White Shepherd

The White Shepherd is a herding dog closely related to the German Shepherd that is known for its stark white coat, intelligence, and unwavering loyalty to its people. While there are accounts of white German Shepherds in and around Germany dating back to the 1880s, the White Shepherd is its own distinct breed recognized by the United Kennel Club. Like other herding breeds, White Shepherds were primarily used to guard and drove livestock over vast distances with minimal supervision. These courageous dogs have also been used throughout history in the fields of law enforcement, security, scent detection, and search & rescue due to their intelligence, impeccable sense of smell, and trainability. While their striking white coats are admired by many today, in the past the trait was seen as genetically inferior, and efforts were made to remove the gene from future litters. Thankfully, breed enthusiasts in North America formed an official White Shepherd Club and have been working hard since the 1960s to keep the breed's population growing strong and healthy.