White Shepherd dog Breed description: Character & Co

The essence of a Berger Blanc Suisse - steady nerves and intelligence

According to the breed description, the white shepherd dog should show steady nerves, it should be friendly and well-balanced as well as self-confident. It is intelligent and very willing to learn and work.

Attitude and commitment - close contact and sufficient stimulation

The white shepherd dog's only demand on keeping conditions themselves is that they want to live closely together with their family. They need close contact at work, during sports and when resting afterwards. These components are a real necessary for him. They always need a task to do that will keep them physically and mentally busy. White shepherd dogs are used as guard dogs, watchdogs, assistance dogs (for example guide dogs) and as rescue dogs. They are also suitable for various dog sports. They want to be kept occupied and busy every day.

Training of the white shepherd - a partner willing to learn

The white shepherd dog is extremely intelligent and eager to learn. They want to please their humans and always want to do everything right. Therefore, they are rather easy to train.

However, simple commands don't do much for them and an especially balanced and close relationship needs to be established with them. Their mind also needs to be kept busy. Because of these factors, it is advisable to look for support in a dog sports group or dog school, if you don't already have a lot of experience with shepherds.

Diseases - HD and more

If the breeding is right, a Berger Blanc Suisse reaches an age of 12 years, as expected.

Typical diseases are

• hip joint dysplasia and
• eye diseases.
• The MDR-1 gene defect also occurs in this breed.
• As with the German shepherd dog, degenerative myelopathies are common.
• Dogs with a steeply sloping back line are particularly susceptible to joint and other degenerative diseases.

White shepherd dog breeding - simply white is not enough

White puppies of the German shepherd dog may not simply be re-declared as white shepherd puppies nor may they be used in the breeding of the Berger Blanc.

However, stock-haired and long-stock-haired specimens of the Berger Blanc may be crossed with each other to keep the gene pool broader.

A steeply sloping back line is expressly not desired in order to keep the breed healthier.

What else you should know - buying a white shepherd dog

Since the breed is native to Switzerland, the Swiss spelling variant 'Weisser Schäferhund' (White Shepherd) is often used.

If you want to buy a Berger Blanc Suisse, you should have a breeder prove the origin with as little inbreeding as possible and healthy parents. With a serious breeder this should not be a problem. A white shepherd puppy costs around 1000 Euros.

It can also happen that a white shepherd dog is given away by its owner from time to time. It is a big dog with a lot of hunger and need for stimulation - so it is not easy to find a suitable home for them whenever a white shepherd dog ends up in a shelter.

If you have experience with dogs and wish to have a Berger Blanc Suisse - why don't you look around in appropriate animal shelters to see if there is a white shepherd dog waiting for you? It does not always have to be a puppy. A Berger Blanc Suisse or white shepherd dog costs about 1400 Euros.