White Swiss Shepherd (American-Canadian Shepherd). Characteristics of dogs of the White Swiss Shepherd breed with reviews and photos Swiss Shepherd description of the breed reviews

According to canine documents, white swiss shepherd has German relatives. The breed is considered relatively young. The first immigrants appeared in the 20s of the twentieth century, performing shepherd duties, guarding herds and flocks.

They were not afraid when they saw a white dog. In the mid-30s, the bsho began to be considered a vice of the German “brother”; they were no longer allowed to participate in exhibitions, and their numbers sharply decreased.

Recognition has returned to animals, thanks to Canadians and Americans. There, the breeders were delighted with their originality. In the 60s it was introduced the new kind albinos. At the same time, dogs received an official name for the first time. A few years later, several representatives of the breed were imported to Switzerland.

By the way, in the world the breed is divided into two varieties. Bsho longhair gained popularity in France, Germany and Austria, and shorthair won the hearts of the Dutch and US residents.

What made this woman in demand was not only her appearance, but also her good ingenuity and intelligence. Several times the most famous rich people in the world, the Rockefellers, became the owner of dogs of this breed.

By the 80s, scientists proved that the albino gene is responsible only for color, but is not a physical deviation. From that moment on, the popularity of dogs increased sharply and has not subsided to this day.

The four-legged companion is devoted to his owners, polite to guests, good-natured and not at all aggressive. The dog shows extreme anger in rare cases and only in cases of threat.

The “Swiss” catches commands with lightning speed, is considered a record holder in terms of training, is distinguished by curiosity, and gets along well with kids. The dog is able to get along with any pets in the family.

Shorthaired Bsho

The only drawback, and not for every owner, will be the dog’s excessive sociability - it can just bark both on the street and at home. Sometimes the dog gives a voice, sensing danger.

Breed standard

Bsho in the photo looks like a strong and powerful medium-sized dog with well-developed muscles. It is elegant and has a spectacular appearance. The somewhat rounded skull has a pronounced groove, and the head is generally dry and chiseled.

The nose is black, but lighter shades are also acceptable. The dry lips fit tightly together and the strong jaws are closed in a scissor bite. The teeth are straight and white.

The dog looks at the world with not too large almond-shaped, slightly slanted eyes of either brown or dark brown color. The ears are set high, parallel and directed forward. They resemble a rectangle, and are slightly rounded at the ends.

The neck is of medium length, it is strong and harmoniously positioned in relation to the body. The powerful body is equipped with strong muscles with pronounced withers and a straight back.

The shepherd's chest is deep, oval, elongated, the stomach is tucked, and the sides are strong and slender. The Bsho has a bushy, saber-shaped tail that tapers to a point. It is low-slung and hangs either straight or slightly rounded at the tip.

The White Shepherd has strong, muscular legs, straight and widely set in front, and parallel and narrower in the back. The paws are oval, and the toes are tightly clenched and slightly curved. The paw pads are black, as are the claws.

Bsho skin has no folds and contains dark pigment. The Swiss dog's color can only be white, and the coat is of medium length. It is thick and fits tightly to the torso. A thick, coarse undercoat is required.

With a height at the withers of up to 66 cm, males weigh up to 40 kg. The height at the withers of females is up to 61 cm, and their weight is up to 34 kg. Minimal deviations in any direction are possible.

Disqualifying defects include various inversions of the eyelids, incorrect or completely absent pigmentation on the nose, lips and eyelids, as well as albinism. Blue eyes They look beautiful, but are not considered the breed standard, so they are also classified as defects.

Care and maintenance

Bsho – shepherd, which requires high-quality care for its fur coat, regardless of whether it has long or short hair. During the molting period, traces of the dog's presence are found everywhere he goes. To minimize spontaneous hair loss, you should comb your dog daily with both a comb and a brush.

The dog sheds twice a year. The rest of the time, you can comb the animal two to three times a week. This will be enough for good care in the absence of any problems with the coat.

Long-haired Bsho is demanding in terms of grooming

In slushy and dirty times, it is enough to wipe the fur on the paws and belly with a damp mitten. If this doesn’t help much, you can wash the stained areas, returning them to their former whiteness.

In the summer, your dog should wear an additional one, which will serve as an excellent prevention against fleas. In addition, it is important to keep your eyes and ears clean by wiping them with damp sponges from time to time.

