Blanca's White German Shepherds

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The history of the White German Shepherd

   In Karleruube Rhineland, on April 3, 1899, the first imported German All-Breed Dog Show was held. A retired military man, Max Von Stephanitz, and his friend, Arthur Meyer, were in search of a "super dog." A dog that was strong, healthy and intelligent, with erect ears, a medium-short, weatherproof coat, an outgoing, friendly nature, high trainability and disciplined. They found Hector, considered the father of the German Shepherd Dog. Hector carried recessive white genes. With Hector as the foundation dog, other dogs were bred in for various reasons. One factor that was enhanced was the white coat. Many of the early herdsmen preferred the white coat, as it was easier to distinguish the dogs from darker European wolves. For this, such breeds such as the Great Pyrenees, the Kuvasz and the Police Tatra Mountain Dog were introduced. The most concerted effort to develop a pure strain of white German Shepherds prior to the 1900's was in Alsace-Lorraine in Austria by the powerful Royal House of Hapsburg. It seems the Queen of Hapsburg, as the story goes, wanted white German Shepherds to go with their white gowns and the magnificent Lipizzan horses. 1912 - Anne Tracy of New York imported the first German Shepherds into the United States. White puppies immediately showed up in the first litters. 1917 - The American Kennel Club registered the first white German Shepherds from the New York kennel. 1921 - Von Stephanitz published his book on "The German Shepherd Dog," which included a photo of a celebrated white German Shepherd Dog, Berno v.d., who was a direct descendant of Hector. During the 1920's and 1930's, with television in America, white German Shepherds, alongside their colored counterparts, became stars to a growing audience of people. Movies like "Rin-Tin-Tin" and "Strongheart," based on the stories of the super dogs of the battlefields endeared the breed to the pubic. In the 1950's, many white German Shepherds proved to be sensational in obedience trials.In the 1960's, with the increasing popularity, friction developed between the standard German Shepherd breeders and the white-coated devotees. The white coat gene suddenly became erroneously blamed for the genetic problems existing in the German Shepherd bloodlines. This led to Germany's trying to outlaw the white dogs.Fanciers of the white German Shepherd Dog were puzzled. White-coated, sheep-guarding and herding breeds have been known for at least 2,000 years, yet had suddenly become undesirable.In 1964, fanciers in Sacramento, California formed the first White German Shepherd Dog Club to protect these beautiful white dogs. On April 6, 1968, the American Kennel Club accepted the revised standard from the German Shepherd Dog Club of America, which disqualified the white-coated dogs from the show (breed) rings. This still allowed the white-coated dogs' AKC registration rights to remain intact. In 1969, white German Shepherd fanciers across the country banned together, following the lead of the Sacramento group, and formed The White German Shepherd Dog Club of America. The organization accepted and adjusted the GSDCA breed standard to allow the white coat color. Soon, specialty shows sponsored by the organization began displaying the white-coated dog to the public. Meanwhile, members showing in AKC obedience rings, tracking, herding trials and temperament testing continued to show everyone that these dogs can compete with the "standard" shepherds, as well as other breeds, in many areas. The Constitution of the White German Shepherd Dog Club International, Inc. states that the FIRST objective of the Club shall be: "to preserve the name and heritage of the white-coated German Shepherd Dog as an integral and inseparable part of the German Shepherd Dog breed." There is no other dog as beautiful as the White German Shepherds and over the last few years they have been bred to be social and service working dogs.  They are being trained for pet telepathy dogs, seeing eye dogs, drug detection dog, bomb dogs, search and rescue as well as a great beautiful family pet.

When did the white color line begin?

