White German Shepherds

Pronunciation American White Shepherd

Description

The American White Shepherd looks almost exactly like a German Shepherd except for the color. It has a stiff, long, or long-haired coat. The long-haired types do not have an undercoat. The color is always white.

Temperament

White Shepherds are courageous, keen, alert and fearless. Cheerful, obedient and eager to learn. Tranquil, confident, serious and clever. White Shepherds are extremely faithful, and brave. They will not think twice about giving their lives for their human pack. They have a high learning ability. White Shepherds love to be close to their families, but can be wary of strangers. This breed needs his people and should not be left isolated for long periods of time. They only bark when they feel it is necessary. Often used as police dogs, the White Shepherd has a very strong protective instinct, and are extremely loyal to their handler. Socialized this breed well starting at puppyhood. Aggression and attacks on people are due to poor handling and training. Problems arise when an owner allows the dog to believe he is pack leader over humans and or does not give the dog the mental and physical daily exercise they need to be stable. This breed needs owners who are naturally authoritative over the dog in a calm, but firm, confident and consistent way. A stable, well-adjusted, and trained dog is for the most part generally good with other pets and excellent with children in the family. They must be firmly trained in obedience from an early age. White Shepherds who have passive owners and or who's instincts are not being met can become timid, skittish and may be prone to fear biting and develop a guarding issue. They should be trained and socialized from an early age. White Shepherds will not listen if they sense that they are stronger minded than their owner, however they will also not respond well to harsh discipline. Owners need to have an air of natural authority to their demeanor. Do not treat this dog as if he were human. Learn canine instincts and treat the dog accordingly. White Shepherds are one of the smartest and most trainable breeds. With this highly skilled working dog comes a drive to have a job and a task in life and a consistent pack leader to show them guidance. They need somewhere to channel their mental and physical energy. This is not a breed who will be happy simply laying around your living room or locked out in the back yard. The breed is so intelligent and learns so readily that it has been used as a sheepdog, guard dog, in police work, as a guide for the blind, in search and rescue service, and in the military. The White Shepherd also excels in many other dog activities including schutzhund, tracking, obedience, agility, flyball, and ring sport. His fine nose can sniff out drugs and intruders, and can alert handlers to the presence of underground mines in time to avoid detonation, or gas leaks in a pipes buried 15 feet underground. The White Shepherd is also a popular show and family companion.

Height, Weight Height: 24-26 inches (60-65cm.) Bitches 22-24 inches (55-60cm.) Weight: 77-85 pounds (35-40kg.)

Health Problems

Some of the diseases that have been found in this breed are hip and elbow dysplasia (be sure both parents have their hips certified as OFA good); malabsorbtion syndrome; degenerative joint disease (including osteochondritis); megaesophagus; pannus and other forms of eye disease (not commonly seen); bloat; allergies (food, fleas or airborne); other skin or coat problems and missing teeth. Some lines of Whites are having problems with illnesses such as Lupus and/or other forms of autoimmune diseases, as well as Congenital Spinal Disease. At this point in time, autoimmune problems are fairly rare in the breed.

Living Conditions White Shepherds will do okay in an apartment if sufficiently exercised. They are relatively inactive indoors and do best with at least a large yard.

Exercise

White Shepherds love strenuous activity, preferably combined with training of some kind, for these dogs are very intelligent and crave a good challenge. They need to be taken on a daily, brisk, long walk, jog or run alongside you when you bicycle. While out on the walk the dog must be made to heel beside or behind the person holding the lead, as in a dog's mind the leader leads the way, and that leader needs to be the human. Most shepherds love to play ball or Frisbee. Ten to fifteen minutes of fetching along with daily pack walks will tire your dog out quite nicely as well as give him a sense of purpose. Whether it is ball chasing, frisbee catching, obedience training, participation in a canine playgroup or just taking long walks/jogs, you must be willing to provide some form of daily, constructive exercise. The daily exercise must always include daily walks/jogs to satisfy the dogs migration instinct. If under-exercised and or mentally challenged, this breed can become restless and destructive. Does best with a job to do.

Life Expectancy Around 12 years.

Grooming

This breed sheds bits of hair constantly and is a seasonally heavy shedder. They should be brushed daily or you will have hair all over your home. Bathe only when necessary, over bathing can cause skin irritation from oil depletion. Check ears and trip claws regularly.

Origin

Originated from the United States, Canada and Europe. It was a direct descendant of the German Shepherd Dog. The White Shepherd has not been mixed with any other breed of dog since its introduction to North America. Certainly, there has been no other breed or breeds added in order to make them white. The gene that controls the white color is a natural component in the total color genetic makeup of the German Shepherd Dog breed. The White Shepherd is registered independently with the American White Shepherd Association in the United States of America.