As for the claws, they usually wear off on the asphalt. And in winter, you should resort to a file or nippers, which are sold in pet stores. An alternative option is to contact a groomer.

Country houses and cottages with large surrounding areas are considered ideal conditions for keeping a pet. The dog can have plenty of fun on it. But if this option is not possible, the dog will survive urban conditions. The main thing in this case is to walk your pet more often and for longer.

Nutrition

If food bsho organized correctly, its fur will be shiny and shiny, its skin will not peel, and the animal will have a good appetite. In addition, the “Swiss” has balanced diet the ribs will not stick out.

There is still debate among breeders about which food is better - natural or factory-made. Some people believe that mixed feeding is optimal. In favor natural food one can make arguments such as naturalness, absence of unknown ingredients in the composition, short term storage

However, the shelf life is also a disadvantage - after all, you have to cook it every day. And given that the dog is large, you will have to cook a lot. On top of that, the basis is products with animal protein, that is, meat. And meat is expensive by today's standards.

The white shepherd must be kept clean at all times. drinking water

True, if we're talking about about premium food (and there is no point in feeding the dog anything else if the owner wants the pet to be healthy), then they will also cost a pretty penny. But on the other hand, he is a member of the family. This means that, along with others, she must receive her due and eat quality food.

Bsho puppies, like other breeds, they eat up to 5 times a day. With age, the number of feedings decreases, and the volume of portions increases. As a result, closer to a year, the dog eats twice a day, but in large portions. If we are talking about factory-made food, then the packaging usually contains information about doses.

The owner must balance natural products independently, not forgetting to add them to the food minerals and vitamins. In dry food, as a rule, these additives are already included in the product.

Food should not be too fatty, warm rather than hot, and the consistency should resemble homemade sour cream or cream soup. It is important to provide your pet with clean drinking water.

White Swiss Shepherd puppy Bsho

If the dog has not finished the contents in the bowl after a meal, you can leave the plate for 20 minutes and then remove it until the next feeding. Handouts from the host's table are prohibited. In summer, it is important to monitor the quality of food when it comes to natural products.

In between meals, you can give special bones from the pet store and raw cartilage. Fish and tubular bones, spices, ketchup and mayonnaise are prohibited.

The basis of the diet, as mentioned earlier, is meat - beef or lamb. You can give the pieces raw or scald them with boiling water. Boiled meat is harmful for dogs.

In second place are slightly stewed vegetables in the form of pieces or puree, followed by porridges - rice, buckwheat and oatmeal. You can mix cereals to get a mixture, and it is permissible to mix in different proportions.

From time to time it is allowed to give low-fat cottage cheese and kefir, once a week an egg is acceptable. Sea fish is also suitable, preferably hake, boiled and ground in a blender or through a meat grinder. The dog will be happy and beef liver.

Possible diseases

There is a well-established opinion that dog bsho has no health problems. With proper care and attention, the dog can live up to 15 years, delighting its owners with its appearance.

However, like any large dog, Swiss Shepherd being chased different types joint dysplasia (hip, elbow). It is also possible degenerative diseases joints.

The Shepherd is prone to allergies, including to food and fleas. Therefore, you should be more attentive to the contents of your pet’s bowl and control the quality of the fur coat. Some “Swiss” women have diseases related to the immune system and often suffer from colds and other ailments. There are animals with congenital diseases spine.

Four-legged pets are plagued by problems associated with growth, as well as lameness, which has the medical name panosteitis. It usually goes away with the end of puppyhood, and it is most often large breeds that suffer from it.

It happens that white shepherds get inflamed bones. The causes of this disease are not fully understood, but breeders blame both genetics and poor quality nutrition.

Price

In this beautiful breed They were brought in about 15 years ago, in 2003. Somewhere around the same time, in the early 2000s, dogs gained international recognition. Our country immediately liked these dogs.

There are many bsho forums, on which whole layers of information were laid out on care, exchange of experience in growing and other interesting topics.

The dog won attention with its appearance, easy-going disposition and devotion. Therefore, today the animal is not rare and buy bsho possible in almost any million-plus city affordable prices.

