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Breed
Information
The White German Shepherd has had a very long history,
filled with misconceptions and discrimination. For too long, this colour has been seen as faulty, in comparison to their coloured counterparts. The white coat was not
always considered a fault; in fact, it was one of the original colours of the German shepherd dog, and a very important
part of creating the breed itself.
It is a well established fact that whites have been in
the German Shepherd Dog breed, ever since the start of when the breed was
developed. The first ever German Shepherd Dog, Horand
von Grafrath (owned by Captain Max von Stephanitz, creator and founder of the breed), had a
white sheep dog as a grandfather named Greif. View Horand’s
pedigree here.
Hektor Linksrhein Purchased by Rittmeister
Max Von Stephanitz on April 3, 1899 and Renamed Horand von Grafrath, The First
Registered GSD SZ 1
When Von
Stephanitz was a young cavalry officer, he
travelled all over the country and stayed with families along the way, many
of them farmers. He was fascinated with the shepherd dogs and their working
capabilities. However, he noticed that what one dog flourished in the next
dog lacked. If only he could create a dog that could have all the qualities
of a total working shepherd dog. He generated information on all these dogs
and created in his mind what he thought a well-rounded shepherd dog should
encompass.
German newspaper
from 1906 published this photo of a dog out of Greif
As his
ideas formulated, he came to the conclusion that he wanted to breed such a
dog and make it available to sheepherders all over Germany. During the last decade
of that century, Captain von Stephanitz
experimented with breeding dogs, taking the best of the shepherd dogs across
the country to get the qualities he desired.
During the early days in establishing the German
Shepherd Dog breed, Horand von Grafrath
was extensively line bred and inbred on to concrete in his type and qualities. This inevitably passed on his
grandfather’s white gene to his progeny, who in turn, produced whites.
In order to produce a white dog, both coloured
parents must carry the recessive gene for white coat, so obviously whites
appeared at the very start of the breed without much of a fuss being made. Out of
Horands offspring is for instance Berno von der Seeweise,
born 1913, his photo was found on the first edition of Stephanitz
book “Der Deutsche Schäferhund in Wort und Bild” 1921.
Berno von
der Seeweise, born 1913
Another dog that has to be mentioned because of his significance for the
breed is Horands full brother Luchs,
a known carrier of the white coat gene. One important breeding bitch was the
white Blanka von Riedekenburg,
whose mother born in 1911 was a black and tan but did carry white genes. Her
son Erich von Grafenwerth, born 1918, is to be
found in many shepherds of today’s pedigree.
On
April 22, 1899 the Verein fur Deutsche Schaeferhund (the SV) was
founded, with Max von Stephanitz as the first
president. Horand became the first dog entered in
the Stud Book.
As German Shepherds grew in numbers and increased in popularity, the SV held dog shows and Max continued to perfect the breed.
He wrote and distributed newsletters discussing which dog gave certain
qualities and which dogs to breed together. During that era, white-coated
German Shepherds were the same in stature and status as a dark-coated German
Shepherd. Repeatedly, Max pounded the issue that the German Shepherd was a
working breed first and foremost. The beauty is in the working abilities of
the dog. He diligently worked to keep the SV (and
as such the breeders) on that focus.
During Winifred Strickland’s interviews with Herta
Von Stephanitz (daughter of Max), she learned some
history on why Max gave up. In the 1930’s Nazism started to spread
throughout Germany
rapidly. They were the "elite" and they had power. At the same
time, breeders of "luxury" breeds disputed Max’s unyielding
position that this was a utilitarian breed. They wanted to focus on beauty
and less worry about function. The racial views and plans of the Nazis gave
them a different view of what the German Shepherd should have been than what
Max von Stephanitz' dream of the German Shepherd
was. Many SV members were Nazis and intervened in
the SV affairs. They continuously attempted to rid
Max of his work. They even threatened him with a concentration camp. After
thirty-six years of managing the SV, he gave up. He
died one year later on April 22, 1936; ironically this was the anniversary of
the conception of the SV.