Group Herding

Recognition

WGSDCV, FCI, UKC, NKC, AWSA, APRI, WSSDCA, DRA

The White Shepherd is registered as a White Shepherd with the American White Shepherd Association (AWSA) and the United Kennel Club (UKC). The Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) recognized it as a Berger Blanc Swiss in 2002, which is the same name the White Swiss Shepherd Dog Club of Australia (WSSDCA) uses (in translation). The Swiss recognized the White GSD as a separate breed first, which is why Switzerland was credited as the country of origin and the breed name changed to reflect this.

Most other clubs register it as a German Shepherd Dog (white) calling the white color a disqualifying fault.

German shepherds Profiles

The German Shepherd Dog is well proportioned and very strong. The GSD has a sturdy, muscular, slightly elongated body with a light, solid bone structure. The head should be in proportion to its body, and the forehead a little rounded. The nose is most often black however, blue or liver still do sometimes occur, but is considered a fault and can not be shown. The teeth meet in a strong scissors bite. The dark eyes are almond-shaped, and never protruding. The ears are wide at the base, pointed, upright, and turned forward. The ears of puppies under six months may droop slightly. The bushy tail reaches almost to its hocks and hangs down when the dog is at rest. The front legs and shoulders are muscular and the thighs are thick and sturdy. The round feet have very hard soles. There are three varieties of the German Shepherd: rough-coated, long rough-coated, and the long-haired. The coat most often comes in black with tan, sable or all black, but also can come in blue, liver and white, but those colors are considered a fault according to most standards.

German Shepherd Ansiety by Separation

German Shepherd Anxiety- Five Main Contributing Factors And Four Best Solutions

By Gino Ruiz

German shepherd anxiety is a panic disorder which occurs among German shepherds which is known to be loyal to their human families. It may arise when this canine breed is separated or isolated to their owners and may worsen when not resolved during its early stage.

When you leave home, the Shepherd dog may experience German shepherd anxiety and can lead to German shepherd aggression problems such as German shepherd barking and destroying your personal belongings. While this can be a hard situation to handle, fortunately, there are quick and easy steps to alleviate this condition. However, when faced with this problem, you should be fully aware of its contributing factors.

What are the five main causes of German shepherd anxiety?

Pack-oriented nature

German shepherd anxiety may occur when you leave your Shepherd dog in your house alone. This is called the German shepherd dog separation anxiety. Generally, canines come in packs in the wild and they have their top dog to follow to. This particular behavior is adapted from their ancestors, the wolves.

The German shepherd treats you as his leader and when he does not see you for long stretches of time, he might feel abandoned, thus easily gets irritated.

Genetic inheritance

German anxiety may occur due to genetic predisposition. German shepherd is among the dog breeds, along with the Springer Spaniels, Airedales and others, that are prone to this disorder.

For this reason, it is important to know what type of breed you want to purchase in a pet store and to become knowledgeable of its background before thinking of owning one.

Trauma with previous owner

Some German shepherds that are abandoned by their previous owners are placed in dog shelters, thereby causing German shepherd anxiety. This traumatic experience makes them distrustful to their new human families.

These shelter dogs may become frightened that the same thing might happen again with their new-found owner.

Early weaning

As early as eight weeks old, Shepherd puppies can already be separated from their mothers and siblings. Through this, German shepherd anxiety may develop sooner or later.

This mostly happens in German shepherd puppies that are confined in a dog cage for purchase in a pet store. They tend to become wild since they always struggle for freedom and they are being deprived of play opportunities with other canines.

It is in their original families that German shepherd puppies learn basic things for survival, such as social skills and food hunting. Early separation from them can bring about psychological trauma.

Lack of time

German shepherds also need to spend time with their owners. Physical neglect would cause them to experience German shepherd anxiety that is why it is necessary to give extra attention and affection to your guard dogs.

If you are the type who work long hours outside your home and no one is left to keep an eye on your German shepherd, then, you better think twice before deciding on owning this dog breed.

When this case becomes serious, this will lead to destructive behaviors such as German shepherd chewing inappropriate items, as well as self-mutilation such as pulling out his fur.

How can you solve this problem in four ways?

Crate training

German shepherd crate training is one effective way to alleviate German shepherd anxiety. Make your Shepherd dog get attuned to being alone at home by making him stay in his nice and comfy crate and teach him to do his business outside the house.

Provide exercise routines

German shepherd anxiety may be avoided by providing exercise activities with your German shepherd dog. Before you leave for work, take him to a walk for 15 to 20 minutes. Make sure to put him on a leash while doing it.

Distract from boredom

While your German shepherd puppy is alone in his crate, give him something to chew or bite such as marrow bones and soft toys. This way, his attention will be diverted and will provide an outlet for him to have fun with himself rather than become destructive.

You may also turn on the radio and play soothing music which he will surely love to hear.

Positive reinforcement

Once your German shepherd does not react to your leaving anymore, shower him with praises and give him his favorite treats. In this sense, he will associate behaving well with rewards and is more likely to repeat this favorable conduct.

German shepherd anxiety should be taken seriously by all owners since this could also make the lives of the Shepherd dogs at risk. Just like human beings, they also need much love and affection from their families.