However, the cost depends on the purpose of purchase, the gender of the dog, and its breed. After all, if you take a puppy from an unofficial breeder or at bird markets, then there is a high probability that along with the purchase of the puppy the owner will acquire a bouquet of diseases as a “bonus”.

In addition, unknown sellers usually do not have any documents for a purebred dog, and after some time it turns out that the breed is completely fictitious. In order not to indulge in thoughts of this kind and to minimize the risk, it makes sense to contact official breeders or a nursery.

There you can pick up a dog as a pet class, which is used as pet and has no special purpose or breed class. Dogs in this category can be bred. Show class - the elite of the breed.

Its representatives have improved appearance, ideal character, they can be bred and taken to exhibitions as a showpiece. Interestingly, representatives of all three classes can appear in the same litter. Wherein top class is born much less frequently than a pet or a breed.

Price bsho without a pedigree it starts at 15 thousand rubles, and for a shepherd dog with documents you will have to pay up to 35 thousand rubles. Show class is the most expensive type of “Swiss”, its cost starts from 40 thousand and does not have upper limit.

The pure white coated Swiss Shepherd is a breed guard dogs and companion dogs, characterized by a very kind character and favorable attitude towards people, especially children. For those who want to get such a puppy, information about what these shepherd dogs should be like and how to choose and raise a pet will be useful.

The development of the BShO (White Swiss Shepherd) breed began in the 70s of the 20th century in Switzerland. Then the very first white shepherd dogs of American-Canadian origin were brought into the country, among which was a male named Lobo (date of birth 10/5/1966). He became the founder of a new breed of Swiss dogs. In subsequent years, the import of white shepherds from the USA and Canada only increased, as a result of which the targeted selection and breeding of these unusual dogs Swiss breeders. By 1991, the number of local white shepherd dogs had increased so much that they began to be recorded in the Swiss stud book as purebred individuals.

Today there are many purebred white shepherds not only in this country, but also in other European countries. In 2003, the young breed was recognized by the FCI under official name"White Swiss Shepherd"

Breed standards

The description of the breed gives a clear idea of ​​what Swiss Shepherds should be like. They have:

1. Rectangular, slightly elongated body with smooth harmonious lines and well-developed muscles.
2. The head is dry, chiseled, wedge-shaped. The forehead is rounded, with a clearly defined central groove. A powerful muzzle that is equal to or slightly longer than the rest of the head.
3. Strong jaws with a set of strong teeth.
4. The nose is mostly black, but a lighter color is acceptable.
5. The eyes are almond-shaped, slightly slanted, average size. The color of the iris is brown.
6. The ears are erect, straight, directed forward. Triangular in shape with slightly rounded ends.
7. Well muscled neck middle length, smoothly turning into a clearly defined withers.
8. Deep, but not very wide chest.
9. Long, well-muscled shoulder blades, with the correct angle of inclination.
10. Straight and strong back with developed muscles.
11. Long, narrow, slightly drooping croup.
12. Slightly tucked belly.
13. Strong, straight limbs, moderately widely spaced.
14. Oval paws, the front ones are slightly shorter than the rear ones. The pads and claws are black.
15. Fluffy, long, tapering tail. It can be straight and saber-shaped. IN calm state lowered, rises when moving.

The coat of Swiss Shepherds lies close to the body and consists of a hard, straight or slightly wavy thick coat and well-developed undercoat. Dogs have fur of unequal length: on the ears, muzzle and front surface of the limbs it is shorter than on the entire body, and on the neck and back surface limbs are longer. The coat color is completely white. The skin of these dogs is dark, dry and smooth, without wrinkles or folds.

There are 2 varieties of the breed, differing in coat length - short-haired and long-haired shepherd dogs. In America and Holland today the first type is most popular, and in Austria, France and Germany the second.

These are medium sized dogs. The maximum height for males is 65 cm, for females - 60 cm. White Shepherds weigh on average 35 and 30 kg. According to the breed standard, a slight deviation from typical values ​​is allowed, both upward and downward.

With good care, these dogs live for quite a long time - 12–14 years and remain active and productive until old age.

Characteristic diseases

Adult representatives of the breed have good health, so they rarely get sick. White Shepherds are only allergic to nutrients, dirty air and flea bites. However, experts have noted several genetic diseases, which puppies can inherit from their parents. This is hip dysplasia, characteristic of many shepherd breeds, as well as congenital deafness and heart failure, which are less common.

