My grandpa had two of these when I was growing up, and still owns Swiss Shepherds to this day. One summer day, after walking them through a park, he left me sitting in the open boot with both of his shepherds (Kai and Nanook) as he hopped off to get us drinks. A stranger sauntered over and I remember the feeling of both of them rising to my sides and staring the man down, he paused and ended up giving me an odd smile and wandered off. They both did not settle back down till my grandpa returned. I don’t think I clicked on to just how dangerous that situation could have been till many years later. It could have potentially been a innocent greeting but the way both of the dogs seemed to sense something was off has always made me doubt it. Both of them passed at ripe old ages, funnily enough within days of each other. They were gorgeous with sensitive, caring souls. Never met another dog breed like them and I’ll forever be grateful to both those boys.
I guess he was just taken aback at the beatiful sight of two white dogs and a girl in the middle - that's not something you see every day... As Chris Rea sang back in the day: 'And the perverted fear of violence, chokes the smile on every face'🎶
I have 3 White Swiss Shepherds and a Dutch Shepherd. My Swiss named Faith is my Service Dog and is AMAZING and has saved my life so many times. They are so intuitive it isn't funny. Faith was the one who figured out I had seizures in 2018 NOT doctors on just a normal walk and ever since then she has picked up EVERY seizure 10-20 minutes before they happen Sometimes they happen really sudden and she will go get help (which I never taught her), then she will do her task which is Deep Pressure Therapy (lay on me) sometimes she will even turn me on my side into a recovery position (which I never taught her to do). She knows things like - find the car, find the exit, guide tasks, PTSD tasks and much more They are very special
The first thing I noticed is their hindquarters! They move so freely with none of the awkward stalking of the show dogs. They seem gentler yet still sharply intelligent.
How cool you had a feauture on this channel Sylvia. I was looking for some footage about our beloved Swiss white Shepard dog, and here you are with Rasta in the beautifull Lauterbrunnen valley. You did great, and a good explanation about the type of dog it is. He completely ignored her at first, but she got a little lick's to her face when he decided it was ok, and got bored after sitting still too long. .🙂
I have a GSD that came from a white mother and standard male. I see all the traits in her that are discussed in this video. She is a wonderful companion. I have been blessed!!
@@magicman124 search for a local breeder and make sure the breeder is reputable as well. She got Desdemona ( her Swiss shepherds name ) in Toronto when she lived there but they should have breeders in the states too.
My partner and I adopted a white Swiss Shepherd, appropriately named Winter. He's very vocal, sensitive, and headstrong. But, most importantly, he's a giant cotton ball filled with love. 💝
These shepherd's 😮 are so connected deep within you there love ❤️ and attention is like no other snowy blown me away they are certainly different than my awsome other GSD's it's terribly difficult to loose any Gsd with old age tammy lived to 13 years 6 months sadly 😔 I lost snowy on 8th September 2022 she had an unsuspected bowel tuma leiomyosarcoma she had just reach 11 years old on 1st September 2022 it was very 😢 traumatic for her & for me it's 7 months on & I'm still struggling 💔 with her loss 😢 she used to give me her paw then cuddle her head on my left shoulder then mumble & fall asleep loved all my dogs but snowy was a very special relationship ....yes truly amazing these dogs are ❤ this video tells a marvelous insight to how 🤔 wonderful these dogs are thank you 😊
This is a beautiful video. I can watch it over and over. I lost my White Swiss Shepherd male, (Harley) in January of this year. I am heartbroken. I have had dogs with me all my life but he was so very devoted and so special. If I wasn't the age I am I would get another but I feel it is unfair to the dog if I bond with it and then I should pass. Oh how my heart yearns for him.....
It always angers me a little bit when people say “it’s just a white GSD. Nothing special.” While yes, they are very similar to the GSD, there is so much more to this amazing dog breed. Their emotional intelligence is unmatched in my opinion. It’s difficult to put their unique character into words but I’ve been told by many people that my dog Kyra is one of the most loving dogs they ever met. Just one example: an elderly lady in our neighborhood lost her dog due to old age a few months ago. When we met her shortly afterwards you could tell she was heartbroken. Kyra picked up on that immediately. She approached her, got on her back legs and put her front paws so, so gently on that ladies shoulders and than gave her some little kisses on the cheek. The lady almost started to cry and hugged Kyra. Just witnessing how sweet and attentive my little girl acts around humans and other animals is something truly beautiful and special. When I look into her eyes I’m amazed to see how much love this dog has in her heart. She’s my family, my best friend and soulmate. No matter what happens, I know Kyra will always be by my side. A truly special dog ❤️
I own 8 White Swiss Shepard’s. They differ in character some are friendly other are over protective. They do live as a pack the mother is the Alpha among them . She is an excellent hunter and very protective over her pack. If one of them leaves they all howls like wolves. They prefer raw food however they can eat dry food too . They are vigilant and active
@TheInvisibleManno such thing as emotional intelligence then explain why does the dog sit next to you when you are upset ? Why does the dog instantly guards you when you are nervous ? Why does he greet you when you return ? Why does he have separation anxiety?
