White Swiss Shepherd: breed description and breeding

The White Shepherd Dog at one time was considered a culled subspecies of the German breed. This has nothing to do with the real BSHO. Previously, the Swiss Shepherd Dog was known around the world as the American Canadian Shepherd Dog, which reflects its history.

FCI in the XXI century classified BSHO in the category of shepherd, service dogs.

How did it happen that animals, known since the 19th century, received the status of an officially recognized breed only in the 2000s? At the same time, they do not carry their name in honor of Germany, when animals are closely related to the German breed.

Let's find out what the features of the BSHO are, the rules for caring for a pet, its character, methods of upbringing, and also find out how the owners speak about their pets.

The history of the emergence of BSHO is tightly connected with German shepherds, since the animals are very similar in appearance. The first representatives of the White Swiss Shepherd Dog were exhibited to the public in 1882, in the city of Hanover. One of them had a snow-white coat. It is believed that this particular dog is the progenitor of the breed. In the following centuries, the breed of white dogs gained popularity. Breeders tried to breed the most efficient animal, however, there were no uniform requirements as to what qualities it should have.

Almost at the beginning of 1900, the captain of the cavalry Max von Stefanitz created a unified direction in the selection of shepherd dogs. Stephanitz bought a dog named Hector, who, in the opinion of the captain, possessed all the qualities of a shepherd and a service dog. In the XX century, shepherd dogs are used with might and main in the security services, in the army.Over time, shepherd's shepherd dogs were brought to the territory of Britain, Canada, and the United States. Breeding work is now underway in several countries around the world. They did not pay attention to the color of the dogs, only the working qualities of the animal were important.

When the Nazis took over, the BSO ceased to pass by the standards of service dogs. Its discrepancy was attributed to the color of the coat, which caused the animals to be culled. New standards were supported in other countries where white shepherd dogs were bred. In the 1960s, animals were completely outlawed.

At the same time, American breeders did not share the views of their colleagues. The Americans registered the breed as an independent breed, giving it the name American-Canadian Shepherd. The only prohibition that affected the BSHO was mating with a German breed. The peak of popularity of the shepherd dog came in the era of television, famous people of pop, creativity, business began to keep pets. These owners include the Rockefeller family. In 1970, the white shepherd dog was introduced to Switzerland. The progenitor of the breed in this area was the American dog Lobo.

A few years later, white shepherd dogs were included in the register of kennel clubs as an independent breed. In 1980, purebred white shepherd dogs began to spread en masse across Europe. In the XXI century, the shepherd dog was brought to Russia. At the same time, the FCI organization officially recognized the breed. The Swiss also applied, and despite the fact that the breed already had a name, it was nicknamed the Swiss White Shepherd. This is what it is called now. And all due to the fact that the United States and Canada are not part of the FCI.

The standard, adopted in 1991, has undergone changes.

Today the characteristics attributed to the BSHO look like this.

• The size and height of the shepherd dog must meet the standards of the German breed or exceed them by no more than 3 centimeters. Height at the withers is about 65 cm.
• The weight of the animal is in the same category as that of the Germans, from 30 to 45 kg, females weigh up to 35 kg.

Let's take a closer look at what a dog looks like.

• Head. The muzzle is elongated, the forehead is slightly sloping. The ears are triangular, erect, large. The eyes are almond-shaped, the color of the iris is from dark brown to dark golden shade. Scissor bite.
• Body... The body is developed, elongated. The back of the animal is straight, sloping in the pelvic area. In some individuals, the slope is completely absent. The main thing is that the level of the croup does not exceed the level of the withers. The limbs are correctly set. The musculature can be traced, clearly visible on the thighs.
• Tail... Elastic, long, saber-shaped, does not fold into a ring. Covered with long, light hair.

The wool cover of BSHO can be conditionally divided into two types:

• short-haired;
• long-haired - hair length should not exceed 6 centimeters.

The hairs are hard, shiny, straight, the undercoat is sufficiently dense, dense. In dogs belonging to the long-haired group, the hair on the chest and neck should be as long as possible, forming a mane.

Smooth-haired dogs (hair length no more than one and a half centimeters) are considered defective and are discarded, such animals cannot be bred.

In Europe, dogs with a medium-long coat are in the greatest demand, while in America they prefer exclusively short-haired dogs.

The BSHO has only one color - white. In this case, the nose, paw pads, mucous membranes should be painted black.