Young dogs should be vaccinated at the age and in the quantity recommended by veterinarians.

How to choose a puppy

Those who want to buy a white Swiss shepherd should do so in specialized kennels. Only in them dogs are bred according to all the rules, pedigree registration is carried out, males and females are wisely selected for each other, and the younger generation is monitored.

You need to choose a shepherd puppy that is active, healthy, not skinny, with sparkling eyes and wool.

He must be cheerful and balanced, not afraid of people and his fellow humans, but also not be overly loving, that is, not rush to fawn over everyone, but treat them evenly.

Every small purebred Swiss Shepherd should have:

• pedigree;
• an x-ray and a veterinarian's report confirming that she does not have dysplasia;
• act with the results of the BAER test, excluding deafness;
• an act with the results of the Campbell test showing the character and behavior of the dog.

These documents are required for puppies with which they plan to participate in exhibitions and use them for breeding. They are also desirable for those animals from which they want to raise a good guard. If the dog is taken into the family simply as a friend, then you can limit yourself to the pedigree.

There, in the nursery, you can also look at one or even both parents of the selected puppy in order to have an idea of ​​how the pet will look and behave as an adult.

Character of the white shepherd

By nature, BShOs are cheerful, but not fussy, energetic, responsible, reliable and devoted to their owner. They behave obediently and not aggressively with him and his family members. White Shepherds are good with children, they are kind and affectionate with them. They are loyal to other domestic tailed pets, quickly get used to them and even begin to “graze” them. These dogs are wary of strangers, but never attack them without reason.

Swiss Shepherds have an active mind and are easily and quickly accustomed to established regime and learn commands on the fly. The intelligence of these dogs is quite high, so they can easily perform even complex tricks. They also have a wide range of vocal signals, which is why they are classified as “talkative” breeds. Dogs are happy to communicate with their owner and respond with their voice to his appeal.

These are one of the most faithful and vigilant home guards and brave defenders.

White shepherds are calm, low-excitable and not gambling, so those who want to enter the area will not be able to distract them with anything.

Swiss Shepherds are not picky about the size of the area where they live, so they can live in a city apartment. But in this case, they need to be constantly walked and played with outdoor games, as these dogs need physical activity. They easily tolerate moving to another place and quickly get used to it.

How to behave with a Swiss Shepherd

For a young BShO puppy, early socialization is of great importance, since only with a sufficient amount of communication do these dogs develop a stable and strong psyche, which is one of the advantages of the breed. If there is not enough contact with other animals and people, then the shepherd can grow up to be cowardly, suspicious and aggressive, and these are not qualities that a guard dog can boast of.

A shepherd dog should be trained only by one person, to whom it is most inclined. You need to train your dog persistently, but not rudely, so as not to make him fear and hate the process of acquiring new “knowledge.” Swiss Shepherds love outdoor games, so they happily run after balls, sticks and discs.

Properly raised white shepherds have a positive attitude and are sociable, they want to communicate with people, and they enjoy playing with children. At the same time, they are allowed many liberties and are patient with the accidental or intentional rudeness that young children may show towards them. Therefore, you can leave your kids with these calm and devoted animals and not worry about them.

White Shepherds are active and mobile; they do not like to lie in one place all the time, so they require systematic physical exercise. Wherever such a dog lives, in his own house or in a city apartment, he must be given the opportunity to walk, run and play in the fresh air every day. This will put the shepherd's muscles and nerves in order.

BShO do not require special personal care. It is only necessary to regularly free them from dirty and old fur so that it does not fall off and interfere with the growth of new ones. To do this, the thick white fur needs to be brushed at least once a week, and when the dog sheds, every other day.

In addition to grooming, you should inspect your dog’s ears for ticks, trim growing nails, and check their teeth so as not to miss the onset of dental disease.

There is no need to bathe these animals often, as they are neat and keep their fur clean. If, nevertheless, the dog becomes dirty and needs to be washed, then you should use shampoo that does not leave a yellow tint on the white coat. This is especially important for those pets that are shown at exhibitions.