@TheInvisibleMan the dog isn’t talented nor trained as a dancer. My dogs aren’t I leave them to nature yet God created something in them that makes them intelligent and emotional. They bond to me .
I understand that bond - I had a standard chocolate poodle who was quite big for his breed (37kg) and was very gentle despite his size - he could stand on his hind legs and take a treat from my mouth. Kids would run up to him because he looked like a cuddly toy, and he never batted an eyelid. He absolutely adored and trusted me and I am grateful to have had such a close relationship with a wonderful dog.
It is a wonderful and wonderful, and very informative and enjoyable video, and I’ll watch it again, and again, and again! Thank you so much for this video!❤
If anyone thinks the White Swiss Shepherd is still just a German Shepherd, check out the German Shepherds who win at shows, staggering around with raked backs like hyenas, and then look at the White Swiss Shepherds who win at their own shows, gracefully gliding around like white wolves. The two breeds have sharply diverged. While there are still wise breeders who produce "old fashioned" German Shepherd Dogs with straight backs, that's not what the breed club rewards in the show ring. I absolutely adore my own White Swiss Shepherd.
They have the same founder dogs and are the same breed, evolving in different directions. The show gsd differs a lot from the working line gsd as well. The white shepherd is not Swiss nor Canadian, but German. The grandfather of Horand von Grafrath, first registered gsd, was white. Because of the line breeding and the recessive colour, white dogs always popped up as a throwback.
@@marilinpuig8562 yes, working lines need proper biomechanics. But that’s not what wins in GSD conformation shows, which is the point I’m trying to make. The conformation show standard for GSD and Berger Blanc Suisse/White Swiss Shepherd, is entirely different. The WSS preserved those proper biomechanics. I am at a loss as to the contortions GSD show breeders go to in order to justify their dogs staggering around and failing hips.
In the early 1970’s my family owned 2 huge white German Shepards who had pedigrees incredibly long. The first one had a little brown on the back of his front legs.Looks like this dog except a bit larger. Don’t see why they changed the name to Swiss. This was 40 years ago .
@@ralfdawg please allow me to explain. Von Stephanitz created the German Shepherd breed to preserve the dwindling local Thuringian shepherd dogs. Among those rural dogs, the white coat color was often found, being favored by shepherds as less alarming to sheep. He standardized the type and created the GSD breed registry. Tragically, the Nazis came to power, and took over the GSD registry, to create war dogs. They deemed the white coat color inferior because it is easily seen at night, and out of the mistaken belief that they were albino. The dogs actually have a lot of black skin pigment, especially around the eyes and jet black nose, and are not albino. Nor is the white color associated with deafness. It’s the piebald gene, like the Dalmatian, and the Merle gene, like the Australian shepherd, which is associated with deafness. The recessive white color in the GSD is actually a dilution gene for fawn, which is why the dogs will look like a pale warm white against the stark white color of snow. This mistaken belief that the white coat was genetically inferior led the Nazis to determine it as a disqualifying fault. Even after the Nazis were defeated, this rule remains today in the GSD breed registry. The white color cannot be shown in conformation classes, though it can be shown in sports. The GSD registry refuses to budge on this. For decades, white puppies were killed, out of the belief among breeders that a white puppy meant the line was inferior. The white color was eventually eradicated in Europe, but aficionados in the US and Canada kept the white color alive. The gene is recessive, so could pop up in a colored litter. Decades ago, a Swiss woman became fed up with the bigotry against the beautiful white dog. She sought to restore the white color, and the breed before it ever became a war dog. She imported white dogs that met her conformation and temperament standards, and developed a separate breed. It starkly diverged from the GSD breed standard as we know it today. She registered the new breed, Berger Blanc Suisse, with the FCI. The name translates to White Swiss Shepherd. The GSD breed standard that wins in the show ring, with the extreme angulation, and staggering gait, is a disqualifying fault in the White Swiss Shepherd, Berger Blanc Suisse show. Most WSS are long hair, but there are also what are referred to as medium hair in the FCI standard, which is akin to a plush stock coat in GSS. So, why is it a Swiss breed rather than American? Because of the GSD breed registry’s control over the board of the AKC. The American GSD breed registry refuses to allow the white coat color to be shown. It also declared that, even though the conformation standard is completely different, that the WSS is just a white GSD. Therefore, it also blocks the WSS from getting accepted by the AKC as a new breed. It’s claim that since it descended from GSD, it’s just a GSD is spurious. Not only is the conformation standard different, but there are also other breeds which developed from the one base breed or base mix of breeds. For example, the GSD itself was developed from one single source of dogs, the Thuringian shepherds. It was not mixed with anything else, only bred in order to fix a specific conformation and temperament standard. The original Thuringian shepherd