white shepherds
The White Shepherd is a direct descendant of the German Shepherd Dog and the two breeds share common roots and are similar in appearance. However, the White Shepherd evolved from a continuous selection for a working companion dog with that exclusive color, beauty and elegance as seen both standing and in motion. His high degree of intelligence and sense of loyalty have allowed him to become one of the most versatile working dogs serving mankind.
White Shepherd Dog breed lines, recognized by the UKC, is a medium-sized, well-balanced, muscular dog, slightly longer than tall, with a medium length, pure white coat, erect ears, and a low-set natural tail that normally reaches to the hock and is carried in a slight curve like a saber. The White Shepherd is solid without bulkiness and should be shown in lean, hard physical condition. The outline of the White Shepherd is made up of smooth curves rather than angles. When trotting, the White Shepherd moves with a long, efficient stride that is driven by a powerful forward thrust from the hindquarters. The rear leg, moving forward, swings under the foreleg and touches down in the place where the forefoot left an imprint. Gender differences are readily apparent.
The White Shepherd should be evaluated as an all-around working dog, and exaggerations or faults should be penalized in proportion to how much they deviate from breed type; and how much they interfere with the dog’s ability to work.
The head is proportional to the size of the dog. Males appear masculine without coarseness, and females feminine without being overly fine. The skull and muzzle are of equal length, parallel to one another, and joined at a moderate stop. There is little or no median furrow.
The White Shepherd has a weather-resistant double coat. The outer coat is medium length, dense, straight, harsh, and close lying. The undercoat is short, thick, and fine in texture. The body coat is never longer than 2½ inches. At the neck, the coat may be slightly longer and heavier, particularly in males. Ideal coat color is a pure white. Colors ranging from a very light cream to a light biscuit tan are acceptable but not preferred. Dogs with noses not predominantly black is a disqualification. The tail is set on low in a natural extension of the sloping croup. The tail extends at least to the hock joint and usually below.
It must be noted that appearance standard for United Kennel Club registered dogs is not the same as for other separate breed lines such as the American White Shepherd Dog, Canadian White Shepherd Dog, White German Shepherd Dog, or the FCI Internationally recognized Berger Blanc Suisse (White Swiss Shepherd) Dog. While all of these breed lines have a common genetic heritage with the white members of the German Shepherd Dog breed, they are each considered separate breeds which can not be cross registered between kennel clubs or interchangeably identified as the same breed. Each has its own breed appearance standard.
Read more at Wikipedia: White Shepherd Dog · Read more at Wikipedia: Berger Blanc Suisse
icons
Would you like to show your love for White Shepherds in forums and message boards as well? Feel free to grab one or more icons! Please link back to this site (white-shepherds.net) or wolfsheart.net. Do not hotlink the images from here, upload them to your own server!
