The White Swiss Shepherd Dog Community

The White Swiss Shepherd Dog is a distinct breed that developed from white-coated German Shepherd Dog lines, which were disqualified from the German Shepherd breed standard in Germany in the twentieth century but were preserved and developed as a separate breed, particularly in Switzerland and North America. The breed was formally recognised by the FCI in 2003 as a separate breed from the German Shepherd Dog and has been registered by the Kennel Club in the Pastoral Group in the United Kingdom, where it has built a devoted following as a companion and working dog of considerable beauty and capability. The White Swiss Shepherd shares the German Shepherd's intelligence, trainability and working drive but is generally considered to have a softer, more sensitive temperament, having been bred for many decades without the intense working selection pressures of mainstream German Shepherd working lines. The White Swiss Shepherd Dog is a large, well-built and elegantly proportioned herding dog of immediate visual appeal. The coat is a dense, straight to slightly wavy double coat in pure white, with a profuse undercoat providing excellent weather protection. The build is the classic German Shepherd proportions - strong, well-angulated hindquarters, a deep chest and an athletic, fluid movement - but the pure white coat gives the breed a distinctive and striking appearance. Adults typically stand 55 to 66 centimetres at the shoulder and weigh 25 to 40 kilograms. The character is loyal, intelligent and sensitive - a breed that forms deep bonds with its own family and is typically gentle, gentle-natured and responsive to the emotional state of its household. The White Swiss Shepherd is good with children, sociable with other dogs when well socialised and generally alert and watchful without the sharpness of some intense working German Shepherd lines. The sensitivity is a defining characteristic: this breed responds to harsh handling or a stressful home environment with anxiety or withdrawal, and thrives in a calm, positive and stable household. Training is genuinely exceptional with this breed. The White Swiss Shepherd is highly intelligent and has an almost extraordinary responsiveness to positive reinforcement from an owner it trusts. The combination of intelligence, sensitivity and working drive makes it highly capable in obedience, agility, tracking and search and rescue, and one of the most rewarding dogs to train for owners who invest in positive methods. Health testing is essential. Hip and Elbow Dysplasia assessment and Degenerative Myelopathy DNA testing are the primary requirements. Purchase prices from KC-registered breeders range from £800 to £2,000. Monthly running costs average £90 to £160. The White Swiss Shepherd Dog Club of Great Britain is the primary resource for breed information, health testing requirements, responsible breeders and rescue contact.