# Thinking about a White Shepherd puppy! Advice Please :)



## Clover (Apr 5, 2010)

Hi there!

I'm new to the board. My partner and I are planning on getting a puppy soon-ish, and a White Shepherd is very high on our list of candidates. I've had several dogs throughout my life, most recently a Dalmatian who passed away last year at the age of 15 and a half.

I was hoping to find out a few things about the breed from real people who live with them as opposed to interweb generalities and breeder info exclusively.

First off, we have two cats. One of them is almost 15 and the other is barely 9 months old - so the most important deciding factor is a dog who can be trusted with furballs whizzing by at top speed without the intense desire to eat them. My Dal slept in a pile of cats next to me and I utterly trusted her with them when I was out of the house. What are White Shepherds like with cats/kittens?? Does anyone have any positive or perhaps not so positive experiences to share?

Secondly, we will be moving to a large, 3 floor apartment before we get our pup. It's in a house and has lots of space (more space than the house we live in now, actually) however we will not have a yard anymore, just a big deck on the 2nd floor and a front porch. We will be living near many parks, both off-leash and otherwise) and as well we have a cottage on a lake we will visit for much of the summer. Additionally, we work opposite hours so I am home for a large part of the day and my partner is home in the evenings while I am out. Given our circumstances, would a White Shepherd fit our lifestyle?

And finally, the only other question I have (besides wondering if a White Shepherd can out-shed a Dalmatian) is what White Sheps are like personality wise...in general I suppose. They seem very sweet, very intelligent and probably great with kids, but like I said, I'd love to hear it from people who actually live with one.

Thanks!


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

Welcome to the site!

Think a white GSD would be fine for you. ALL GSD's shed alot, so you need to be aware of that. 

As long as you KNOW you need to sign up for classes, socialize the heck out of a GSD puppy (if you get a puppy) from day one, and exercise exercise exercise it... your apartment won't be an issue.

If you find a responsible breeder, or get a great dog from a rescue with cats, the 'cat' thing won't be an issue at all. 

Dog Play: Making a Difference: Being a Responsible Dog Breeder

Dog Owner's Guide: Should you breed your dog?

Those should help you ask the right question when you talk to a breeder.

There are really about 20 different 'flavors' of GSD's with white just being one...

Breed Types & Related Families

German Shepherd Dog Breed Types

Those should get you started on that! 

If you do a search on the site, I think someone else was just asking about white GSD's so there may be more recent helpful info.


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## valreegrl (Nov 11, 2009)

We have a WGSD.....and I wouldn't trade him for the world!
So I say, go for it 

As for shedding, well, they do. And with white it is noticeable. But, with regular brushing I have found that we can keep it under control. 

With the kitties....they can get along and live harmoniously. It may take a little work but not too terrible. And what is wonderful, Shepherds are VERY smart and pick up things VERY quickly. 

They do require a lot of exercise and socialization, but it sounds like you have the perfect situation. 

This is a wonderful place to do your research though, so you definitely are in the right place. Good luck on your search!


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## GermanPrinceHero (Feb 13, 2010)

Clover said:


> Hi there!
> 
> I'm new to the board. My partner and I are planning on getting a puppy soon-ish, and a White Shepherd is very high on our list of candidates. I've had several dogs throughout my life, most recently a Dalmatian who passed away last year at the age of 15 and a half.
> 
> ...


Even though different breeds tend to sway one way or another in behaviors, every dog has a different personality, no matter what breed or color. Prince is a white GSD, 15 months old, got him at 11 weeks. He is very smart, gentle and well mannered. Was house broke at 3 mos. old. I say he is well mannered, but that is a comparison to other pups I have seen and had and does not mean he's not **** on wheels sometimes. He chews things up once in a while. He has gotten much better at it, but still can't resist the temptation sometimes. We made him a house dog. Stays in except to go to the bathroom and playtime outside (big house, plenty of room to run and play in here too) Mainly because he is better behaved inside. He digs and tears up the yard and landscaping and chews up anything in site outside when he is unsupervised. When he is in, he does none of that, except maybe chewing up a stray kids toy once in a while.
The cats are a different story. We have 2 cats. One is 12 and the other 6. They stay clear of him. Anytime they are in his site he chases them, either out of his site (they run and hide) or into a corner. If he gets them cornered he just wants to sniff them. They scratch at him, but he has no desire to hurt them, he's just curious. He's not the problem, except that he is big, scary looking and full of energy. The cat's want nothing to do with him. I am sure that some day, in a year or two when he calms down some, he and the cats will probably just ignore each other. But, for now, it's a love/hate relationship. He loves them, they hate him. 
I hear the shedding can get pretty bad. Prince is young. The only real shedding he has done so far was last summer and it was not that bad because we brushed him constantly.
I have read that the white GSD tends to be more gentle and barks less. That seems to be the case with Prince, but I'm not sure if I buy it speaking in general. I think any color of GSD can have the same traits. Will have a lot to do with their breed history and training


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## HeidiW (Apr 9, 2009)

Welcome to the Board!!! Lots of people on here with white shepherds and the colors don't matter, they are wonderful loyal dogs, they do need lots of and consistent socialization with all living creatures from an early age and they should be fine. Crucial time frame is 4 months and up especially. Earlier but make sure the environment is safe and clean with dogs you know. Shepherds can be very protective and this is why they need lots of exposure young. Some more than others.