(captured from wikipedia 14MAY07)

Main article: Berger Blanc Suisse

DNA coding for white coats has been part of the German Shepherd Dog line from the very founding of the breed in 1899. The maternal grandfather of Horand von Grafrath, the first entry "SZ 1" in the SV Stud Book, was a white-coated German shepherding dog named Greif von Sparwasser. White was designated a disqualifying fault by the Nazi-controlled SV (German Shepherd Club of Germany) in the mid-1930's and by the German Shepherd Dog Club of America (GSDCA) in the mid-1960's. Following the GSDCA's disqualification, the American Kennel Club (AKC) then disqualified white-coated German Shepherd Dogs from the conformation show ring in 1969. It is important to note that the Nazis took the SV (German Shepherd Club of Germany) breeding program away from Max von Stephanitz (1899 founder and president of the SV until 1935) and then outlawed the white coat color. In his 1921 book, Stephanitz stated, "The coloring of the dog has no significance whatsoever for service." The prime directive of Stephanitz breeding mandate was that the German Shepherd Dog breed must embody all the qualities of a working herding dog. He maintained that the beauty is in the working abilities of the dog; muscle, bone, joint, proud look and bearing, intelligence, stamina and work ethic were the primary strengths sought in the breed. The white shepherd has been recognized as a separate breed by the International (FCI) Fédération Cynologique Internationale since 2002, and by the United Kennel club for several years.

Reputable breeders selectively breed White Shepherds for sound temperament and physical structure, striving for a Shepherd that closely resembles the original dog, i.e., less angular than today's AKC German Shepherd breed standards. See the American White Shepherd Association for more detail on the standards for the white shepherd or for white German Shepherd dogs see:WGSDCA The White German Shepherd Dog has been recognized by some organizations under the name Berger Blanc Suisse (or White Shepherd Dog).

More White Shepherd history

(captured from here on 14MAY07)

ANNOUNCING THE "WHITE SHEPHERD"

Past, Present, and Future

Researched by Julie Good
Edited by Judy Huston

Introduction

Effective May 1, 1999, the United Kennel Club recognized the White German Shepherd as a separate breed known as the White Shepherd.

The following excerpt is taken from the May-June 1999 issue of Bloodlines Magazine, the official publication of the United Kennel Club. "Kalamazoo, Michigan: April 14, 1999: The United Kennel Club announces the recognition of the White Shepherd. The White Shepherd is a breed that has developed in the past 40 years by breeders dedicated to preserving the traditional German Shepherd Dog structure and the striking white color that was disqualified by the German Shepherd Dog Club of America in 1968."

This accomplishment is the result of hard work and dedication by the members of the United White Shepherd Club (UWSC), and the American White Shepherd Association’s (AWSA) Breed Recognition Committee, but this is only the beginning. AWSA members and other devotees of the White Shepherd continue to work toward the goal of worldwide recognition of this beautiful dog.

In an attempt to understand why and how the white German Shepherd Dog was disqualified from the show ring, information was gathered from old German Shepherd Dog Reviews (circa 1952-1976) and other newsletters. We need to understand the past so we can move from our present divided status as 1) separate breed with the UKC; 2) disqualifying fault unable to show in the breed ring with the American Kennel Club (AKC) and the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC); 3) rare breed with FORB, ARBA, the Canadian Rarities and other rare breed clubs, to a future where all clubs are united for a breed apart: the White Shepherd.

Some of the Most-Asked Questions

The "history lesson" begins with the following questions often posed to White Shepherd owners and for which there were no accurate answers before now

In what year did the white coat become a disqualification in the German Shepherd Dog?

According to the information written in the old Reviews, the date was 1959 - not 1968 as most-often quoted, it was written in the GSDCA Standard as follows: "Predominantly white dogs and albinos are disqualified." Under Disqualifying Faults it is written: "Predominant white color (50% or more)."

Is the standard from 1959 a translation of the Verein fur Deutsch Schaferhunde (SV) standard perhaps?

The GSDCA Standard has never been the same as the SV Standard.

Was the standard officially adopted by the membership of the GSDCA?

Yes, it was officially adopted by the GSDCA membership in 1959. The votes were 306 for, 110 against. Note: there were 719 members according to the minutes of the annual meeting of 1959. The annual meeting was held October 3, 1959 in Audubon, PA with 58 members present.

