The White Shepherd is a variety of the

German Shepherd The German Shepherd or Alsatian is a German breed of working dog of medium to large size. The breed was developed by Max von Stephanitz using various traditional German herding dogs from 1899. It was originally bred as a herding dog, for he ...

bred in the United States. Although white-coated German Shepherds have been known in Europe as early as 1882, in 1933 the

breed standard In animal husbandry or animal fancy, a breed standard is a description of the characteristics of a hypothetical or ideal example of a breed. The description may include physical or morphological detail, genetic criteria, or criteria of athletic ...

was amended in their native Germany, banning white-coated dogs from registration. In the United States and Canada the coloration had gained a following and in 1969 a breed club was formed specifically for white-coloured German Shepherds, calling their variety the White Shepherd. The variety is recognized as a separate breed by the

United Kennel Club The United Kennel Club (UKC) is a kennel club founded in 1898 in the United States. In contrast with the American Kennel Club, which is non-profit and which only clubs can join, the United Kennel Club is a profit-making corporation, open to indivi ...

. According to the

of the United Kennel Club, the ideal height of a White Shepherd dog is and the ideal weight is between , while bitches ideally stand and weigh between . The breed standard states they have a straight, dense, weather-resistant

double coat The coat of the domestic dog refers to the hair that covers its body. Dogs demonstrate a wide range of coat colors, patterns, textures, and lengths. As with other mammals, a dog's fur has many uses, including thermoregulation and protection fr ...

that ideally is pure white, although light cream or light tan is acceptable.

References

Herding dogs Dog breeds originating in the United States {{dog-stub

See also

References