What to feed your shepherd

While the BShO is actively growing, it especially needs animal protein and calcium. These substances are found in sufficient quantities in fresh meat and offal, which should be at least 40–50% in the diet of a young dog, and in fermented milk products (cottage cheese, sour milk, kefir, curdled milk, cheese, yogurt). Protein food and calcium are necessary for a shepherd puppy to correct formation skeleton, strength of bones and joints, formation of sufficient muscle mass.

For a dog to grow up healthy, it needs to be fed at least 0.5 kg of lean beef, poultry or rabbit meat per day. It is better not to give bones.

Except meat food, the shepherd’s menu must include a variety of porridges:

• buckwheat;
• oatmeal;
• rice,

and fresh vegetables(carrots, tomatoes) and herbs (dill, parsley). Dogs should always have a container of clean, fresh water next to their food bowl. Swiss Shepherds are fed with the following frequency:

• puppies - 5–6 times a day;
• adults - 2–3 times.

It is important to accustom animals to a meal schedule and give them food only at set times.

The Swiss Shepherd is a white German Shepherd. These breeds have almost the same intelligence and ingenuity. The Swiss get along well with children and become real family members, without whom not a single family evening goes by. If you are a novice dog breeder, this breed will be a great start. They are easy to train and raise, they have a gentle character and practically no bad habits.

Origin story

The roots of this breed are entirely connected with German relatives. The first “Germans” with this color appeared in the early 20s. This color is due to the natural gene pool, which is inherent in German breed. The first purpose of these dogs is to monitor livestock while grazing. Their color played important role, because the sheep considered them “theirs” and were not afraid.

By the mid-30s, albinos had lost their popularity. This was due to the fact that dog handlers began to make accusations against the breed. They claimed that the Swiss breed was guilty of vices German Shepherds. As a result, the population of the breed decreased significantly.

The breed emigrated to Canada and the USA, which allowed it to avoid complete extinction. There, the breeders were completely delighted with these charming pets. In the 60s, breeders began to develop a newer breed, which was already officially registered. During the same period, the official breed standard was adopted.

The dogs have gained enormous popularity due to their high intelligence and unusual appearance. Even the most famous family of those days, the Rockefellers, purchased such a dog for themselves. In the 80s, the breed received serious support from scientists. They proved that the white gene can influence exclusively color, but not anything physical development dog.

Already in the late 80s, the breed was able to safely return to its homeland, where it quickly gained popularity. And in 2002, the FCI club recognized the white Swiss shepherd.

Gallery: White Swiss Shepherd (25 photos)

Breed standard

Outwardly, the dog looks very confident. This is not to say that her muscles are not developed enough. The average height of such a pet is 58 centimeters and weight is 37 kg. This dog lives for about 13 years. Basic standards:

Advantages and disadvantages

This breed is very rarely shows aggression. This only happens in cases where the owner is threatened real danger from another person or animal. In a calm atmosphere these animals are good-natured and are not capable of intentionally offending anyone. Albinos get used to their owner very quickly, and when meeting strangers they can be wary, but they will not show aggression without reason.

The dog is very learns quickly and remembers tricks with ease. Becomes a real friend for children. This breed has softer character than its German relative, so they are more often found in families with small children. And also thanks to their sociability, they find quickly mutual language with other animals who can live with them in the same territory or walk in the park.

But despite all its advantages, the breed also has negative sides. Such pets are very love to bark for no reason. Most often this happens at those moments when they are especially bored, and also if the dog wants to make a new acquaintance or simply talk about how he spent his day.

Character

If you were looking for a dog with the perfect character, then the Swiss Shepherd is exactly what you need. This description of the breed is given not only by the owners, but also by professional dog handlers. The main character traits of these pets are poise and obedience.

Even their white color indicates that they are incredibly kind and cheerful dogs who cannot offend. This dog never shows aggression towards to strangers and animals, behaves affectionately, is always ready to make contact, but even during the most interesting and fun game the dog does not lose his vigilance and is ready to defend his owner.

Albino easy will find a common language with a small child or a cat. They are ready to accept everyone who lives in the house. But such kindness is not at all a reason to humiliate a pet. An albino will not tolerate this.

Damaging furniture is not one of the habits of this breed, so they often become residents of city apartments. But some are alarmed by the fact that these shepherds often raise their voices. Sometimes this is a sign that the dog is worried about something, but in most cases it is due to boredom.