had a very sharp temperament, which Von Stephanitz made more tractable through breeding. White Swiss Shepherd breeders do not want to be absorbed into the GSD breed, because if so, they’d have to breed raked, staggering, unhealthy dogs in order to win in conformation shows. The WSS looks like a white wolf, who wants to be with you and your family all the time. If the GSD breed registry hadn’t been determined to continue oppressing the white shepherd, then Americans would have registered the breed first as an American breed. Instead, the AKC prevented this, and it was the Swiss, and other breeders in Europe, who succeeded in forming a registered new breed. This, then, is why the breed is called Swiss. A white GSD will have the conformation of a GSD. If it came from a show line, it will have a steeply sloped back. The nose is usually not pure black. A WSS will have a pedigree going back generations, all of the parents of which had that natural flat back. The extreme angulation never infected WSS breeders, so those unhealthy genetics aren’t in that pedigree. It’s not a fault that the breeder had to spend generations trying to fix, which who knows what genetic deficiency lurking. The hyena back was never there in those lines. Europeans favored good biomechanics.
All dogs are different my late Swiss Shepherd Rex was not high energy, he loved to hike but close to zero interest in playing, never touched anything in the house ever except a bowl of candy he got up and snagged, smart boy left all the chocolate. He loved his family though, he once saved my daughter, miss you boy.
What's odd about it? White colored GSDs are not suitable for military applications, and farmers don't prefer white shepherd dogs of any breed in general because it's hard to differentiate them from the sheep at distance.
In among my lifetime of owning German Shepherds (or Alsatians as they were called I was young!) I have had one Swiss Shepherd. She was incredibly beautiful with a soul and personality to match. When it comes to these White Shepherds.....our gain is Germany's loss. More fool them!
Oh, I just love this breed to death. I had one who sadly got sick and passed away at the age of 10 in 2010. Now we've decided to add a new lite Swiss german sheperd to our family. We found a beautiful little puppy that will be named Caesar. He was born in July and we will go get him on Tuesday and I can't even describe the anticipation and happiness that I'm feeling! It's going to be totally wonderful to get the chance to take care of, love, train, play with etc with this new little fella... Wish everyone that reads this all the best from Sweden...
@@grantcarncross5380 Showline GSD's are prized for their sloping backs, working lines are smaller and have a straight back. I'm confused about the evolution you are referring to. Show lines were purposely bred with that awful and extremely unnatural sloping back which I personally think looks terrible. as @Anna Starseed pointed out nobody gave two hoots about the whities cause they were not recognized as a breed standard so no modifications or selective breeding occurred and we still have a beautiful straight so I am trying to figure out if the breed is evolving or devolving in the hands of the so call 'Masters and Judges" of the show ring world.
@@KibatheMalinois well at the end of the day, it sounds like you are a fan of the American GSD a show pony, not capable of working, just for looks only. Do you honestly think the Germans don't know what they are doing? I believe they do. If you read the breed standard, by all means beautiful, the white German Shepherd or Swiss Shepherd, is actually an outcast. As the breed standard does not allow this colour.
@@grantcarncross5380 Dude read my reply, a simple Google search will explain the difference between showline and working line German Shepherds. Both the American and German showline have sloping backs. Working line are the dogs used for police, military, security etc. They are in the league if Dutch shepherd and Belgian Malinois. Your comment shows that you have no real knowledge of German Shepherds. I suggest doing your research before being a keyboard warrior
@@KibatheMalinois go back to your cave, been breeding for over 20 years, stick with your show pony's, you know nothing about why the breed was established in the first place.
I have a two-and-a-half WSS and he is a lovely dog. I would like to point out some negatives and some positives. Negatives, he is afraid of thunder, fireworks, and loud noises and he can be a bit stubborn although he was professionally trained. His guarding abilities are best for the property and he is aggressive towards other dogs when on leash. He loves to play with our children and he is very friendly towards any children and he spends his days with our cat. He can suffer from separation anxiety if he is alone for long hours, thankfully that is not the case anymore with WFH. He has a german shepherd as a friend and they don't bark at all at each other. He prefers the cold, he can manage the heat with fresh bowls of cold water. At best he feels like running through a forest. He sheds a lot and I'm not yet sure if he is a good guard dog without that special training, although he is guarding the yard. He is very beautiful and he knows it :)
I have a 9 month old white Swiss shepherd, his name is Balto and my heritage runs here from America to Switzerland. I love this white beauty I picked up❤️❤️❤️
I had an Akita/Sheperd solid white male mix who I lost this past May of kidney failure. I'm a disabled vet with 16 surgeries behind me. He gave me so much love and strength to get through it all. Dogs are God's direct gift to us.
