Fun White Shepherd Facts For Kids
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White shepherds are a uniquely rare breed of German shepherds. Having acquired their name because of their snowy-white color, they are on average 26 in (66 cm) in size, with dark-colored eyes and straight ears.
Initially bred by the Germans as herding dogs, they were later disliked by many because of their overfriendliness with strangers. With time, they gained popularity and were bred all across the UK and the USA.
It is one of the most expensive pet dogs which can adapt well if given proper training. People petting them should be protective and conscious about the health of their dog from its early life as a puppy.
Often they suffer from elbow dysplasia due to a lack of proper exercise and training. Hence, grooming this cute-looking dog should be done with care.
Interested to know more about the white shepherd? Read on for more helpful information below. You can also check out other dog breeds like corgi German shepherd mix and Anatolian shepherd dog here.
White Shepherd Interesting Facts
What type of animal is a white shepherd?
The white shepherd or white German shepherd is a dog breed. Its name has come from its unique white coat color. It is of the same breed as the German Shepherd.
What class of animal does a white shepherd belong to?
White German shepherds belong to the class of mammals. This pet shepherd dog breeds in households under the supervision of its owner.
How many white shepherds are there in the world?
Since white German shepherds are a pet dog breed, getting an estimate of the approximate number of such dogs is difficult. Also, these dogs are rare and hard to breed as not all white shepherds give birth to shepherd white puppies.
Only a few owners know the exact herding process to produce white German shepherds.
They breed them only when the demand to pet these dogs increases. All over the world, they are bred for the sole purpose of selling them as pet dogs, so keeping track of their exact numbers is not possible.
Where does a white shepherd live?
White shepherds live mainly in households. They also serve as guard dogs in the army and undergo appropriate training.
Originally, these white German shepherds were discovered by a German named Max von Stephanitz and he bred them as guard dogs. Now, this dog breed is bred in only the UK and USA by two different organizations, United Kennel Club (UKC) and American Kennel Club (AKC). They are then handed over to their owners at a price.
What is a white shepherd's habitat?
From the double white coat, it can be understood that this dog breed survives the best in temperate countries with harsh winter temperatures. Usually, a white shepherd is kept as a pet, a herding dog, and a guard dog at a household after proper training by the owner.
Who do white shepherds live with?
A white shepherd dog possesses a good temperament and has a friendly personality for which they prefer staying with humans. These dogs were bred for keeping as pets or as helping dogs by humans. Since then, they are bred to be kept by humans.
How long does a white shepherd live?
The average lifespan of the white German shepherd ranges between 12 to 14 years. However, these dogs are prone to excess weight gain leading to various other diseases.
Care should be taken to ensure they exercise regularly but with caution. They are prone to hip and elbow dysplasia during vigorous exercise or play. Excess hair shedding and ticks on the body due to skin disease and allergies can also reduce their life span.
How do they reproduce?
Breeding of a white shepherd puppy happens under controlled gene interplay, carefully done by dog owners. Since the white color comes because of the recessive gene of two white German shepherds, the breeding process may or may not produce white shepherds.
Also, non-white German shepherds can produce a white shepherd. Before two German shepherds or white shepherds mate with each other, they are taken for various health tests and gene tests.
These are done so that their offsprings come out as intelligent white shepherds, with good health and temperament. On average, a female white German shepherd gives birth to five to 10 puppies.
What is their conservation status?
The breeding of white shepherds is done exclusively by owners at their homes. Since they are bred to be sold as pets, the exact count of their existing population number across the world is hard to estimate.
Hence, it is an animal that is Not Evaluated by the IUCN or any other international organization. However, the population of this breed of German shepherd dog is registered by the AKC and the UKC as the American white shepherd.
White Shepherd Fun Facts
What does a white shepherd look like?
As the name suggests, the white shepherd is white to off-white. It has a double coat of stiff and straight hair.
They have a medium yet well-built body structure with an almost 26 in (66 cm) long body, white fluffy tail, and long and straight ears. Their eye color is dark and they look similar to normal German shepherds, except their fur coat is white.