The Nazi Party took over all aspects of the SV and aimed to further standardise
the breed, which included the outcast of whites. They said that the whites
were to blame for all weaknesses in the breed, such as poor health,
temperament and trainability. As with many ‘scientific’
proclamations made by the Nazi Party, this was also incorrect. The whites
were also blamed for albanism, deafness, and colour fading of the standard colour
shepherds coat, which is not the case at all and has been proven wrong by
many scientists, geneticists and breeders. Whites can produce all colours in the breed, even solid black and sable.
Breeders of the standard coloured
German Shepherds were instructed to drown any whites that were born in
litters. It was (and is still) a very taboo thing for a white to be born, and many breeders still do hide the fact that their
lines have produced white.
Temperament
 The temperament of a White German Shepherd dog is that
of a very good natured companion and ultimate working dog. Early socialisation and training are very important in the
breed and of the utmost importance if the owner wishes for it to be a
well-balanced and good companion.
They are very loyal and also very protective
dogs in the right situation. They dogs enjoy running, playing fetch, or any
activity with their family or pack. They are very good with children,
especially when raised with them. They can learn various tricks (depending on
the dog and the training given), but are usually very intelligent animals.
German Shepherds love being with their owners and involved in all their
activities. They have an active mind and must be stimulated, trained and socialised, if the owner does not want them to become
reactive and destructive.
Lifespan
White German Shepherds have the same lifespan as their coloured brothers, which is around 13 years.
German
Shepherd Dog Height and Weight Standards
Males:
- Height at the
wither 60 cm to 65 cm (23.62 inches - 25.59 inches)
- Weight 30 kg to 40 kg. (66.14 pounds -
88.18 pounds; Midrange = 77 pounds)
Females:
- Height at the wither 55
cm to 60 cm (21.65 inches - 23.62 inches)
- Weight 22 kg - 32 kg
(48.5 pounds - 70.55 pounds; Midrange = 59.5
Genetics
No good dog is a bad color (Max von Stephanitz)
PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THERE ARE NO HEALTH, GENETIC, OR
TEMPERAMENT PROBLEMS IN A GERMAN SHEPHERD JUST BECAUSE OF ITS COLOUR! THESE ARE ALL SIMPLY DIFFERENT VARIATIONS
OF COAT COLORS & PATTERNS
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PATTERNS
On this page (10
photos):
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COLORS, pg 1
On this page (14
photos):
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Solid
Sable
Traditional Saddle
Sable Saddle
Bi-Color
Tri-Color Panda
Black & White Panda
Sable Panda
Brindle
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Solid
White
"Solid" Red
"Solid" Cream
Solid Liver
Liver & Tan
Solid Black
Black vs. Blue
Solid Blue
Blue & Tan
Powder Blue vs. Steel Blue
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COLORS, pg 2
On this page (22
photos):
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COAT &
SADDLE TYPES
On this page (14
photos):
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Black
& Red
Black & Tan
Black & Cream
Black & Silver
Black Sable
Red Sable
Silver Sable
Cream Sable
Blue Sable
Liver Sable
White Spotting Gene
Whites with "Birthmarks"
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Short-coat
Plush coat
Long-coat
Average Saddle
Large Saddle
X-Large Saddle (Blanket)
Bi-Color
Small Saddle
X-Small Saddle
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(above colour
information from Kerstone
Shepherds)
Discrimination &
Disqualification
 From the
Australian National Kennel Council German Shepherd Dog Breed Standard
(adopted in Australia
01/01/1994)
COLOUR - Black with reddish tan, tan, gold to light
grey markings. All black, and all grey; in greys
with dark shadings, black saddle and mask. Unobtrusive, small white
markings on chest as well as very light colour on
insides of legs permissible but not desirable. The nose must be black
in all colour types. Lacking mask, light to
piercing eyes, as well as whitish markings on chest and inner sides of legs,
light nails and red tip of tail are to be rated as lacking in pigment.
The undercoat is of a light grey toning. The colour white is not permitted.
White
German Shepherd acceptance (United States,
Canada, United Kingdom)
The American Kennel Club (USA), Canadian Kennel
Club (Canada) and Kennel
Club (England)
continue to fully register them as German Shepherd Dogs on the main register.
European
countries accepting whites as a new breed
Purebred White German Shepherds in many European
countries overseas have (and are being) recognised
as a new breed, called the White Swiss
Shepherd Dog or Berger Blanc
Suisse. Many overseas kennel clubs registered white German Shepherds into
the new breed, providing they had sufficient generations of white dogs in
their pedigree and also comply with the Breed Standard. Dogs that were
registered as white German Shepherds were simply transferred to the new
registration.
