The White Swiss Shepherd: Beautiful And Intelligent
It looks like an albino German Shepherd, but the Swiss White Shepherd does not owe its coat to a genetic anomaly: it is inherent to its breed to have this striking hair. It is a breed that has collaborated in the birth of the German shepherd, which guarantees that in addition to beauty they possess intelligence.
History of the Swiss White Shepherd
For a time it was argued that the White Swiss Shepherd was a white variety of the German Shepherd. However, it has been possible to show that this breed is older.
There is evidence that the first Swiss shepherds appeared back in the early 19th century, although in northern Germany, not in Switzerland. The Swiss country, however, has been in charge of fighting for its recognition as its own and original breed, as well as its official registration.
The great expansion of the breed occurs in North America. The first specimens arrived in Canada in the 1970s. There they achieved great popularity and were finally defined as a different breed. After spreading over most of North America, they returned to Europe.
Attempts have long been made to devalue the worth of this breed, treating it as if it were a poorer German Shepherd. Nothing is further from the truth, since the Swiss Shepherd was one of the dogs that put their genes to create the German Shepherd as we know him today.
Finally, the FCI admitted the White Swiss Shepherd as its own breed in 2011. Fans of the breed had to spend decades promoting and registering it internally until they managed to make it official.
Characteristics of the Swiss White Shepherd
The Swiss White Shepherd is classified as a medium-sized breed. The males, which reach between 60 and 66 centimeters to the withers, are slightly larger, as the females are around 55 to 60 centimeters.
Regarding weight, this difference is also noticeable: the ideal weight of males is 30-40 kilograms and that of females 25-30 kilos. Therefore, we can say that they are muscular and corpulent dogs, of a medium size, but also slender and stylized.
Its body has a rectangular proportion: its back is slightly longer than the height at the withers. The same happens with the head: the muzzle, in proportion, is a little longer than the skull.
The ears are triangular, elongated and with a slightly rounded tip. He wears them erect on his head and points forward, as if in an alert position. The eyes are dark, and so are the nose: if it were an albino animal they would be pink.
The hair is completely white. There are two varieties of hair: medium long and fully long. In both cases, this dog has a double coat of hair: the undercoat is dense and hard and the outer coat is silky and smooth. The face, the ears and the front of the legs have shorter hair.
The tail is saber-shaped and tapers towards the tip. At rest it is low, almost straight or slightly curved. On alert you can lift it, but it never exceeds the height of your back.
Behavior of the Swiss White Shepherd
As for behavior, it can be said that it resembles the German shepherd. It is an alert and lively dog that lives well as a companion dog, but is also valuable to work with.
This will, together with his agility and intelligence, have made him a great competitor in dog sports such as agility. It is an attentive and alert dog, always ready to learn and therefore easy to train.
With such an intelligent dog, it is necessary to approach his education from a positive perspective, since this accelerates and facilitates his learning. A traditional force-based education will only cause behavior problems.
Care and health
The Swiss White Shepherd is prone to inherited diseases common to other breeds of shepherds and their size: gastric torsion, elbow or hip dysplasia, and heart disease. In addition, it seems to have a higher frequency of food allergies and dermatitis.
As for the hair, due to its length it is necessary to give it a good brushing at least a couple of times a week to remove dead hair and prevent skin problems.
The Swiss White Shepherd has struggled for decades to stop being the German Shepherd’s younger brother. Despite this, she has earned her popularity thanks to her extraordinary beauty and wonderful character.
