White German shepherd dogs are beautiful to watch as they move so effortlessly and gracefully yet it is their great appearance that has led to the white German shepherd dog being disqualified for years as being eligible for registration with important international dog clubs. The history of the white German shepherd has twists and turns and its future will probably gain more turnings as it gains greater acceptance as a purebred member of the German shepherd family.
The white German shepherd dog is firmly entrenched in the stock of the German shepherd breed despite the disagreements over whether the white coat is a defect or an accepted trait of the breed. There are now many clubs devoted to white German shepherds as people realize the value of their dog whether the American Kennel Club accepts the breed as material for all competitions or not.
Horand The White German Shepherd
Since the white coat was a trait of the first dog registered as a German shepherd, it makes you wonder what the fuss is about because it seems like having a white coat should be an accepted trait of the German shepherd. The Deutsche Shaferhund (German Shepherd) club was first founded in 1899 with Horand the white German shepherd as the first entry in the club’s studbook. Horand was the grandson of Grief, another white German shepherd that Max Von Stephanitz believed had the traits of a superior working dog. It was upon the appearance of these white German shepherds that the first German shepherd registration was based. White German shepherds fell out of favour when Nazis determined that the white German shepherds were responsible for defective genes and color fading.
White Coats Can Register
Despite this, the German shepherd is not recognized as eligible to compete in all American Kennel Club competitions although white German shepherds are allowed to register with the club if both of a dog’s parents are also registered with the club. German shepherds can compete in obedience, agility, tracking and other non-conformation type competitions. Regardless, the recessive gene for a white coat is firmly fixed in this breed’s gene pool and white German shepherds are common.
There are no differences in temperament and abilities between the white German shepherds and the more colourful German shepherds. You can have the same expectations for intelligence and lively attitude from a white German shepherd and these great traits give this dog its wonderful attitude and beautiful appearance.
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