White Swiss Shepherd

History of the white Swiss Shepherd breed

The beautiful legend that the white Swiss Shepherd breed appeared due to artificial crossing of a shepherd with a white polar wolf is far from the truth, although the caution of the dog, its ability to move soundlessly, agility, indeed, give reason to assume kinship with the white-haired inhabitant of the Arctic. In fact, the breed was formed as a result of systematic breeding of a certain species german shepherds , having a white color.

In the German cynological literature of the end of the century before last, shepherd dogs, the ancestors of German shepherds, whose distinctive feature was white, were often described. And the first "delegate" from German shepherds, who participated in the Hanover Dog Show in 1882, was just a white male, whom the owners named Greif. Later, his grandchildren-great-grandchildren, who also had a white color, were shown at dog shows and championships held in Germany. By the way, the German Shepherd with the big name Horand von Grafrat, officially registered under the first number in the pedigree book of this breed in 1899, also belonged to the Greif family. However, the color of the famous male was yellow-gray.

By the beginning of the twentieth century, the German Shepherd was not considered an ordinary shepherd breed. Such remarkable qualities as strength, endurance, outstanding intelligence, good learning ability, loyalty, brought this dog extraordinary popularity not only in Europe, but also overseas. Breeding work was carried out very actively, the requirements for her service qualities and exterior grew, but color was not given importance until a certain time, and white individuals were bred the same as others, without distinguishing in any way.

However, in the 30s, in their native penates, in Germany, white German Shepherds found themselves in disgrace. The Nazis, who reached the heights of power, established their maniacal control, including over such an area of human interests as dog breeding. The white color gene was found guilty by them for all the defects, flaws, vices encountered in German Shepherds. The verdict turned out to be "tenacious", and even after the fall of the Hitler regime on the European continent until the 60s, white-colored sheepdogs were rejected.

Meanwhile, overseas, in the USA and Canada, breeders continued breeding work on breeding white German Shepherds, proclaiming that "a good dog does not have a bad color." Spectacular snow-white dogs became increasingly popular, often appearing on TV screens and becoming pets of famous people, such as, for example, the Rockefellers.

Since the 60s, many North American kennel clubs have started breeding white sheepdogs as an original breed, and over time their mating with sheepdogs of a different color has been banned.

In the next decade, the dogs, which now began to be called American-Canadian White Shepherds, began to return to Europe. The first of them settled in Switzerland, where the development of the breed was continued. The status of the ancestor of the Swiss breeding line is given to the male Lobo, brought from the USA, who was born in 1966. He and his descendants are registered in the Swiss Stud Book (LOS). Over the next few decades, an impressive number of purebred white Shepherds spread in Europe in a number of generations, and in 2003, at the initiative of Switzerland, the American-Canadian White Shepherd was accepted into its ranks by the international cynological organization FCI, but it received a different species definition, namely, the white Swiss Shepherd. At about the same time, the breed began to gain popularity in Russia, but today it does not belong to the most common.

Video: White Swiss Shepherd

Appearance of a white Swiss Shepherd

With its exterior, the powerful and muscular white Swiss Shepherd is similar to an ordinary German one. They are almost the same height, but the "Swiss woman" is built a little tighter. Among the representatives of the breed there are long-haired individuals, and those whose wool is of medium length. The former are distributed mainly in Germany, Austria, France, and the latter – in Holland and on the North American continent.

Housing

The dog has an elongated croup, slightly inclined to the base of the tail, the back is strong, straight. The chest is powerful, medium-wide, oval-shaped, deep, falling to the elbows, its front part is expressive. The abdomen is moderately tightened. The sides and loin are strong. The withers are clearly expressed.

Neck

Muscular, slightly elongated, no suspension. The neck line, gently passing from the head set high enough to the withers, is nobly curved.

Head

The head of the Swiss Shepherd is proportional to the body, has straight clean outlines of lines, a wedge-shaped shape when viewed from above and from behind. The line of transition from the forehead to the muzzle is smooth, but the very place of their junction is clearly distinguishable. The powerful muzzle is elongated, slightly tapering to the nose. The nose itself is medium–sized, the preferred color of the lobe is black, but just a dark color is also allowed.

Jaws, teeth, lips

The jaws are powerful, the teeth are located strictly perpendicular to them. The bite is scissor-shaped. The lips have an intense black color, they should be dry and tightly touching.

Ears

Stand straight, set high, slightly pointed forward. Their shape is V-shaped, the tips are barely noticeably rounded.

