Alternative Names Berger Blanc Suisse White Shepherd Dog White Swiss Shepherd Dog White German Shepherd White German Shepherd Dog Weiße Schäferhunde Weisser Schweizer Schäferhund
By Michael Handley – ©Handley 2006, 2007 - email mdhandley@yahoo.com for permission to reprint
The Berger Blanc Suisse (White Swiss Shepherd) or Weisser Schweizer Schäferhund recently emerged from white coat lines of the German Shepherd Dog breed as a separately recognised breed. Currently, this breed is only recognised by the FCI or Federation Cynologique Internationale (English, World Canine Federation) and the North American UKC or United Kennel Club, but more efforts are being made by fanciers to give the breed worldwide recognition as a separate and distinct breed from the German Shepherd Dog.
Several separate breed club associations around the world advocate for the White Shepherd dog breed type. Globally, the specific White Shepherd breed type name varies slightly depending the sponsoring breed club’s country language and the naming conventions of kennel clubs that recognize the breed type.
In the United States and Canada the White Shepherd breed type is known under the United Kennel Club (UKC) recognized White Shepherd breed name. The North American White Shepherd breed lines were separately developed by breeders associated with the American White Shepherd Association (AWSA) and United White Shepherd Club (UWSC) breed clubs in the United States and the White Shepherd Club of Canada (WSCC) breed club in Canada.
In most other countries worldwide, the White Shepherd breed type is known under the World Canine Federation (Fédération Cynologique Internationale) (FCI) recognized White Swiss Shepherd breed name. White Swiss Shepherd is the English translation of the FCI’s official language Berger Blanc Suisse breed name. The Swiss Kennel Club, in association with the Swiss White Shepherd (Berger Blanc International) breed club, was the first to petition FCI for recognition of the new White Shepherd breed type. FCI designated the Berger Blanc Suisse a new breed type of Swiss origin effective 01 January 2003. The Swiss White Shepherd breed line was developed in Switzerland using white coat German Shepherd dogs imported from the United States and Canada to Switzerland during the 1970’s and 1980’s.
Worldwide, regardless of the specific name recognized by a local national kennel club, the White Shepherd dog breed type is a recent and entirely separate breed specialization of its white coat German Shepherd dog ancestor.
