White Swiss Shepherd Dog

The White Swiss Shepherd Dog or Berger Blanc Suisse (German: Weisser Schweizer Schäferhund, Italian: Pastore Svizzero Bianco) is a Swiss breed of shepherd dog. It descends from North American White Shepherds imported to Switzerland; the White Shepherd itself descends from white-coloured purebred German Shepherds.

White Swiss Shepherd Dog
a pure white dog in snow
Other namesBerger Blanc Suisse
OriginSwitzerland
Traits
Height Males 60–66 cm (24–26 in)
Females 55–61 cm (22–24 in)
Weight Males 30–40 kg (66–88 lb)
Females 25–35 kg (55–77 lb)
Coat thick, either medium-length or long
Colour white
Life span over 10 years[1]: 68 
Kennel club standards
Fédération Cynologique Internationale standard
Dog (domestic dog)

History

White-coated German Shepherds were once barred from registration in their native Germany, but in the United States and Canada the colouration remained popular; a breed club was formed and these white dogs came to be recognised as a distinct breed, the White Shepherd.[2]: 104 

The Berger Blanc Suisse derives from dogs of this type imported from North America to Switzerland from the early 1970s. The first of these was an American dog named Lobo, born on 5 March 1966; other dogs were imported from Canada and from the United States.[2]: 104 [3]

It was recognised as a breed in Switzerland in June 1991, and registered in the Livre origin suisse of the Société Cynologique Suisse.[1]: 68 [3] It was provisionally recognised by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale in 2002, and was definitively accepted in 2011.[4] It was recognised by the British Kennel Club in 2017.[5]

Characteristics

The White Swiss Shepherd is of medium size, with a weight in the range 25–40 kg and a height at the withers usually between 53 and 66 cm.[1]: 68  Two types of coat are seen, medium-length and long; the coat is always white, preferably with dark skin.[6] The eyes range from light to dark brown and are almond-shaped; the ears are erect, forward-pointing, triangular, and slightly rounded at the tips.[4][6]

Its herding abilities are similar to those of the German Shepherd.[7] Registration is not subject to a working trial.[3]

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Berger Blanc Suisse.
  1. [Bruce Fogle] (2013). The Dog Encyclopedia. London; New York: Dorling Kindersley. ISBN 9781465408440.
  2. Tamsin Pickeral (2014). Dogs Unleashed. San Diego: Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9781626862739.
  3. FCI-Standard N° 347: Berger Blanc Suisse (White Swiss Shepherd Dog). Fédération Cynologique Internationale. Accessed May 2022.
  4. Berger Blanc Suisse (347). Fédération Cynologique Internationale. Accessed March 2020.
  5. New Breed – White Swiss Shepherd Dog. The Kennel Club. Archived 23 July 2017.
  6. White Swiss Shepherd Dog (Imp). The Kennel Club. Archived 23 July 2017.
  7. Jeanne Joy Hartnagle-Taylor, Ty Taylor (2010). Stockdog Savvy. Crawford, Colorado: Alpine Publications. ISBN 9781577791065.
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