Origin of the White Swiss Shepherd Dog, Exterior Standard, Character, Health Description, Care Tips. Cost of a white Swiss shepherd puppy. Having seen this snow-white cheerful dog for the first time, people who are not well versed in dog breeds begin to get lost in conjectures, asking invariable questions: "Who is in front of them?" "Some strange white shepherd … Maybe defective or albino"? “Or maybe it’s not a shepherd dog, but a non-standard“Samoyed”or a tamed white polar wolf”?
And only knowledgeable dog lovers are able to immediately unmistakably name the breed - this is the White Swiss Shepherd, a wonderful dog in all respects, a loyal friend and reliable companion, a noble pet with a benevolent character and extraordinary loyalty.
The history of the breed of the White Swiss Shepherd
The emergence of the breed, now officially called the "White Swiss Shepherd Dog", is inextricably linked with the history of the selection of another species, which has now become very popular and famous. And this breed is called - German Shepherd. Yes Yes! It was the "German" who became the progenitor of the snow-white "Swiss", and the white Samoyed huskies or, even more so, any polar wolves have nothing to do with it.
But let's start in order. We will not delve into the centuries-old jungle of the history of the origin of European dogs, but only mention that, according to archaeologists, historians and cynologists, all modern shepherd dogs in Europe trace their ancestry from the courtyard dogs of the Middle Ages - the Hofowarts (in turn, descended from individuals of the Bronze Age). The main occupations of the Hofovart dogs were: the protection of dwellings and buildings, the property of the owners, and subsequently the grazing of sheep flocks (hence the subsequent name - "shepherd"). Sheepdogs were so respected by the citizens of Medieval Europe that in many states of that era there were laws providing severe punishment for a person who allowed himself to kill this dog.
But let's move closer to our time. At the beginning of the 18th century, with the development of sheep breeding in Germany, they also seriously attended to the increase in the population of shepherd dogs capable of effectively managing sheep. At that time, the southwestern regions of Thuringia and the Swabian region, centered in the city of Württemberg, became the main centers for breeding shepherd dogs. In order to quickly increase the number of German shepherd dogs in the 18th-19th centuries, breeders began to cross rather small, but nimble Thuringian dogs with larger Württemberg dogs, as well as to infuse the blood of other shepherd breeds, bringing animals from Austria-Hungary, France and Belgium. Thus, by the second half of the 19th century, Germany had perhaps the largest variety of types of shepherd dogs in Europe.
In 1882, at an exhibition in Hanover, two dogs were presented to the German canine community: a white Greiff and a light gray Kirass. These dogs were first called "German Shepherds" and belonged to the aristocrat Jägermeister Baron fon Knigge. Later, at an exhibition in Pomerania (in the city of Neinbradenburg), another German shepherd named Mere was presented. At last they paid attention to the new breed and gradually the dog breeders began to seriously deal with the emerging promising breed. Among the puppies born in the litters there were many individuals with a white coat. However, this did not bother breeders much (in those years, the working qualities of dogs were valued much higher than their color). Therefore, at the exhibitions of those years in the category of new German shepherds (and experts consider the year of creation of this breed to be 1899) it was possible to meet "Germans" of almost all kinds of colors. And even the first edition of the Breeding Book (published in Germany in 1921) included photographs of German Shepherd Dogs with white hair (among the thirty progenitors who laid the very foundation for the German Shepherd Dog species, eighteen had white fur or carried a gene that clearly conveys white color to the next generations).
The first person who seriously thought about such an aristocratic white coat of a German dog was the cavalry captain - Baron Max Emil Friedrich von Stefanitz. Having acquired in 1899 a snow-white dog, leading a pedigree from parents of a white suit, he actively bred these German shepherd dogs, dreaming over time to single out individuals with a white fur coat in a separate branch of the breed. Unfortunately, he failed to make his dreams come true (the ardent enthusiast of the breed died in 1936).
It should be noted that the German Shepherd Dog quickly gained popularity in Germany and abroad, and from the beginning of the 20th century it was actively used as a security and search dog in the police and the army. Moreover, no one paid much attention to the color of the sensible animal, its official qualities were more important. But with the Nazis coming to power in Germany in 1933, led by their Fuhrer Adolf Hitler, the requirements for the activities of the German Shepherd changed significantly. The Nazis considered the dog not evil enough, unfinished and "raw", devoid of many of the "Nordic" qualities they needed. The breeders of German shepherds, fearing that they would become the culprit of the displeasure of the new government, considered it good to write off all the declared breed shortcomings for the presence of the white wool gene (it was believed that it was he who did not allow the breed to show its working qualities in full force). From that moment on, all white puppies born in the litter were declared inappropriate for the breed (albinos) and were ruthlessly discarded. This trend eventually spread to all of Europe and became even more severe in 1959 with the adoption of new breed standards in Germany.