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## arycrest (Feb 28, 2006)

You've gotten some excellent advice. All GSDs, regardless of color, shed a lot (they're jokenly called German Shedders), need lots of exercise, are intelligent, need socialization, obedience training, etc. I'm sure you can find an older dog who's used to living with cats or get a puppy and train him/her to live with your feline family.

There are several WGSD clubs which you might find interesting.
White German Shepherd Dog Club of America, Inc. || Welcome
White German Shepherd Dog Club International, Inc.™
AWSACLUB.com: Home of the American White Shepherd Association
WSCC White Shepherd Club of Canada


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## aubie (Dec 22, 2008)

As a former Dal owner myself, I find GSD hair not near as tricky! It's longer and easier to clean then those little barb-like Dal hairs, which I'm still finding almost two years after my girl passed!


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

Echo dogs is nationwide and a good source for information as well as adoptable dogs who have been in foster homes. White Paws in WI is another, but not sure where you are at. Good luck!

ETA not sure why that link isn't working. It is www.echodogs.org if you need to just copy paste! That link works


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## JKlatsky (Apr 21, 2007)

Welcome! 

Our first Shepherd was a rescued WGSD. We rescued her as an adult, and she was a very nice well mannered dog. We lived with her in a 1 bedroom apartment on the 2nd floor. Very gentle. Loved all people and did fine with the cats in the house. Cats outside of the house were fair game, but it only took a couple of weeks and she learned to ignore our cats completely. She had fairly low prey drive, not much toy drive, kind of low energy. She loved other dogs. She liked to be very close to you all the time. She wasn't really into playing with toys, but she loved to eat! We did therapy work with her and got her a CGC. She did have some anxiety and thunderstorm phobia. Living in Florida and not far from the Lightening capital of the world was trying at times. She had to be ON top of you and she would pant heavily. Not so much fun in the middle of the night when you have to get up early for work.

We just got her because she was pretty and was slated to eb PTS at the shelter and did the research after the fact. It does seem to me that generally, the white GSDs are more prone to anxiety than the GSD population as a whole. (Although I think GSDs are more prone than other more independent breeds). I imagine this has more to do with the lines that the WGSDs are usually bred from than the actual color. Finding a reputable WGSD breeder will go a long way in getting a dog with a correct temperament. Make sure you can meet the parents and that they are nice stable dogs. You could have met our Ellie on the street and thought she was the best dog ever, she was so well mannered and calm. Left at home alone though she had pretty severe anxiety. 

Like all GSDs, they shed like it's their job and the white hair is a nightmare if you favor black.


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## Furricane (Feb 18, 2010)

Hi there and welcome!

So you want to know about what it's like to live with a WGSD eh? I've had the pleasure of owning two of these wonderful dogs so far and I've loved every minute of it. But like many people have said there is a lot of things to consider.

In regards to cats it really depends on the personality of the dog you get. Although both my shepherds were excellent with our cats zooming around, that is never a guarantee. My first WGSD I got as a pup, and it only took her about three incidents where the cat showed her he still ran the house. After that they were fine. My second and current boy was raised around cats and properly ignored them. He won't move even if the cat comes and walks right by his face, and often would let the cat share his dog bed as well.

Now about the next section in your post be aware that some white shepherds can be quite the barkers. Both my previous girl and my current male will bark up a storm when they thought someone is coming near. Again this can all be dealt with by training, but it is something to keep in mind if you are moving into an apartment. Find out what the landlord's noise tolerance is, just in case! Make sure you are committed to providing the mental and physical stimulation these dogs need, a bored GSD is a problem waiting to happen. Although some people will say these dogs are lower on the energy scale, both my dogs required extensive walks, training, and mind stimulating games for them to remain content. This need is not something they grow out of as they get older also. My WGSD Apollo is 9 years old and still requires training walks and I go jogging with him as well once a night. Though he has slowed down, he is in no way a couch potato.

Like I'm sure many people have already informed you, the personality can vary according to the dog individually. However I will stress one thing, if you decide to go with an adult WGSD or a puppy SOCIALIZE THEM! Get them out to experience different situations, it's been my unfortunate experience that these dogs if not socialized properly can become very timid when out in public, to the point where they almost panic. My Apollo is very timid whenever we are out in public due to a lack of socialization from his previous owners. They simply didn't understand how important that was for their future dog. It has caused some frustration on my part because I cannot do everything I would love to with my dog because of this. He is an excellent dog, but I wish he could be more confident than he is in public.

Overall I commend you for taking the time to ask people who own these dogs instead of learning about them after you have the pup. Also I hope you learn to enjoy vacuuming because I spend at least 3 times a week on those hardwood floors of ours. My guy sheds all year round, and blows his coat twice a year as well. I've just learned to avoid black!  Hope this helped an I didn't repeat everything other people have said!


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## gabby67 (Mar 11, 2010)

You will loose him in the snow.


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