White
German Shepherd Dogs in Australia
At the current point in time, the Australian
National Kennel Council (ANKC) refuses to register
white German Shepherd Dogs on the main register and allow them to be bred
from. Registrations from white stock ceased in 1995. In 2005, the ANKC resolved not to issue main register papers for dogs
whose colours are disqualifications within breed
standards (ANKC regulations Part 6, The Register & Registration
6.2). This means in all breeds accepted by the ANKC,
colours that are not acceptable in the show ring,
will only be issued limited register pedigree papers which means they cannot
be bred with and offspring registered normally.
We have lobbied the ANKC
for many years to also have whites registered. For decades, white fanciers in
Australia
and overseas have lobbied for equality for their whites, also for breed
separation.
The ANKC advises that
Australian white bloodlines are NOT a separate breed to the German Shepherd
Dog. Only imported dogs, officially registered as White Swiss Shepherd Dogs
overseas, will be eligible for main registration as White Swiss Shepherd
Dogs, providing they comply with the new ANKC
regulations. Anyone claiming to
own a White Swiss Shepherd Dog in Australia, must have an imported White Swiss Shepherd Dog with an FCI or ANKC affiliate kennel
club pedigree with no dogs in the pedigree being registered as German
Shepherd Dogs. The latest in the recognition saga,
is that the ANKC has instructed that ALL Australian whites residing in Australia
are considered German Shepherd Dogs of white coat colour and are NOT White Swiss Shepherd Dogs, unless
imported and registered under ANKC regulations.
Prospective puppy buyers need to beware of the
different camps, breeders and lines in Australia. There are organisations who believe that it is ok to use lines that
are reported by their own breeders as not being purebred shepherds. They will
register these lines and breeders as promote them as PUREBRED with their own
papers, when they are not. The reason for this is that they believe that the
dogs can still contribute new genes and further down the line, will be
purebred. This is not ethical and is fooling the public into paying large
sums of money for a designer dog, that is not in fact a true pedigree white
German Shepherd. In addition to this, they are breeding dogs that have come
from pounds (no history of pedigree) and severe hereditary problems like
elbow dysplasia. The WGSDAV has strict policies in
relation to what lines we accept for registration and breeding. Even though
some of these cross bred lines may be very beautiful, the knowledge of what
is behind them, renders them useless to the purebred
breeding program and unregistrable with the WGSDAV.
History of Discrimination
History
provides us with the factual information that the White German Shepherd was
an important aspect in the founding of the German Shepherd breed. History
also shows us when and where the discrimination came from. During the time
the white coat colour was banned, science was
lacking the information that we have today, and many false theories (although
stated as facts!) were given to the white coat of a German Shepherd. Breeders
thought that the white coat caused dark shepherd’s coat to pale into an
undesirable light colour. (Remember their focus
was on beauty and colour in a large way...)
They also thought that the white coat was a sign of albinism or disease.
Today, science and breeding history has proven that the white recessive gene
masks the actual colour of the dog, making them
appear white, and brings along no health problems. In other words, the
gene which causes white does not itself cause any defect or make dogs susceptible
to any health problems.
Disqualification
Some present breeders of the dark German shepherds claim that the white coat
is too visible for police work, too light for sheep herding, and undesirable
for a family home. Ellen Mattingly stated in an article, written in 1972, A German Shepherd dog herding stock in a
snow-covered field or herding white sheep in any weather would be somewhat
less than optimally visible if he were also white. If you will notice,
sheep are not the stunning white colour of the WGSD; rather, they are a dun colour.