If the dog has pink covers, then it is considered an albino. In such animals, there is no melanin in the blood, which is responsible for the pigmentation of the skin. Albinos have blue eyes. These dogs are not allowed for breeding.

Shepherd dog is observant, behaves cautiously, carefully with strangers, does not reveal obvious aggression. The animal is efficient, tied to the owner. Behaves friendly and playful with a person. White Shepherd Dogs are quite obedient, but require training. A keen mind, an agreeable character, low fearfulness, persistence, a good sense of smell - these guarding qualities make it possible to use a pet in security services. Also, a shepherd dog can become a guide dog.

It is best to buy BSHO puppies in kennels from breeders. This will minimize the risk of buying a pet obtained through inbreeding. Do not take newborn puppies. Careful care is required for such dogs, the babies must be properly fed, and the puppies, due to their age, have not yet undergone a course of socialization, which can subsequently result in bad behavior of the dog.

When choosing a breeder, pay attention to the following details:

• the experience of the breeder, nursery;
• read the reviews of people who turned to him, find out his reputation, whether the breeder is a member of any clubs, unions, commissions;
• check the duration of the breeding experience of a particular breed with the selected breeder;
• the seller of puppies must participate in exhibitions, competitions of parent dogs;
• the breeder should not shy away from questions about raising a puppy, hide information about the parents of the baby.

After meeting the breeder, you can start choosing a puppy. Keep in mind that the chosen baby may develop inherited diseases and develop pathologies.

What ailments BSHO may have:

• deafness;
• dysplasia;
• bulging eyes;
• heterochromia or blue eyes;
• entropy;
• malocclusion;
• lack of pigmentation on the nose, mucous membranes, skin;
• heart failure (congenital);
• mental problems (aggression or passivity);
• albinism.

Before buying, you should observe the puppy, its character, and also see how the parent dogs behave. Find out whether the animals have been trained, what is their socialization in society, whether they often participate in competitions. The puppy should be active, mobile, eat well. You can ask the breeder to do the Campbell test. This test is done at the vendor's club or through the canine community.

A bilateral purchase and sale agreement must be concluded. You must have papers that describe all your rights to the dog, its breeding, and so on. The puppy must have a veterinary passport ready.

To keep a pet in an apartment, it is recommended to purchase a care kit. It includes:

• various hairbrushes;
• shampoos;
• nail clipper;
• oral care products;
• lotions to cleanse the ears, eyes;
• cotton pads, sticks.

Let's take a closer look, as at home taking care of a shepherd dog.

Let's start with the fur of the animal. As a rule, caring for a fur coat is not difficult; problems can arise during shedding. During this period, it is necessary to comb the pet's fur with a slicker or use a furminator several times a day. Special sprays for forcing wool are also suitable, however this method is only used on long-haired breeds. The wool of short-haired shepherd dogs is first processed with a comb, then with a slicker or a comb-mitten made of rubber.

It is necessary to comb out or remove all tangles, then finish the grooming procedure with a natural bristle brush.

Despite its snow-white coat, dogs are recommended to take baths twice a year or one day before the show. Washing the paws after a walk can be done on a daily basis, however, dry cleaning will suffice if the contamination is minimal. To do this, use dry shampoo or an ordinary dry cloth.

The dog is washed shampoos for shepherd dogs, the product can also be matched to the type of pet's coat. Allowed firming, toning shampoos. The pet is placed in the bathroom, the wool is moistened with warm water, without affecting the area of ​​the eyes, ears, nose. The shampoo is rubbed in the palms and applied to the damp coat. The product is thoroughly lathered and washed off. One time will be enough. After that, the dog can be sent for drying or additionally treated with conditioner, balsam.

You can dry the animal's fur coat with a hair dryer or just with a towel. After the dog is dry, the coat must be combed.

The appearance of tartar or plaque is considered not only a cosmetic defect, these formations can lead to diseases of the oral cavity in the future. The pet's teeth should be cleaned once a week with a dog toothbrush, using a special powder or paste that is intended only for canines. Cleaning in progress sweeping movements starting from the base of the tooth.

The eyes are treated with lotions. The liquid is applied to a soft cloth, cotton pad or napkin. Processing takes place every day, after a walk. Do not rub the area around the eyes - this can lead to irritation. Movements should be light, smooth, as if blotting.

The shepherd's ears are cleaned several times a month using a cotton swab and a canine ear cleaner. If there is no access to a veterinary pharmacy, the lotion can be replaced with hydrogen peroxide. After the cotton swab has been moistened with the product, it must be squeezed out. Ear cleaning takes place near its edges, along the entire inner surface, without lowering the stick inside the auricle. The movements are also light, not pressing.