Eyes

Small, slightly slanted, their shape is almond–shaped, the color is from brown to dark brown, a black rim is welcome.

Limbs

The forelimbs of the Swiss Shepherd are strong, lean, their backbone is not too heavy. When viewed from the front, they look quite widely set. The shoulder and forearms are elongated, with powerful muscles. Pasterns are strong, set slightly obliquely.

The hind limbs are muscular. From behind they look straight, parallel. The hips have an average length and well-developed musculature. The shins with a solid backbone are also distinguished by muscularity. Metatarsals of medium length, straight, lean.

The dog's paws have an oval shape, the hind ones are slightly longer than the front ones. The fingers are tightly clenched and reduced almost to a ball. The pads are elastic, black in color. The same color is preferred for claws.

Movement

The white Swiss Shepherd Dog moves powerfully, steadily, sequentially rearranging its limbs. The lynx of the dog is creeping, as if creeping.

Tail

richly furred, has a saber-shaped shape. It is planted quite high and reaches at least to the hock joint, it narrows towards the end. When the dog is in a serene state, the tail hangs down to the floor, sometimes bending slightly in the lower third. In a lively animal, the tail rises vigorously, but does not exceed the top line.

Wool

The animal's wool cover is thick, tightly covering the body. An abundant undercoat is available both in dogs with medium-length hair and in long-haired ones. The outer hair is straight, stiff. On the ears, muzzle, forelimbs, the hair is noticeably shorter than in the cervical region and the back of the hind limbs. The neck of long-haired Swiss Shepherds is decorated with a spectacular mane, and their hind limbs are dressed up in woolen "pants". Slightly wavy hair is acceptable.

Color

Only solid white color is recognized.

Breed Vices

• Light yellow or fawn color shade (deer) in the back, at the base of the tail, at the tips of the ears.
• Fragmentary absence of pigmentation on the nose, lips, and rim of the eyes.
• A shortened body shaped like a square.
• Drooping or semi-erect ears.
• Twisted or looped tail, hook-shaped tail, its position above the back line.
• Lack of undercoat. Too soft, velvety wool, as well as curly wool.
• Bulging eyes. One or both eyes are blue.
• Excessive aggressiveness or, on the contrary, timidity, fearfulness.

Photo of a white Swiss Shepherd

Character of the white Swiss Shepherd

The white Swiss Shepherd is dynamic, temperamental, mobile and, at the same time, is distinguished by poise. Her character is softer and more restrained than that of the German Shepherd, but despite her good nature, in case of a threat to the owners and the home, she shows the same qualities as her more aggressive relatives. Actually, white Shepherds have all the character traits that a service dog possesses: strength, tirelessness, excellent reaction, intelligence. They are often used as guard dogs, rescuers, guides, bodyguards. Temperamental and cheerful, they are not indifferent to sports, adventures, travel, just love to swim, play ball.

Affectionate and playful, white Swiss Shepherds get along well with all family members, including pets, including cats. They treat children very carefully, and their pranks are perceived with condescending understanding. When communicating with babies and smaller animals than herself, the Shepherd often shows herding instincts and begins to "herd" them, diligently and vigilantly taking care of them. With strangers, dogs of this breed prefer not to come into contact, they clearly do not express their alertness to them, they keep emphatically detached.

Gentle white Swiss Shepherds really need the attention of their owners, their affection, they also like to "talk" and have a penchant for "vocal exercises". It is worth noting that the range of their voice signals is very wide, and sometimes they output whole arias, the tonality and volume of which depends on their state of mind: it can be whimpers, grunts, groans or calls.

Education and training

Raising and training Swiss Shepherds is a real pleasure. They understand and memorize the commands of the owner with a half-word, and their lively intelligence and enthusiasm accelerate the acquisition of certain skills by animals. Consistency and consistency are necessary for training.

It is unacceptable to apply the brutal method of training in relation to white Swiss shepherds, and there is no need for this – dogs are obedient from birth. Often the owners themselves do not want to scold and punish their pets, especially when they are at a tender age, representing cute snow-white angels. However, you should not forget that this is not a lapdog, but a future serious service dog in need of training.

It is important to remember that mistreatment, lack of socialization and training can cause aggression towards people and other animals. The owner of the white Swiss Shepherd dog will need calmness, consistency in actions and confidence in himself and his abilities.

