This breed was one of the original colour variations derived from the more easily
recognized black and tan and coloured German Shepherd Dog. In fact, Horand
von Grafrath, the first German Shepherd Dog registered by Max von Stephanitz,
the founder of the breed, had a white-coated maternal grandfather, named Grief.
When Grief was bred back to his own granddaughter the white gene was solidly
established within the breed. When Max von Stephanitz first created the breed,
he strove to produce a versatile working dog, capable of performing tirelessly
and dutifully whatever task was put before him, with his overriding trait being his
incorruptible nature and total devotion to his master. Coat colour was not
considered as a deviation from the original purpose of the breed.
Differences between breeder ideologies has separated this breed from its black
and tan cousins, but the breeders of the White Shepherd have striven to
reproduce the best qualities of the original German Shepherd Dog.
The white male can be 24 to 26 inches at the shoulder while the females are
slightly smaller, ranging from 22 to 24 inches. Breeders focus on preserving the
functional "squarer" structure of the old-fashioned shepherd, as well as the
temperament that made it possible for the White Shepherd to herd sheep and
cattle.
Today, a very loyal, devoted and highly trainable dog, the White Shepherd thrives
on pleasing his owners and loves having a job to do. Although happy to spend
time with his family indoors, the White Shepherd is an active breed which also
requires outdoor exercise. Please check out our Links Page for further
information about the White Shepherd.