The pet's claws are cut with a nail clipper. The tool is best purchased guillotine type... The claws are trimmed once a month or less, depending on how often the dog walks. Animals that walk on hard surfaces practically do not need to trim their claws, since the nail plates themselves grind against the road surface. Burrs after clipping can be removed with a nail file.

If you decide to knit BSHO, then the best days for mating will be between 11 and 15 days of estrus for the bitch. The first pregnancy of a female should occur in the second year of her life. It is advisable to introduce her to an adult male, males should not be younger than two years.

Before mating pets you need to walk and not give them food during the day. The couple's acquaintance passes on the territory of the male. After mating in dogs, clumping occurs. This process cannot be interrupted, if the animals are worried, it is necessary to calm them down, hold them back, pet them. If the agglomeration did not occur, then a day later, the two bring the couple together again.

Pregnancy lasts 56–72 days.The bitch brings 3-5 puppies, the number of litters increases with age. During pregnancy, the female must be brought to the veterinarian for examination. Two to three days before giving birth, it is worth warning the doctor about an impending event, so that in the event of a difficult birth, the veterinarian can provide assistance. As a rule, childbirth is easy, without complications. Newborn puppies must be cleaned of the placenta and a metric taken. Caring for the babies will fall on the shoulders of the bitch.

It is allowed to feed the White Shepherd Dog with natural food and dry food.

In the first case, food must be served at room temperature, soups should not be too thin or thick. Food is served twice a day at the same time. Snacks are not allowed between meals.

If it is more convenient to feed the dog with dry food, then it should be not lower than the premium segment. However, expensive brands cannot guarantee that the food will suit your pet, and the same goes for cheap food. To begin with, the dog should be given the selected product in small portions to make sure there are no allergic reactions or other irritations. If everything went well, you can safely use the selected brand.

Puppies under two months old eat five times a day. At six months, food intake is reduced to three times a day. Individuals older than six months eat twice. Important: with a decrease in the number of meals, the portions themselves increase. After feeding, the remaining food in the bowl is removed.

A selection of natural foods for the White Swiss Shepherd Dog.

• Most of the diet - about 70% - should be protein foods such as lamb or beef. Meat is allowed to be given raw.
• Various vegetables are served in unlimited quantities. The addition of vegetable oils, preferably sunflower oil, is allowed.
• Cereal porridge. Rice, buckwheat, oatmeal are suitable. Porridges are mixed with chopped meat in a proportion of 70% meat and 30% grain (you can mix two types of cereals, 15% x 15%).
• Low fat cottage cheese.
• Light kefir.
• Whole boiled chicken eggs or only the yolk. No more than twice a week.
• Boiled cleaned sea fish is suitable for adult dogs.

It is also allowed to add vitamin and mineral complexes to food. However, before that, it is worth consulting with a veterinarian, since an excess of substances can have a negative effect on the pet's body.

If you want to introduce a new product into the dog's diet, it should be done gradually, adding the selected ingredient little by little for a week or two.

For the breed, socialization is extremely important. Lack of attention, poor training or handling leads to the appearance of aggression in the puppy, attacks on humans, the dog becomes biting. The first basics of training begin at the age of six months. The puppy is taught to respond to his nickname, you can learn simple commands "sit", "lie down". You need to communicate a lot with the animal, while behaving confidently, persistently, but not punishing. Commands are given clearly, loudly, reinforced by a delicacy.

It is advisable to carry out training in the form of a game, the duration of the lesson is no more than an hour. If training is passive, without a sufficient amount of physical, mental stress, the dog can become fearful, timid, damage to things in the apartment is possible.

It is advisable to do long walks, cycling, letting your pet run after a stick or a ball. An excellent solution would be platform with shells. On it you can practice jumping, running with obstacles, teach a dog to climb stairs.

Feedback from BSHO owners is positive. The owners of the dogs note her balanced character, not fearfulness, restraint, devotion. The pet is easy to learn, not very loud.

Some wearers complain of an unpleasant odor in the coat, especially in the paw area. Of the minuses, an abundant molt also stands out, the house has to be cleaned several times a day. It is also worth choosing a shepherd puppy carefully. There are individuals with a fearful character. Also, dogs need the attention of their owners, they do not like to be alone, but at the same time they try not to intrude.

A description of the breed of the White Swiss Shepherd Dog is given in the following video.