I have an 8 month old WSS, and she is already the best dog I've ever had. She is a little cautious of strangers, but not much. As soon as I show her they are friends, she's all over them accepting snuggles and scratches. She LOVES other dogs (to the point that it is the only hang up in her training. If there is another dog around, I don't exist. 😅) But best of all, she is just so in tune with us as her family. The other day I had a bad migraine, and she acted so calm and quiet all day long and just let me sleep. No noise, no asking to be taken outside, she didn't even get into any mischief. She just laid down and chewed on her chew toys quietly. When I came out for a glass of water, she sat still and let me pet her without acting like she expected anything more. She didn't even wag her tail too fast. I'm telling you, I think she knew I was sick. She was so calm and gentle and patient, like she understood. I posted about it on her breeder's Facebook page, and everyone agreed that this breed is especially intuitive. I couldn't be happier with my choice of dog for our family. Of course, if you are considering this breed, PLEASE do your research and buy from a reputable breeder! I've seen some sketchy ones who basically just have a badly bred white German shepherd, and they tend to be the exact opposite of what I just described. A good breeder will pay attention to not just the looks, but the temperament, and pair you up with a dog that matches your needs. We got ours from Wildwood White Swiss Shepherds, and she did an AMAZING job. My dog is my baby and she is exactly the right energy level for my family of 3 boys and a cat.
My family has a Swiss Shepherd, and she was raised by me and my brother. Pretty much everything applying to Rasta applies to her. It is an incredibly rewarding breed to train and share time with, and extremely affectionate with their chosen human(s). Above all, the breed is *so* smart. It always brings a smile to my face to see how joyful she is about compliments. I love her so much.
I've had many breeds, but most recently, I adopted a beautiful shepherd mix. When I did a DNA on her, I found that she is a GSD, Australian and White Swiss Shepherd mix. She is the most intelligent, vocal, loyal, trainable, obedient dog I've ever had. There is never a moment where she isnt by my side. There are no words to describe my love for her. Thank goodness I'm retired, so that we can be together most of the time, and we can both be active. What a gift!
More than beautiful scenes as if they were a piece of heaven and I felt sleepy and relaxed because of these beautiful scenes, for these beautiful dogs, they are the most beautiful type of dog breeds at all.
I adopted a dog ten years ago. He looks identical to the Swiss Shepherd, but he's smaller and his noises sound identical. He was badly abused as a puppy and I adore him. He follows me everywhere. He is incredibly protective but very anxious because of his past. He looks identical so I'm really not sure if he's mixed or not. I really want to do a DNA test on him. The bond I have with him is so different from any other dog I've ever had.
Just like Bud, talkative, loyal, intuitive. As long as he was next to my wife, he was content. She has MS. 140lbs, he knew she was going to fall before she did. He answered questions yes and no with eye blinks. Yes, he is awaiting in Heaven.
Have had a couple of shepherds and our family has had three German Shepards . Best statement I’ve heard about training creates more freedom for the dog. I liked to add it also adds more joy and a lot less stress in having any dog .
They are absolutely beautiful the shepards and the entire switzerland area...~ all of it was drop dead gorgeous from the shepards to the views and you can train every dog but training to a level of obedience to come back to you is incredible i love how obediant they are and how beautiful the whole video was
I've owned three dogs in my life, one was a WSS. In my opinion, the WSS is the most emotionally intelligent dog I've owned. I have a black lab now who is great, friendly, and easily trainable....but there is something special about the WSS and the way it bonds to his/her family. They can sense how you are feeling from a different room, it's pretty incredible.
@TheInvisibleMan not quite. Like I said , I could be in one room and something would make me get emotional, and my dog would walk in from the other room to see what was going on. Maybe empathetic genius? hard to describe.
Gorgeous dogs. Shepard's/hearders are my favorite dogs cause you can just talk to them like a kid. They're so smart and they love so, so hard if you treat them with the respect they deserve. (like talking to them instead of just giving commands) they are the best dogs ever. My border collie and Australian shepherd are my babies and they both have such a personality. The Aussie has learned what make me correct the cat and has made it her responsibility to (gently) keep the cat in line for me. Think about that, she figured that out by herself.
