Fun White German Shepherd Facts For Kids
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White shepherd dogs are special in the way that they are deemed as a different breed than the German shepherds. They are a special and rare breed.
They are calm yet fun-loving. They are perfect dogs for families with kids as they need a high level of activity. So, they would not be good for people looking for a couch potato dog.
They love their family a lot and are alert around strangers. They don't seek attention but don't leave them alone for too long as they can become restless for it.
These dogs don't have any skin pigmentations or anything like other white-colored dog breeds. In fact, according to breed standard rules, albinism doesn't count as a part of these dogs. They sure seem to be the most perfect breed of dog you can ever find.
Read on to know more fascinating facts about the white German shepherd. If you like this article, then check out the Corgi German shepherd mix and the black German shepherd.
White German Shepherd Interesting Facts
What type of animal is a White German Shepherd?
The white German shepherd is a kind of purebred dog.
What class of animal does a White German Shepherd belong to?
The white German shepherd belongs to the Mammalia class of animals.
How many White German Shepherds are there in the world?
White German shepherds are mainly pet dogs.
So their breeding happens only in the households they are a part of, or at the breeders' home.
Now, in the case of the white German shepherd, it's not only that to breed white German shepherds, both the parents have to be white German shepherds.
Even if the parents are not white German shepherds, if both of them carry the recessive gene, there is a possibility that they can give birth to a white German shepherd and an expert breeder who knows about the genetics, can easily breed the dogs.
So, even estimating the number of white German shepherds in the world is quite difficult as it depends a lot on demand and supply.
Where does a White German Shepherd live?
The German shepherd dog breed was first bred by a German cavalry officer named Max von Stephanitz. At the time, they didn't much care about the color of the dog's coat and mainly focused on if they had the ability to work hard as guard dogs.
The white German shepherd was one of the standard German shepherd dogs that became undesirable among the owners within a few years as they were not really looking for colored dogs. But there were still some breeders who liked these dogs and continued breeding them.
They are now a separate breed according to the United Kingdom Kennel Club. They have been seen in the United States too.
What is a White German Shepherd's habitat?
White German shepherds are direct descendants of the German shepherd dogs. Since the beginning, the German shepherd was bred to be working and herding dog and they have since lived with humans and helped them live an easier life.
The white German shepherd has a double coat that is weather resistant. So, it can be estimated that these dogs have the ability to endure the harshest of climate.
Who do White German Shepherds live with?
German shepherds were bred to stay with humans and help them out. They were bred keeping in mind their working ability. The white German shepherd's ancestors are those dogs.
So, they have been living with humans since the beginning. They can seem to be alert around strangers.
But these dogs love the families they stay with and will even give their lives for their owners. They can also get along pretty well and live with other animals in their house. But they tend to be a little intolerant towards the same gender dogs of their species.
How long does a White German Shepherd live?
White German shepherds are pet dogs and stay with humans. The biggest threats for all pet dogs are the injuries they get accidentally or during exercise or during playtime. The other threat being various diseases.
White German shepherds are not that disease-prone. But some diseases are common for some specific breeds, which people should look out for. Even with these, white German shepherds live for about 12-14 years.
How do they reproduce?
Breeding of the solid white German shepherd is a matter of understanding the genes.
It's not always that two white shepherds will give us a white German shepherd puppy, even the non-white German shepherds can also have a white German shepherd pup if both the parents have the gene for it. That's why the breeding mainly happens at some breeders.
They are the ones who know and understand the process.
There are a few standards set by the United Kingdom Kennel Club, which the parent dogs have to pass before they are taken for breeding.
Some health tests should also be done and the parents should not have any diseases which they may pass on to the next generation of puppies or their temperament also should not be bad.
The female white German shepherd gets her first heat cycle within 6-12 months and it is advisable to take them before at least three or four heat cycles or both the parents should be at least two years of age until they should be taken for breeding.
The average litter size of a white German shepherd is up to 10 pups.
What is their conservation status?
The breed is not as common as the German shepherd. The white German shepherd was not much favored by the Germans when they bred the German shepherd for the first time.
Some people definitely appreciate the white dogs but they still had to fight and got recognition as a different breed altogether. But they are still not that common and as they are kept as pets, the breeding happens at homes and at the breeders in a large number.
So, the exact population of the breed is hard to know. Hence, the conservation status of the breed is Not Listed.
White German Shepherd Fun facts
What do White German Shepherds look like?
Pure white German shepherds look exactly like the other German shepherds except that their coat color is white. They are usually medium-sized dogs, that have a well-built, balanced body and erect ears.
Their eyes are usually dark. They have a double coat that is weather resistant. The undercoat is short and thick, whereas the overcoat is straight, dense, and close lying.
If properly groomed, it can be seen that they shed a lot. According to the standards of the United Kennel Club, they need to have a white coat or pale white coat in color but a dog with albinism would not be called a white shepherd.
How cute are they?
These dogs can seem really cute considering their white coat. They can also be extremely loyal to their owners. They can be very affectionate towards the humans and animals of their households alike and they need attention.
It's not advisable to leave them anywhere alone for a long amount of time. They are an intelligent breed that has a high energy level. Considering all these personality traits along with their pure white coat, they can be considered really cute to a lot of people.
How do they communicate?
Dogs, in general, have a means of interacting through their body language that every dog owner should be aware of.