At the same time, German shepherds, which came to the USA and Canada at the beginning of the 20th century, were bred according to the old scheme, and the white color of the dogs was not considered "outlaw" there (the recessive white gene was present in almost 90% of the sheepdogs). Moreover, a beautiful white German shepherd has already been formed on the American continent. But in 1959, the tendency to cull white puppies reached the United States, and, despite the protests of dog handlers and scientists, a new standard for the German Shepherd was approved by a majority vote, finally eliminating the white color. At the same time, it was forbidden to cross white shepherd dogs with representatives of the German breed.
Through the efforts of enthusiasts (guided by the principle that "a good dog does not have a bad color") in the 60s, white German shepherds were registered in the United States as an independent breed, called the "American-Canadian Shepherd". In 1964, a club of lovers of the white variety was created in the United States, which was subsequently renamed many times and now has the name "International White German Shepherd Club" (WGSDCI). Canada also established its own White Sheepdog Club of Canada (WSCC) in 1970.
In the early 70s of the XX century, white German shepherds, already become American-Canadian Shepherds, were imported to Switzerland from America and Great Britain. In Switzerland, the breed received a new birth, began to be actively bred by local dog breeders and gained popularity.
In 2002, the Swiss registered their (as they believed) white shepherd dog in the International Cynological Federation (FCI) under the new breed name "White Swiss Shepherd Dog". Nowadays, the international standard for shepherd dogs with white fur is the "Swiss", and the American-Canadian shepherd-progenitor is recognized only by the canine organizations of the New World.
Around 2003, the breed entered the Russian Federation, where it quickly found love and recognition.
Purpose and use of the white Swiss dog
The Swiss Shepherd is a very clever and well-mannered dog. Therefore, she is easy to train and never seeks to dominate a person. Therefore, the range of its application is very wide. Of course, now she does not graze flocks of sheep, but more often she is engaged in security-sentry or search activities. It can often be found in customs, police stations, or in the army and rescue units.
"Swiss" is a wonderful companion dog, a wonderful and beloved house pet. She is an indispensable participant in dog shows and championships, and is noticeable in agility competitions. Well, and the newest application of a snow-colored shepherd dog is work in rehabilitation centers in Europe and America. Communication with the positive energy of this unique animal is the best medicine for the elderly and disabled.
Description of the external standard of the Swiss Shepherd
The Swiss White Shepherd is a magnificent stately dog with a powerful but not heavy body, well-developed muscles and a wonderful, almost snow-white coat. And if it were not for the snow-white color of the fur, then its exterior would be easily confused with the exterior of a German shepherd of the purest blood. Moreover, their height and weight are almost identical. The maximum height at the withers in a sexually mature Swiss male reaches 66 centimeters, in a female - 61 centimeters. The body weight of a dog is in the range of 30–40 kg, and of a bitch - 25–35 kg.
- Head beautiful elongated (wedge-shaped) shape, with a "chiseled" skull, strong and dry, perfectly proportional to the body. The skull is very "neat", rounded in shape with a noticeable central groove. The occipital protuberance is distinct. Stop (transition from forehead to muzzle) clearly distinguishable, but smooth (without sharp lines). The muzzle is straight, smoothly converging to the nose, rather powerful, of medium length. Lips tight, dry without flews, black in color (contrasting with the white color of the coat). The bridge of the nose is straight, of medium length and width. The nose is large, often black (the standard does not prohibit the presence of a lighter pigmentation of the nose). The jaws are strong. Complete set of teeth (42 pcs.), White, set perpendicular to the jaw line. The canines are large. Scissor bite, tight.
- Eyes almond-shaped, beautifully shaped, somewhat oblique and not wide set. Eye color is dark, usually ranging from hazel to dark brown. Tight-fitting, no sagging eyelids, usually with black rims (preferred).