But let’s counter this theory. What about black sheep? Would this mean
that a black or dark GSD could not herd black
sheep, especially at night? Or what about the sables who may blend into the
yellow/tan landscape? Mattingly additionally remarks, The German Shepherd Dog is used extensively for guard and sentry
duty, much of which seems to be done at night, and, in this case, the white colour makes for maximum visibility which would certainly
be a disadvantage. Studies in the police force have shown that the
majority of K9’s injured of killed are shot
in crossfire, or by their own officers due to poor visibility! And in this
day and age the officers are required to announce that they have released the
dog, thus eliminating the theory that the dog must sneak up in darkness! One
incredible notion passed down against the whites referred to the blind who would have white dog hair on their clothes and couldn’t
see to remove it. Anyone who knows Shepherds knows that they shed their
undercoat, MOST OF WHICH IS CREAM OR WHITE HAIR! So this is a ridiculous
argument! Also stated on this line was that the blind wanted no attention
brought to themselves in public and a white coated GSD
would draw extreme attention. As if the walking stick and having any coloured dog in harness is invisible to the public?
However looked at, a dog’s working ability or temperament should be
based on that itself and only that, not a coat colour.
Coat colour does not define a German
shepherd’s temperament or ability to work. As Max von Stephanitz stated, A pleasing appearance is desirable, but it
can not put the dog’s working ability into question. Nowhere
within his book does he state that the white coat is less of a German
Shepherd than any other. White German Shepherds can be found working as
police dogs, service dogs, herding dogs, and many other lines of work. They
have proven to the world what Max has stated numerous times. Beauty (and thus
colour) does not define a GSD
- the working ability does.
Another reason White German Shepherds remain a disqualification is the
principle that for more than thirty years this rule has been in effect. The
old cliché says it all, Old habits die
hard. Those opposing the white coated GSD see
no apparent reason to change the standard, as, in their opinion, it would not
help them in any way, shape, or form. They have fought this for so long based
on the views and opinions passed from generation to generation that it is
difficult for them to see the other side. Now look at how it COULD help them:
If whites were to be allowed into the AKC
conformation ring with coloured dogs, the number of
entries would rise greatly, boosting the club with many new members and dogs,
which would be beneficial to the German Shepherd breed as a whole. It would
also add genetic diversity, something very important within a pure breed.
Many reasons why White German Shepherds should be allowed to show with coloured German Shepherds exist. The most important
reason is that science today has done nothing but prove that White German
Shepherds are not a fault. Their coat colour is
merely based off of a recessive gene that carries no health related problems.
This gene is not linked to the diluting of darker coats; research has shown
that the dilution of coat colour is an entirely a
separate gene. Additionally, a white coat is not a sign of albinism. Albinos
have no pigment whatsoever, while White German Shepherds have pigment
everywhere.
Coat colour set aside, White German Shepherds can
do just as much as a dark German Shepherd. There were White German Shepherds
working at the World Trade Centers,
the Oklahoma City
bombing, and many other search and rescue scenes. Ve-Lin’s
Kaiser the Role, otherwise known as K9 Conan, is just one example of a
White German Shepherd police dog. This dog earned many citations for evidence
explosive detection, and criminal apprehension for the military. (Princess
Diana had even heard of this dog and wanted to meet the famous K9 Conan.)
There are many more white K9s out there, as well as
in other fields of work. German Shepherds are working dogs and work is what
they do. Their herding, intelligence, health and structure are not determined
by coat colour. White German Shepherds have the
same great instincts as the next. Moreover, coat colour
cannot define a regal dog’s love and loyalty for its owners.
In conclusion, White German Shepherds deserve the right to stand along side a
colored German Shepherd not only in the working fields, but in the
conformation show rings and gene pool. These dogs have proven that they have
nothing to fault. A simple comparison could be to use the white and black
human race. Years ago, blacks were considered inferior, or faulted, due to
their skin colour. Today, we know that black people
are the same as any other race, with the exception of only skin colour. Years ago, during the Hitler era, white-coated
German Shepherds were seen as inferior to the coloured
German Shepherd. Today, white-coated German Shepherds, with the exception of
coat colour, have proven they truly are the same as
coloured German Shepherds. Why are the SV and other German Shepherd Clubs around the world, so
ignorant about this?
Why is discrimination still present today? Where do we go from here? What do
we do to rectify this discrimination? First and foremost is education. Not
Bible-thumping, yell in their face type of education. Stand proud and be
noticed in the public - get out there and work your dog. Then, with respect
and love for your dog, state the facts. Show them your passion of this breed.
Let that passion convey the message! Friendship will always overcome
prejudice. So get out there in the dog world, socialize, and make friends -
changes in attitude will follow!
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