Some Of The Early Problems In The German Shepherd

Color Paling

Color paling is the fading, if you will, of colors. For example, whites were commonly bred to coloreds during the 1940s and 1950s. Beautiful dogs were produced, but as we worked our way through the Reviews we noticed that the colors became lighter, saddles began to disappear, lighter sables and silvers were appearing. At that time probably 90% of the German Shepherds in America were recessive white, with a few exceptions being the German imports. Obviously the GSDCA and the notable breeders of that era noticed the color paling and in an effort to improve their lines and the richness of color, began importing dogs from Germany circa 1957-1959.

The GSDCA dealt with this by disqualifying any dog with more than 50% white. The new standard specifically called for dark rich colors. Many breeders of that time actively crossbred colors; white to colored and vice-versa, so they were not happy about this new standard. Prior to its actual passage, it is reported that some 7,000 signatures were presented to GSDCA in protest of the change. The signatures were not considered, since the majority of those signing the protest were not members of GSDCA. As stated previously, the membership at that time was only 719.

Pigment

Even today people often confuse pigment with color paling. Pigment is skin, eyes, toe nails, etc., and color paling has to do with coat color only.

Prior to the new standard, you could see in the dogs (and read articles and judging critiques) that pigment in the German Shepherd was becoming a problem. Toenails were not always black, some noses were developing what is now all too often referred to as snow nose, skin and the inside of ears were becoming pink, and gums were showing signs of some pink.

Attempts at Solutions are Followed by More Problems

Breeders began importing vast numbers of dogs from Germany. Our research indicated that the ratio of German to American dogs in the 1960s was about 8 to 1-- eight German imports to every American dog. Breeders were desperate to save their breed and were willing to do what ever it took to do so. And if that meant breeding outside, so be it.

For example: As reprinted in the June 1960 Review, Maureen Yentzen, a genealogist and German Shepherd fancier, said in her article "Dilutes" - Browns - Whites": "A great majority of 'normal colored' dogs which figure in dilute pedigrees are not black and rich tans but are black and silvers and black and creams. These varieties are so very popular that they have been bred extensively with little attention to gradual loss of pigment in their descendants. There is a great deal of evidence to prove that they are responsible for much of the dilution. The off-colors are due to recessive genes, and they could become so strongly entrenched in the various bloodlines that an average of 25% of every litter could be off-colored."

"Blues"

One can in no way place blame on the German imports for the blue dogs. There was a blue (or at least we are told that he was blue) who finished his Championship and was advertised in the June 1955 Review, Ch. Gernda's Ludwig (Blue Boy). Then another was finished by the name of Ch. Hoobin's Gray Boy who was the subject of much discussion in the Letters To The Editor section of both the March 1965 and January 1965 GSDCA Review. It is obvious, however, that the color blue had increased following the importation of dogs from Germany. Now the question is, was the introduction of the German lines solely responsible for the blues? That is a question perhaps a geneticist would have to answer. But Maureen Yentzen, (who authored an entire series of articles on color and genetics for the Review during this period in the 1960s), indicated that the blue gene was a dilute and also contributed to color paling and that it was from the solid black gene.

Hip Dysplasia

After the importation of the many dogs from Germany in the late 1950s and early 1960s, it is obvious that color and pigment did improve in the German Shepherd. But all wasn't rosy. When you correct one problem you may inherit others, and that is exactly what happened. German Shepherds in vast numbers were developing hip dysplasia (which contributed to the beginnings of the Orthopedic Animal Foundation, OFA).

Hip Dysplasia is a subject that continues to haunt breeders of not only German Shepherds but other large breeds. As you recall, the GSDCA helped establish the OFA and even funded the OFA with a grant of $5,000 in 1967. In that same time period the SV indicated that "There was no Hip Dysplasia in the German Dogs." However, the increase in HD in the United States was on a rapid rise. In 1967 the OFA reported that the first 48 radiographs they received were rated as follows: 14 certified, 13 near normal (which we would assume to be Fair today), and 21 dysplastic.