It is important to note that the United Kennel Club (UKC) does not consider a German shepherd with albinism disorder as a white shepherd. Hence, white shepherds are registered as a separate breed in comparison to regular German shepherd dogs.
How cute are they?
In earlier times, most Germans used to dislike white shepherds because of their white coat color. However, now their popularity as precious pet dogs has increased all over the world. Most people find their snowy white body color to be very attractive. Their incredible socialization skill and high energy yet friendly temperament make them extremely desirable and cute.
How do they communicate?
The shepherd dog is a very active and fun-loving dog. It is full of energy and barks often.
The dog is very vocal about its needs and feelings and can effectively convey them to its owner. The tone of their barking differs with their temperament. Apart from vocal communication, they are very expressive and great at socialization with their bodily gestures too.
Like other dogs, they wag their tails to show love to their family and can become quite aggressive in front of strangers. They kneel or bend down to show obedience and are very protective of their family and children.
How big is a white shepherd?
A German shepherd in general is a medium-built dog. The white shepherd breed is also similar with the size of males being 24-26 in (60-66 cm) and the size of females having a range between 22-24 in (55-60 cm). If compared with another dog breed like the beagle, the white shepherd dog is six times bigger.
How fast can a white shepherd run?
The white German shepherd dog breed was first bred as herding dogs. With proper training, they can run as fast as 30 mph (48 kph). They are full of energy and are fast runners.
How much does a white shepherd weigh?
Males are bulkier than females. The weight of males is around 65-70 lbs (29-31 kg), sometimes reaching up to 90 lbs (40 kg). While the weight of female shepherds ranges between 60-70 lbs (27-31 kg). They are known to quickly gain weight and so, proper exercise training is important to keep them healthy and fit.
What are the male and female names of the species?
Just like other dog breeds, white shepherd sexes are also assigned similar names. A male white shepherd is called a dog while a female is called a bitch.
What would you call a baby white shepherd?
A baby white shepherd is called a puppy irrespective of its gender.
What do they eat?
The diet of a white GSD ideally consists of high protein and fat food. Since they are active dogs, they need 1500 calories of food daily. However, this may change depending on their age and health condition. They are given dog food three or four times a day.
Are they slobbery?
No, white shepherds are not slobbery. They have a fur-coated body with a fluffy tail and the fur is dry and stiff. This means that proper grooming is required frequently.
Would they make a good pet?
Yes, white shepherds are a great choice to be kept as pets. They are very intelligent dogs and can be a great companion to the family, giving full obedience.
Despite their size, they are not to be feared at all as they have a very mild temperament and are very protective of children and the family they are a part of.
They are great pets as they adapt to the training and grooming given by the family. However, it is important to know that petting and grooming a white shepherd is a bit difficult as its white fur coat gets easily soiled.
To keep up with their diet, good portions of dog food need to be given which can become costly.
Also, they suffer from certain allergies and disease which leads to excessive hair shedding. Apart from these, the white shepherd, with its intelligent and happy personality, makes a great pet for the household.
Did you know...
Other country-specific names for this dog are white Swiss shepherd (Switzerland) and American white shepherd (America).
If they want something they will constantly howl, scream and groan to their owners until they get it.
White shepherds have straighter and longer coats than German shepherds.
A white shepherd puppy can unintentionally hurt a small child out of playfulness. With age, they grow in size and also become more poised and calm.
What is the difference between a white shepherd and a German shepherd?
The first noticeable difference between a white shepherd dog and a German shepherd dog is their body color. A White Shepherd has a full white or off-white coat, while the German shepherd has a mix of brown and black body color.
German shepherds are bulkier and heavier while white shepherds are comparatively leaner yet well-built. The German shepherd is more aggressive while the white breed is friendlier. In front of strangers, the white ones are comparatively softer and show greater obedience than non-white German shepherds.
Are white German shepherds rare?
Yes, white German shepherd breeds are very rare to find and are hence very expensive pets. It is quite a gruesome task to breed full white shepherds. Due to their rare recessive genes, they are not easy to breed. It is not always sure that a white shepherd will yield a litter of white puppies.
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 raccoon dogs, or zonkey.
You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our white shepherd coloring pages.
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