Anyone own a white german shepherd?

[carnut101]

We had to put my German Shepherd/Lab mix to sleep 2 weeks ago. I'm not entirely over it, but we need a dog in the back yard for practical purposes, mostly to keep it from turning into a zoo with all the wildlife the dog would scare away. Conveniently, a friend is offering me a puppy from the litter his dog fathered. It would be a pure breed white gsd. Does anyone have experience with these dogs? I love the personality and character of black/tan German Shepherds and want to know if I can expect the same from a white one. Also, the AKC considers the white coat a flaw. Why? Is it the result of a genetic mutation like with white tigers?

On a side note, how do you guys like dobermans?

 

[carrrnuttt]

We had to put my German Shepherd/Lab mix to sleep 2 weeks ago. I'm not entirely over it, but we need a dog in the back yard for practical purposes, mostly to keep it from turning into a zoo with all the wildlife the dog would scare away. Conveniently, a friend is offering me a puppy from the litter his dog fathered. It would be a pure breed white gsd. Does anyone have experience with these dogs? I love the personality and character of black/tan German Shepherds and want to know if I can expect the same from a white one. Also, the AKC considers the white coat a flaw. Why? Is it the result of a genetic mutation like with white tigers?

On a side note, how do you guys like dobermans?

I don't have a white GS, but HOLY CRAP. If you are really getting a purebred one for free, jump on that MF'ing deal. Those things are pretty expensive. I have a neighbor who has one, a 1.5 year-old male. It is one of the nicest, most well-trained dogs I have seen in a while. He even walks it without a leash, it is so trained.

 

[STAMPEDE3]

My neighbor has a white one and I have 2 other friends with white ones also, Other than the white coat they are a normal GSD.
For years the white was considered a flaw (And still is by the AKC) but a lot of people love them now. You will find no difference in the dogs personality and character just from the color.

Considering I have 2 of them I still love the traditional black/tan.

 

[Duende]

Now I want one.

 

[svtcobrar2004]

i have a big girl black and tan shepherd. i miss her. but how much do these white sheperds run for? i'm pretty interested.

 

[codyPKA]

wow i never new there were white ones. I had a regular one as a kid, unbelievable dog, so smart and well behaved.

but yea like others have said, if its the same breed, color should make no difference in behavior

 

[GodStang]

My sister has two pure white GS. Beautiful dogs!! Very Very good dogs and very obedient.

 

[Camaro_94]

I'd go after the free one. I have a black/tan female german shepard right now. Shes a great dog. Theyre really smart and loyal. Their personality really depends on how you raise them. They are usually really protective also, which can be a good or bad thing..

Heres my current one. Shes real friendly... But clumsy and reminds me more of a lab than a shepard.

One of my previous German Shepards. He was REAL protective.. And a beast. lol. 130lbs. It took longer for him to trust someone that came into the house, but once he knew you, he was your best friend. We were putting together a brick patio thing and he decided that he was going to lay down right in the middle of it.

My current female german shepard was supposed to be a show dog. We adopted her after her owner was diagnosed with cancer and couldnt take care of her anymore. I felt real bad for the guy, but we made sure that he knew he could come see her anytime he wanted to. My previous one was also a purebread but came right out of Germany.

 

[HYBRED]

A friend of mine adopted a white GS out of a rescue organization, he loves it. I haven't had the chance to meet it yet (I think it's a girl but I'm not sure, hence the "it") but I'm hoping to this weekend. I love the way they look.

 

[LIGHTNING LARRY]

I love my GS, He's traditional color. But either way, color doesn't matter to me.

As you already know, they are very very smart and fantastic protectors, friends and companions.

G/L with whatever you choose.:rockon:

 

[Mikeyb619]

you can't go wrong with a german shepherd (any color) imo...

German shepherds are one of the most loyal, intelligent breeds there are. Dobermans are cool but I'd take a nice German shep over one anyday.

White Shepherds tho are rare and beautiful, I say do it!

 

[BreBar21]

Sorry to hear about your other dog.

Post some pics of the GSD. I don't think I've seen a white one.

 

[ImportsSuk]

i voted Doberman but then again i'm a little biased:

not sure about GSD's, but in Dobe's it is a genetic mutation and is considered a flaw and a disqualification by the AKC. the mutation of the color gene is called "Z-Factored" and any reputalble breeder will not breed a Z Factored dog due to several health, vision and skin disorders.

DPCA | The Doberman | Albino | What is albino

 

[carrrnuttt]

Post some pics of the GSD. I don't think I've seen a white one.