Care and maintenance

Caring for a white Swiss Shepherd is not difficult. Even the thick coat of a dog, regardless of its length, can be kept in order without exerting exorbitant efforts. It will require special care during the molting period. At this time, the dog should be combed at least twice a week, using sprays specially designed for forcing wool. Shorthair animals are combed with a frequent comb. It is advisable to pre–comb a long-haired pet with a rare comb, then, if necessary, untangle or cut out tangles, after combing with a frequent comb, in the final - treat with a massage brush made of natural bristles. At the end of the procedure, it is advisable to run wet hands over the fur several times to remove the remaining dead or combed hairs.

Once a week, the pet will need to brush his teeth, using a paste that is intended for dogs. The movements should be sweeping – from the base of the teeth to their edges. It is advisable to wipe the eyes with a damp cloth daily, the ears can be cleaned twice a month with a regular cotton swab. Claws are trimmed for sheepdogs, as a rule, once a month or a month and a half, for this purpose, a claw cutter is used. Unaccustomed to this tool, you can injure your claws. We advise you to contact a specialist in the first months, to observe the procedure.

It is not recommended to bathe a white Swiss Shepherd dog often, despite the color of its coat. General washing usually takes place twice a year. However, after a walk in bad weather, the paws and belly of the dog should be washed by all means, it is also necessary to clean the contaminated areas of its wool cover – this is convenient to do with dry shampoo.

Shepherds need regular exercise, and they need to be taken for a walk at least three times a day. The dog will be delighted if, during walking, he gets the opportunity to run after a ball or stick, swim, catch a flying disc, frolic in the company of his fellow tribesmen.

The appetite of the white Swiss Shepherd is good, and she is not picky about food. You can feed it with both natural products and ready-made feeds. It is advisable to treat your pet at the same time. Two- to four-month-old puppies are fed 4 times a day, and by the age of six months they gradually switch to two meals a day.

Most of the diet of a dog eating natural products should be meat – lamb or beef. It can be given raw or scalded with boiling water. In small quantities, the Swiss Shepherd's menu should contain steamed vegetables, porridges (rice, buckwheat, oatmeal – separately or assorted), low-fat cottage cheese and kefir, sea fish. Twice a week, the pet can be offered a boiled egg or a raw yolk. Beef liver is also a useful food.

Dry food for the white Swiss Shepherd needs to be selected. To begin with, buy a small bag of a certain feed for this breed and check how much your pet liked it, whether he has an allergy.

Health and diseases of Swiss Shepherds

As it has long been known, the white color of a dog does not mean that it is characterized by physiological pathologies. The white Swiss Shepherd, like the German Shepherd, is quite a strong animal, distinguished by good health. However, her hereditary diseases are the same as those of her closest relatives, although such a common defect among the "Germans" as hip dysplasia is much less common among the "Swiss". Among other diseases common to breeds:

• eosinophilic panostitis is colloquially a growth disease expressed in lameness and characteristic of animals of 5-12 months;
• paresis of the pelvic extremities, manifested in the limitation of motor ability;
• intestinal intussusception is a form of intestinal obstruction;
• congenital heart failure.

Shepherds also have a predisposition to diabetes mellitus and various allergic reactions.

How to choose a puppy

The white Swiss Shepherd belongs to young breeds, and is not too popular in Russia yet. Many dishonest breeders use this and sell white puppies of unknown origin under the guise of white shepherds. To buy a purebred cub of this breed, you need to contact specialized nurseries, which are available in almost all Russian cities with millions. They will be able to provide you with documents where the pedigree of the dog is indicated.

A healthy puppy should demonstrate activity, have a shiny coat, curious eyes, there should be no discharge in the ears and corners of the eyes. Pay attention to the color of the eyes. They should be brown, not blue. Excessive thinness or a swollen tummy is a reason to be wary. Do not hesitate to ask the breeder of white Swiss Shepherds any questions – a professional who loves his job will enthusiastically answer each of them.

Ask to be provided with the test results of your future pet's parents for the presence of genetic diseases, in particular hip dysplasia. It would be useful to observe the behavior of the puppy's mother, who, as a rule, is with him in the kennel. The dog is unlikely to show you affection, but it should be restrained, showing neither aggression nor timidity.

Photos of white Swiss Shepherd puppies

How much does a white Swiss Shepherd dog cost

The cost of a white Swiss Shepherd puppy depends on what class of pet you are interested in. Pedigreed babies with a pedigree of pet class, claiming only to become pets, in different cities of Russia can cost from $250 to $350. For a Swiss shepherd breed-class, which can be involved in breeding, you will have to pay from $300 to $400. The most expensive are show–class "Swiss women" who have an exhibition perspective. They cost from $400 and above.

A puppy without a pedigree can be purchased for $150.