# Whole lotta whites showing up



## Guest (Sep 10, 2008)

CampPappy mentioned in the followup thread about our Baldur (then Zephyr) about how many white German Shepherds seem to be showing up in the rescue sections lately. I've noticed this too. Can anybody well versed in rescue speak about this? Are we seeing what we think we're seeing? Is there really a sudden disproportionate amount of WGSDs showing up needing a home? If so, is this common? Cyclical?


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## pupresq (Dec 2, 2005)

I have noticed the same thing. I'm not entirely sure why. I would say some of it could be due to who is posting. We all have the special types that appeal to us, so to some extent the dogs that get posted reflect the ones that resonate with the people posting. There are of course a TON of GSDs in shelters nationwide that never make it on our board. But sometimes it does seem like there are spikes in certain colors, even with the same people doing most of the posting. There seemed to be a disproportionate number of blacks a few months ago. I'm not seeing any more whites than usual in KY. I've been seeing more sables in rescue lately than I used to, but again, not so much here locally, as in general. 

The biggest thing I've noticed lately is the sheer number of GSDs, of all colors, showing up in shelters and how few of them are getting rescued, or how long it takes when they do. There are dogs that I know people would have been fighting over 2 years ago, now languishing in the shelters for days or weeks, and many never making it out. I think part of that is the economy - more dogs being surrendered as people cut back on expenses and/or move to housing where GSDs aren't allowed. I think another aspect of it is the success of Petfinder. More and more shelters are online, but the market for GSDs isn't keeping pace with the supply and the rescues stay overfull. 

It's tragic really. I've never seen so many great dogs with nowhere to go.


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## pamela berger (Jun 19, 2008)

I'd like to know if two black and tans can produce a white pup or do both parents have to be white?


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## Catu (Sep 6, 2007)

Yes, they can. White is a recessive gen, which means that if both parents carry one gen it doesn't express itself, but if an offspring take one of each parent, it will be white.


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## terry_demag (Jun 8, 2004)

Well, it's one of my wishes that I could track the number of whites that we are contacted about so I can monitor the statistics. It's difficult, because there are a lot of mixes, I get multiple emails about the same dog and don't even realize it sometimes, info is sketchy...but anyway, I did try and keep stats for a while.

I would say we average about getting contacted about app. 70 white shepherds a month - so 2 or so a day(average). It comes in spurts, but I wouldn't say it's been higher than normal. I'm not sure if there are more being posted on the board recently and since I don't monitor the total number of all GSDs, it's hard to say if it's a bigger proportion or not.

I do think it's like buying a certain car though. Once you have one, you notice more of that type of car. Once you have a white shepherd or work with white shepherds, I think you tend to notice them more.

No matter what way you look at it, there are more out there than we can help - it kills me when people ask me if white shepherds are rare - I tell them, not rare enough to stop them from showing up in shelters...

Terry
http://www.echodogs.org


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## thor wgsd (Jun 18, 2008)

I have noticed that as well, since I have one I notice it more but I remember that a few months back there weren't as many as now.. You'd almost think it's related to that new disney movie but I don't think that's even out yet even in the states?


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## Timber1 (May 19, 2007)

I do rescue, and the number of white GSD's we get is hugh. Common or cyclical, I have no idea.

They do seem to have a different temperment then the tradional sable/tan/black GSD's.


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## Prinzsalpha (Jul 6, 2005)

Lately alot of the whites we have gotten in actually are shepherd/husky mixes so not true white gsds.


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## thor wgsd (Jun 18, 2008)

Timber1: Off-topic but out of curiosity; In what way are they different?


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