one because ALL white shepherds are aggressive. Another says that they are all sickly being that the genes are bad or something causes them not to live very long. All kinds of different stuff. I like German Shepherds because I have heard most of my life that they seem to be one of the most loyal dogs, i have 3 kids and wanted a dog that would love them as much as they love the dog. I like the intellegence of a Shepherd. My pup is only 5 weeks old, a little early probaly to leave its mother but mother actually had 12 pups and stopped feeding them i guess after she kept getting bit, ( well that is what the owner told me anyways) I realize it is too early to tell being my dog is still a really small puppy but I hope that its not true that the white ones are meaner. I am kinda dumb on that part i guess but i always thought it didtn matter the color, what mattered is the way you raise it. Any suggestions ?
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You might want to start a new topic about raising a 5 week old pup. She/he is really very young to already be away from the litter.
My dog's great grandparents were white 
WGSC CH Hytyme's Zion Rose Regalwise - German Shepherd Dog
WGSC CH Regalwise Klone Ranger CDX, TD/HC - German Shepherd Dog
She herself is a mixed breed resulting in her breeder's GSD somehow getting around her pet pyrenean mastiff when she went into heat. Such a blessing that oops litter caused for my family though.
WGSC CH Hytyme's Zion Rose Regalwise - German Shepherd Dog
WGSC CH Regalwise Klone Ranger CDX, TD/HC - German Shepherd Dog
She herself is a mixed breed resulting in her breeder's GSD somehow getting around her pet pyrenean mastiff when she went into heat. Such a blessing that oops litter caused for my family though.
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