If a dog lowers the front of their body in a stretching motion, raising their bottoms with wagging tails, ears in their natural position, and every so often barks, it typically indicates they are joyful and want to play with you.
If their body is lowered, their ears are in an unnatural position, and they are yawning or licking their lips, it is safe to assume they are worried or uncomfortable. There are many other indicators like such that every dog owner should be aware of in order to understand their dog better.
White German shepherds are very vocal.
They bark a lot but make an effort to understand and identify the different barks since these dogs will also alarm you if they perceive any danger or if they feel lonely.
How big is a White German Shepherd?
A white shepherd is a medium-sized dog. The size of a medium-sized dog usually falls somewhere around 8 - 27 in (20.2 - 68.6 cm) and the height of a male of the breed is about 25 in or 64 cm and of the female of the breed, it's about 23 in or 58 cm for female.
So, they are a good choice if you're looking for a medium-sized choice.
How fast can a White German Shepherd run?
The German shepherds were first bred to be herding dogs. So, they are pretty good runners.
The purebred white German shepherd is a direct descendant of these dogs. So, even though the exact speed of the white shepherd as a different breed is not known, it can be said that it would be the same as German shepherds. German shepherds can run about 30 mph or 48 kph.
How much does a White German Shepherd weigh?
The weight of a medium-sized dog is about 20 - 55 lb (9 - 25 kg).
The weight of a male German Shepherd dog can be 75 - 85 lb (34 - 38.5 kg) and the size of a female of the breed can be 60 - 70 lb (27 - 32 kg), which is a bit more than that of an average weight of a medium-sized dog but not too much.
So, it won't be much of a nuisance.
What are their male and female names of the species?
The male of the species is called a dog and the female of the species is called a bitch.
What would you call a baby White German Shepherd?
The baby of a dog is called a puppy or pup. So, the babies of a white shepherd would be called white German shepherd pups or white German shepherd puppies.
What do they eat?
Meals for every dog depend upon three things - its size, age, and activity level. A white shepherd is a medium-sized dog who has high energy.
So, they need a high level of activity and dogs need different amounts of food and how many times food should be given, that varies according to age.
A white shepherd should be given about 1500 calories of food.
You can give them the food three or four times a day when they're a puppy and as they grow up it can be changed to two meals a day but spread across the day proportionately according to time to avoid bloating.
They can be given high-quality dog food and their meal should consist of at least a good amount of protein and fat and there should not be much activity after their meal and when in doubt, always discuss with the vet.
Are they dangerous?
No, they are not dangerous or aggressive normally. White German Shepherd temperament is rather on the calmer side.
But they love their family, their owner to the point of sacrificing their lives for them. So, when they feel like there's a danger to their favorite people, they may become aggressive or dangerous. Another reason why they might act in a dangerous manner is if they are handled poorly or mistreated in any way.
Would they make a good pet?
They make excellent pets. White shepherds love their owners and their families, including the pets in their family.
They are good around children and can be the best dog for families for this reason too that they also need a high level of activity which can be fulfilled in a house full of kids running around. They are easily trained and can be trained to do a lot of things.
Did you know...
All white German shepherd dogs have white fur because of their recessive white gene. The recessive white gene is kind of an on and off switch. If white shepherd parents give birth to white shepherd pups, they would only give birth to white pups. The other colored pups would not be born from the parents.
Many health issues can be seen among the white-colored dog breeds that have skin pigmentations but white shepherd's white coat color is just a color. So, there are no specific health issues related to this dog breed.
Is a White German Shepherd rare?
White shepherds are pretty rare compared to other colored German shepherds. As the dogs need a specific gene to be born, not a lot are born. It's mainly dependent on the breeders and demand of society.
White long-haired German shepherds are even rarer among these dogs. Long-haired German shepherd dogs don't have the undercoat which helps them endure the harsh weather.
So, they weren't deemed much of a success when these dogs were bred in the beginning. For a long-haired shepherd to be born, another kind of recessive gene is needed. So, they are rarer.
Having your own White German Shepherd
If you want to keep a white German shepherd dog as a pet, there are some things you should know. They are great family dogs but they need a lot of activity or exercise.
They are easy to train and they would need to be introduced to many people from a very young age, or it might become problematic in later years. Their training should also be kept short yet full of activity.
They don't have too many health problems but they shed a lot. So, they would need a bit more frequent and careful grooming than other dogs.
Now, we would suggest that you first go to a shelter to look for one who would benefit from your help and adopt them but if you still want to buy, then go to a good breeder, know their history and other information in detail. A white German shepherd's price is about $1000 - $1200 USD.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other mammals including the chihuahua and the pitsky.
You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one of our German shepherd coloring pages.
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Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Shepherd
https://animalcorner.org/dog-breeds/white-german-shepherd/
https://www.hepper.com/white-german-shepherd/
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Bachelor of Arts specializing in Journalism and Mass Communication, Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management
Moumita DuttaBachelor of Arts specializing in Journalism and Mass Communication, Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management
A content writer and editor with a passion for sports, Moumita has honed her skills in producing compelling match reports and stories about sporting heroes. She holds a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management, Calcutta University, alongside a postgraduate diploma in Sports Management.
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Chandan ShuklaBachelor of Science specializing in Computer Science
With a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science from Aryabhatta College, University of Delhi, Chandan is a skilled and passionate technophile. He has completed a machine learning training program and is adept in various programming languages. He has been working as a content writer for two years while also striving to become a proficient tech professional.
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