Albino

For a long time we couldn’t choose a dog for the child, but friends advised us to get a white shepherd. I have never regretted that I chose this breed. Our Rex has become a real member of the family. Now we can’t even imagine our life without him. I hope my review of the breed will help someone make their choice.

Training

As already mentioned, this breed has an incredibly high intelligence, which has a positive effect on their learning speed. Socializing this dog is very easy. The first acquaintance with people and other animals can begin from puppyhood. Good memory allows an albino to remember on the go various commands. A properly trained dog will be able to perform tricks of any complexity without any difficulty.

During training, you should not shout at the dog or achieve results through punishment, especially physical punishment. In the case of this breed, a respectful attitude and various rewards in the form of treats or praise will be effective. Some people believe that Swiss dogs need to be trained with harsh techniques, which are more often used with German Shepherds. This is a deep misconception. You definitely won’t be able to achieve a positive result this way.

Content Features

There are several requirements that must be met if you want your albino to grow up to be a healthy and happy dog:

1. This is a large breed that needs to live in a spacious room. It is advisable to have such a dog in a large country house or spacious apartment.
2. A large breed with well-developed muscles, it needs regular training. In their absence, the dog’s health can deteriorate sharply.
3. Once a month it is necessary to comb your pet’s fur, and during the shedding period it is advisable to increase this procedure more often.
4. Once every six months it is necessary to trim the claws, and it is better if this is done by a professional.

What to feed BShO

Like any dog, white shepherd must eat well. Many owners prefer to buy dry food for their pet, but such food brings much more harm pet than we can imagine. Yes, pick up food from natural products quite problematic, but the dog will thank you especially for this. A puppy should eat at least 6 times a day, and an adult is limited to two meals a day.

• lean meat - about 500 grams per day;
• bones are not allowed, as there is a risk that the dog will choke on them;
• sea ​​or River fish with a minimum number of bones;
• various cereals with the addition of fruits or vegetables;
• chicken eggs - 3-4 pieces several times a week;
• dairy products.

If you include all of the above products in your dog’s menu, you can be sure that his body is enriched with all the necessary vitamins. When eating, watch to see if your dog eats the entire portion. If there are leftover food in the bowl, you should reduce the portion so as not to overfeed the animal. If you overeat, the albino will feel unwell.

Albinos who constantly live on the street, in winter period need larger portions or more frequent appointments food. Water should be constantly available, changed once every two days and the dishes in which they are placed should be thoroughly washed.

Health

The breed is very different good health, but several hereditary diseases still pose a threat to the pet:

• Dysplasia is a fairly common disease in many breeds. When choosing a puppy, you have the right to demand from the seller x-rays, which will show whether the dog’s bones are healthy.
• Deafness.
• Heart failure.
• Mental disorders: unjustified aggression, excessive timidity.

How to choose a good puppy

Before purchasing such a dog, be sure to discuss the purchase with all family members. If someone is categorically against this breed, then it is better to find another. This is due to the fact that the dog very quickly becomes attached to all members of the family, it is incredibly loyal and will suffer greatly if one of its owners is opposed to it and cannot love it as much as the others.

Pay special attention to the puppy's documents, which the breeder must provide you with. Carefully study the pedigrees of the dog's father and mother so as not to buy a cross between a Swiss Shepherd and another breed. Unfortunately, cases of such fraud are quite common. In order not to be mistaken, find a white Swiss shepherd club in your city, where they will certainly offer you a purebred baby. Low price, which so attracts modern buyers, most often indicates that the puppy does not have entirely “pure” roots.

Basic rules for choosing a good puppy:

• Always be interested in his pedigree, you have every right to do so.
• Pay attention to how the puppy behaves; from a young age, the Swiss are very active.
• You should not purchase a puppy whose pedigree contains matings between close relatives. In such cases, the percentage that a mutation will occur is high.

A dog of this breed can rarely be found in Russia. It's more of a Scottish, American, Swedish and Canadian favorite. In our country, such a dog costs approximately $800. If you decide to buy a puppy without a pedigree, you can invest 300-400 dollars, but in this case you lose the right to take part in various exhibitions and competitions.

Attention, TODAY only!

The White Swiss Shepherd (French: Berger Blanc Suisse) is a new breed of dog, recognized by the FCI only in 2011. Remains rare breed, not recognized by many canine organizations.