An argument could be made that, prior to 1967, we had no records with which to compare. However, if dysplasia had been a tremendous problem in the 1950s, certainly breeders would have noticed lame dogs. The next report from OFA indicated: 100 radiographs submitted and the results were 37 Certified, 21 Near Normal (Fair) and 42 dysplastic

Additional Problems in German Shepherd Dogs

According to the judge's critiques of the time, other problems in the German Shepherds included: Missing teeth in great numbers and frequency; temperament which is still a big issue among breeders and judges; movement, referring to the "coming and going" (gaiting) of the dogs was deteriorating; and dogs were not tracking correctly. Side gait was apparently remaining good, and in some cases even improving, according to the judges.

The 1967 Standard Revision: The Individual Disqualification

The GSDCA revised the Standard in 1967 to individually disqualify the white-coated German Shepherd Dog. The results of the vote by the membership of the GSDCA were as follows: 643 in favor, 186 opposed. The ballots for this Standard change were mailed to the membership on October 16^th and the ballots were tabulated on the 17^th of November 1967.

An interesting note from a letter the President of the GSDCA of 1967 sent to the American Kennel Club about the discussion of the Standard at the annual meeting (Oct 27^th, 1959):

"A lively discussion took place on various individuals’ objections to specific points in the new standard… The discussion centered around the original motion made by Mr. Harold Sands, and this motion, after several amendments and changes resulted in the following motion:

‘That the revised Standard which was sent to the membership to be voted upon by mail in October, 1967, be held in abeyance until such time as a ‘Blue Ribbon’ committee of knowledgeable people can make a study of the same and report back to the membership by mail.’

"The vote on this motion was 45 in favor, 26 opposed, and 24 members abstained from voting.

"The board of directors agreed unanimously that a simple majority vote by a small portion of our total membership could not hold in abeyance the vote in process…"

The 1967 GSDCA Standard was passed and the white-coated German Shepherd Dog was disqualified from the show ring. The Standard was published by the GSDCA in the June 1968 Review and by the AKC in the July 1968 Gazette.

Important Historical Facts

Let’s reiterate a few of the important historical facts:

1) In 1959 the GSDCA membership approved a new standard that disqualified any dog with 50% or more white.

2) The 1959 Standard posed a problem for judges. According to various articles by Lloyd C. Brackett, The confusion among judges could only be solved by "a complete disqualification of the white-coated dog". (The Case Against the White German Shepherd.)

3) On October 17, 1967 the GSDCA mailed to the membership of 1,123 (according to the membership booklet of 1966) ballots to change the standard to one that would individually disqualify the white dog and remove the 50% provision. The proposed Standard passed on November 17, 1967.

4) Following the approval of the new 1967 Standard which, once and for all, disqualified the white-coated dog, it appears that those involved with them continued to form their own color specific club and to discontinue any association with the GSDCA -- even to the extent that the group called their dogs not German Shepherds but American Shepherds. According to research, it appears that the majority of owners of white dogs were not members of the GSDCA.

5) Another interesting note from the period is that of the OFA. In a booklet published by GSDCA which shows the recording of the dogs certified by OFA through December 1970, we quote, "The parent club would like to point out that with such a small number of dogs certified there is real danger in over-emphasizing hips in one's breeding program. The German Shepherd dog must be regarded as a complete entity...the breeder should not be swayed by the current emphasis on hips...An exclusive concentration of any one facet may achieve it's effect at the expense of some other attributes."

Today that statement would probably be met with much argument and protest; however, it does show us that through research, opinions do change. What may or may not have seemed important in one generation can become important to another in the future. Today we find much discussion regarding many areas such as pigment, color, hips, elbows, temperament and other genetic problems/assets. It will be very interesting to see what future reporters have to write about the research we conduct today. The future will tell the story.

Conclusion

We hope that after reading the above information you will have a better grasp of the whole color issue and the disqualification of the whites. After this research, it is understandable why the colored breeders of the German Shepherd Dog did not want to continue to breed the whites to their dogs. Therefore, it would seem logical for White Shepherd fanciers to pursue complete breed separation from the German Shepherd Dog and to attain recognition by the separate registration agencies.

This information is the product of many hours' research. GSDCA Reviews dated 1952-1976 were reviewed completely (cover to cover including all board meetings & annual meetings), and newsletters of White German Shepherd Dog Club of America (renamed the White German Shepherd Dog Club International), AWSA and others.

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