- Ears Swiss Shepherd Dogs are very important when evaluating, they are an important breed characteristic. Ears are set high and erect, of medium or larger than medium size, erect, turned forward, their shape resembles an isosceles triangle with a slightly rounded apex.
- Neck muscular, of medium length, harmoniously set, with an elegant curve, without dewlap. The neck smoothly "flows" into the high withers.
- Torso strong but not heavy, slightly elongated, balanced, strong skeleton, of medium length. The chest is well developed, deep enough and moderately wide. The back is straight and muscular. The line of the back slopes slightly towards the croup. The withers are high and pronounced. The loin is muscular. The croup is long, moderately wide, sloping towards the tail. The belly is tucked up.
- Tail in the White Swiss Shepherd, set below the level of the back, of medium length (up to the hock), saber-shaped, without a tendency to curl upwards. The tail is fluffy. Usually the tail is lowered down, and in moments of excitement, the dog raises the tail higher, but without going out to the line of the level of the back.
- Limbs straight and parallel, strong (with a good balance of muscles and ligaments), the bone is medium in thickness. Paws arched, rounded, with toes gathered "into a lump". Paw pads are elastic, thick, black. Nails are large, preferably black.
- Wool can be long or very long, dense, straight, harsh to the touch, with a dense, thick and coarse undercoat. Slight waviness of the coat is allowed.
- Color - only uniformly white. A uniform snow-white coat with black pigmentation on the lips, nose and eyelid is desirable.
White Shepherd personality
As the owners of this dog note, the "Swiss" is absolutely in no way inferior to its German counterparts either in intelligence, or in intelligence, or in strength, or in endurance. She is excellent and easy to learn, has an excellent memory and excellent performance. So, all this idle talk about the recessive white gene, which impairs the intelligence and working qualities of the breed, is just nothing more than gossip.
The White Swiss Shepherd is an energetic and savvy dog, with a much more good-natured disposition (than that of the "German"), able to peacefully get along not only with other dogs, but even be friends with cats and cats living in the house. Nevertheless, it is necessary to educate this dog from puppyhood. Puppies "Swiss" are so adorable and cute, reminding themselves of some sweet "white miracle" that often the owners do not want not only to punish, but simply to scold their pet. And then that wonderful "miracle" quickly turns into a spoiled and disobedient "monster". Therefore, you should never forget that this is not a lapdog at all, but a real full-fledged service dog, requiring both rigor and discipline in education.
But, in spite of everything, the "Swiss" is a wonderful, affectionate and very loyal creature, a dog capable of becoming your best friend, devoted assistant and reliable protector.
Swiss White Shepherd Health
In general, the Swiss breed is considered to be quite strong in terms of health, which is in no way inferior to the “Germans”. But the hereditary problems of this dog are the same as those of their German counterparts (after all, in fact, this is one and the same breed).
These are, first of all:
- dysplasia of the hip and elbow joints;
- eosinophilic panostitis (bone disease of unknown etiology, usually in animals under the age of 1, 5 years);
- paresis of the pelvic limbs;
- eosinophilic myositis (problems with the chewing muscles in young dogs);
- intestinal intussusception;
- predisposition to diabetes mellitus;
- atopic allergy (often manifests itself between the ages of 1 to 3 years).
But no special predispositions associated with their snow-white color (contrary to idle speculation) have not been identified.
The average life expectancy of the White Swiss Shepherd Dog with good care and timely vaccination confidently reaches 12-14 years, even despite the presence of breed “sores”.
Swiss Shepherd Care Tips
Grooming for this white dog is no different from standard German shepherd grooming. The only amendment to the standard rules is, let's say, the more easily soiled white color of the animal's coat, which requires more frequent bathing and the use of appropriate shampoos and cosmetics. Especially if your dog is a star of exhibitions and championships. As for the rest, practically everything is the same.
Well, we must not forget about the full-fledged walking necessary for this energetic pet and a high-quality high-calorie diet, with the necessary set of minerals and vitamins.
Price when buying a white Swiss shepherd puppy
Representatives of the breed were imported to Russia in 2003. Almost immediately after they were recognized internationally. The Russians immediately fell in love with the elegant exterior of the "Swiss dog", his gentle, obedient character and devotion. Nowadays "Swiss" is not a scarce breed for Russia.
The cost of a good thoroughbred puppy for a white shepherd dog ranges from 15 to 35 thousand rubles, well, and the best exclusive representatives of the breed are many times more expensive.
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