This breed can be considered international, since residents of several countries took part in its appearance. Its history is closely connected with politics, even somewhat paradoxical. The fact is that the factors that should have destroyed her worked the other way around.

The White Shepherd originally comes from English-speaking countries: the USA, Canada and England. Her ancestors are German shepherds, and those who lived in scattered counties of Germany long before the unification of the country and the emergence of a single breed standard.

By the end of the 18th century, the breed had matured and Germany's various herding dogs were standardized. Among them was a white shepherd, originally from the northern part of the country - Hanover and Braunschweig. Their peculiarity was erect ears and White color wool

The Verein für Deutsche Schäferhunde (Society of German Music Fans) was born. herding dogs), which dealt with traditional types of German Shepherds, which were extremely diverse at that time. In 1879, Grief, the first male, was born white color, registered in the community stud book.

He was a carrier of the recessive gene responsible for the white coat color and was intensively crossed with other dogs. Thus, white coloring was not something unusual at that time.

The popularity of German Shepherds grew quickly and they were imported to many countries around the world. In 1904 the breed came to the USA, and in 1908 the AKC recognized it. The first white puppy was registered by the AKC on March 27, 1917.

In 1933, the German Shepherd standard changed and dogs with a white coat were not registered unless they were of the old type. In 1960, the standard was revised again and dogs with white fur were completely excluded. Such puppies were discarded; their birth was considered a defect. In Germany and Europe, white shepherds have almost disappeared.

However, several countries (USA, Canada and England) did not change the standard and white dogs were allowed for registration. It was in them that a new breed appeared - the white Swiss shepherd.

Despite the fact that the breeding of these dogs caused a lot of controversy and had opponents, white shepherds did not lose popularity in the United States. They were often crossed with each other, but they were not a single breed until the creation of a fan club in 1964.

Thanks to the efforts of the White German Shepherd Club, these dogs have gone beyond being an unrecognized offspring of the German Shepherd and have become a purebred breed.

Work to popularize the breed began in 1970 and by 1990 it was successful. In Europe, where the traditional white shepherd disappeared and was banned, the breed appeared under the name American-Canadian White Shepherd.

In 1967, a male named Lobo was imported to Switzerland, and in 1991 white shepherd dogs began to be registered in the Registered Swiss Stud Book (LOS).

On November 26, 2002, the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) tentatively registered the breed as the Berger Blanc Suisse - White Swiss Shepherd, although the breed is only indirectly related to Switzerland. This status changed on July 4, 2011, when the breed was fully recognized.

Thus, the traditional German dog returned to its homeland, but as a separate breed, unrelated to German shepherds.

Description

They are similar in size and structure to German Shepherds. Males at the withers are 58-66 cm, weigh 30-40 kg. Bitches are 53-61 cm at the withers and weigh 25-35 kg. Color - white. There are two varieties: with long and short hair. Long-haired ones are less common.

Character

Dogs of this breed are friendly and social, getting along well with children and animals. They are distinguished by high sensitivity to the mood of the owner, they are well suited to the role of therapy dogs. The White Swiss Shepherd is very intelligent and eager to please its owner, making it highly trainable and easy to train.

The large size and the bark that a dog makes when a stranger approaches can give you confidence on the street. But, unlike German shepherds, they have a significantly low level of aggression towards humans. If you need a dog for protection, this breed is not suitable.

They have a lower energy level and a hunting instinct. This is a family dog ​​with no special functions. White Shepherds definitely love to run around in nature and play, but they also love to roll around indoors.

Berger Blanc Suisse loves his family very much and prefers to spend time with them. These dogs cannot be kept in a cage or on a chain, because without communication they suffer. Moreover, they try to be nearby all the time, and not just in the house. Most people love water and swimming, they love snow and playing in it.

If you need a dog for your soul, family and a true friend- the white Swiss shepherd is your choice. But, be prepared for attention during walks. Since the breed is noticeable, it raises many questions.

Care

Standard for a dog. Does not require special care; it is enough to brush the coat once or twice a week.

Health

Average life expectancy is 12-14 years. Unlike most large breeds not prone to dysplasia hip joint. But, they have a more sensitive gastrointestinal tract than most other breeds.

If you feed the dog quality feed, then this is not a problem. But if you change food or feed of poor quality, problems may arise.