Description
The White Swiss Shepherd is a medium-sized dog with a white coat, which is the result of a genetic mutation. This breed originated in Switzerland and was imported to the United States in the late 19th century. It is recognized by the American Kennel Club as a part of its Working Group. The White Swiss Shepherd is an intelligent, athletic dog that excels at obedience training and agility competitions. It typically lives for 12-15 years and should live indoors with its family.
Appearance
The White Swiss Shepherd has few distinguishing features, but its coat color stands out among other white dogs. This breed has a long, thick coat that can be straight or wavy and either has no undercoat or very little of it. The coat is usually white with black markings on the face, feet, tail tip and back legs. A few puppies may also have red markings on their heads or bodies as well as light tan spots on their faces or chests. The eyes are brown while the nose and pads are black.
The average height for this breed ranges from 22-24 inches (56-61 cm.) while the average weight tends toward 60 pounds (27 kg.). Female dogs tend to be slightly smaller than males
Background
The Swiss Shepherd dog is a breed of dog originating from Switzerland and is also one of the earliest breeds.
Swiss Shepherds are working dogs and they were originally used to herd Swiss livestock, as well as protect them from predators, and guard their owners’ property. They have an innate ability to identify dangerous situations such as wild animals or strangers approaching. Swiss Shepherds are medium-sized with strong-boned structure and muscled body, which indicates that it can carry out its guarding duties effortlessly. Swiss shepherds usually work either independently or with other guardian dogs of its pack for protection against large predators like bears and wolves.
The Swiss shepherd stands around 23-26 inches (60-65 cm) at the withers (highest point of the shoulders) and weighs around 55-90 pounds (25-40 kg). Swiss shepherds have a distinctively large, broad head with bushy whiskers and eyebrows, dark eyes and small V-shaped ears. Swiss shepherd coats come in a variety of colors including red fawn, black, white or a combination of these colors, sometimes with a mask or blaze. The Swiss Shepherd has a unique double coat that consists of an outer coat which is close and dense and an undercoat that is soft and thick. Swiss Shepherds are energetic, obedient creatures who need daily exposure to situations that challenge them mentally as well as physically. They bond to their owners very closely making it difficult for other people to take over caring for them after the Swiss shepherd has become familiar with its master. Swiss shepherds can adapt to apartment living as long as they get daily walks and playtime, but prefer a large spacious area to run around in.
Swiss shepherds are very alert animals and make good watchdogs. Swiss Shepherds have a life expectancy of 10-12 years.