They are BEAUTIFUL dogs. If I didn't already have a full complement of 3 large dogs, including a Shepherd breed, I'd be tempted to ask the OP where in CA the puppy is, and I'd be willing to go out there and pick one up.

 

[carnut101]

You guys definitely have me leaning towards picking him up as soon as he's ready to live life without mommy.

carrrnuttt, he's free for me only . From a quick search online, it looks like purebreds sell for $800-1500.

And this is what they should look like soon:

 

[SNCBOOM]

I say wait. ImportsSuk is correct, I would never get a dog from an unethical breeder [Which I'm sure most people with white GSDs are]. If you're serious about bringing a dog into your home do yourself a favor and do a little research first, GSDs have a LOT of health problems. I wouldn't want to bring home a puppy that is going to need expensive procedures and medication throughout it's lifetime. A good way of offering some insurance for that is to find a breeder that does health testing on their breeding stock and has all of the information in the OFA database. And generally speaking I wouldn't want a dog from a breeder that doesn't title their dogs in either working [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schutzhund] or conformation or both. Also, the cost of a puppy means nothing. Anyone can charge $1,500 for a dog but I'm not going to pay that unless I see a reason why I should [health testing on sire/dam, nutrition, and other costs associated with the litter]. I can assure you that a back yard breeder doesn't incur enough costs to legitimately charge more than $100 or so.

 

[Blk04L]

I've only seen a couple of white shepherds.
Look cool, would rather the black/tan GS though. jmo.

 

[carnut101]

I say wait. ImportsSuk is correct, I would never get a dog from an unethical breeder [Which I'm sure most people with white GSDs are]. If you're serious about bringing a dog into your home do yourself a favor and do a little research first, GSDs have a LOT of health problems. I wouldn't want to bring home a puppy that is going to need expensive procedures and medication throughout it's lifetime. A good way of offering some insurance for that is to find a breeder that does health testing on their breeding stock and has all of the information in the OFA database. And generally speaking I wouldn't want a dog from a breeder that doesn't title their dogs in either working []Error or conformation or both. Also, the cost of a puppy means nothing. Anyone can charge $1,500 for a dog but I'm not going to pay that unless I see a reason why I should [health testing on sire/dam, nutrition, and other costs associated with the litter]. I can assure you that a back yard breeder doesn't incur enough costs to legitimately charge more than $100 or so.

Why would most white gsd breeders be unethical? This comes back to my original question regarding whether the white coat is the result of a genetic mutation, inbreeding, etc. I have 2 weeks to do research, but at first glance, it doesn't seem like unethical breeding is an issue with these dogs. I have had other German Shepherds and am aware of their health problems. I love the breed regardless.

Having a proper breeder and titled dogs is great, but when it comes down to it, if I like this particular dog's personality and if it's relatively healthy, I'll want to bring it home.

 

[SNCBOOM]

Why would most white gsd breeders be unethical? This comes back to my original question regarding whether the white coat is the result of a genetic mutation, inbreeding, etc. I have 2 weeks to do research, but at first glance, it doesn't seem like unethical breeding is an issue with these dogs. I have had other German Shepherds and am aware of their health problems. I love the breed regardless.

Having a proper breeder and titled dogs is great, but when it comes down to it, if I like this particular dog's personality and if it's relatively healthy, I'll want to bring it home.

I would consider someone that is breeding for cash pretty unethical personally. Articles

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[ImportsSuk]

I would consider someone that is breeding for cash pretty unethical personally. Articles

QUOTE]

this. while i did pay a decent amount for my Doberman, my breeder has sacrificed the time and effort with these dogs to do the best she can in breeding a healthy dog. she has invested the time to find a healthy mate that complimented the bitch she bred. she is very active with rescue, the DPCA, etc... this is all done for the betterment of the breed as a whole. i am certain that the amount i paid just barely covered the cost of the cropping/docking/vet bills. i have his pedigree that goes back 30 years and are all titled dogs/bitches. while titling doesn't guarantee that your dog won't have any problems it's a little assurance that the chances are less than with a BYB. in fact, she is showing 2 of Geno's sisters and are doing very well in the ring. i would also be wary of someone who has several litters by the same bitch in a year.

my advice would be to join or even just search through a good GSD website and learn as much as you can about the White GSD's before making a decision. i was pretty well uninformed when i first started looking for Dobes and wound up joining a site called DobermanTalk and through all the research i did i was able to find a reputable breeder. best of luck to you :beer:


edited to add: i am in no way bashing or talking negatively towards your friend's breeding as i do not know the circumstances behind it. just throwing out some info to help you make a very important and well informed decision.