German sheperds-differences between "normal" colour, and white Questions

now before everyone shouts, i couldnt think of how to word the title properly obviously white are normal too

do you think that there is a difference in temperment?

i ask because in my new job we get a fair few german sheperds in...

we get 4 from the same family called 1) white long haired male, 2)white long haired female, 3)white longhaired female, and 4)black and tan shortcoated...

now 4) is a perfect dog, and so is 3) they are like any other dog really.

but 1) is very timid, he doesnt like men, he gets scared very easily and is always on alert when a new noise or something happens.. he seems fine, but maybe more wary...

2) doesnt like to be touched, and also goes off in a daze.. (she did have problems at birth though, so colour may have nothing to do with it. shes slightly brain damaged)

so to those of you who have GSDs do you think there is a difference between colour?

didnt want to mention dogs names on here...

also slightly off topic but oh my i have never felt safer when walking a dog than i have done with 2 GSDs. they are so loyal lovely dogs

All the white GSD I have met have been nervy, I do not know of any that are working police dogs etc.

However I have not met all the white GSD on the planet, I have not met all the police dogs on the planet.

I personally would never want to own one, for several reaons.

They would not be likely to come from the type of breeding I would be looking for.

And I do not do white dogs, I like mine to come in a sort of grubby colour so that they do not show the dirt...............

Also I am prejudiced against them, I admit it. I do not like them to look at etc.

I think the poor temperament in many white GSD's is not due to the colour but the breeding.
Many are bred FOR the colour, not taking into consideration health and temperament etc...and many do it for the money and purely for colour as "white GSD's are special" etc etc.

You do get the odd one that crops up in a standard colour litter, but not often these days.

I wouldnt have one again (though I loved my boy dearly and he did have a fantastic temperament, I believe his health issues- that killed him at 20 months old, were at least partly down to poor breeding).

Thanks for the reply. I think I prefer the mor traditional shortcoated GSD to the long haired ones. Can you get Shortcoated white German shepherds? I've only ever seen long coated.

We have had black and tan and white shepherds and have found the white ones to be a lot nervier and reactive than the black and tans. If I got another shepherd it would be a black and tan although I do think white shepherds are lovely.

Yes, you can.

If White GSDs tend to be more 'nervy' etc, then I agree with what's been said about it being down to the breeding.

There are two very large White GSDs at our local park. One of them is a total nightmare - he goes mad and barks when any other dog dares to wander near the water bowls. (doesn't help that his owners are unpleasant and won't even try to stop him barking).

The other White GSD is absolutely beautiful and very fixated on his ball. However, a few weeks ago, he was badly spooked by a young Great Dane; the GSD bolted clean out of the park and towards the main road. Luckily the owner managed to catch him in time.

I love GSDs but to be honest, I much prefer the Black & Tan ones.

I've had two whites, one from 8 weeks from white lines so bred for colour and one rescue, serious abuse case who didn't have any socialisation until we got him at a year old and was kept in a shed. He only weighed 15kg when we got him.

Both had brilliant temperaments with children, people and other dogs. Both eager to please and quick to learn.

Unfortunately I lost the rescue at two years old to epilepsy however his wasn't related to his breeding but to the fractured skull that he suffered from his previous abusive owners

We have a white GS in our class and he is very nervous and reactive. I also know of another litter which has produced a number of very nervous/reactive dogs. However I know of one white GS who is a PAT dog All down to the breeding IMO.

I don't have GSD, so may be wrong here but from all the GSD's I have met, I have not met a white one that seemed "steady" Even though some of the "normal" ones can be hyped up, DA, whatever. I would say the whites I met were just totally off the wall in some way. Bear in mind, this is only from my own limited experience of the breed though. Enough to put me off them though.

Every white I have met has been unpredictable, nervy, fearful, aggressive with certain people....there was always something "not right" about them. Like I said though this is only my very limited personal experience of them.

I remember speaking to someone who had owned GSD's a long time and they had said that "whites" were bred from a recessive gene and that he would not recommend anyone to buy one. That's only one person I met though. I really do not know an awful lot about the breed in general. Not past the usual, guarding breed etc etc.

I also dont know the type of breeders etc that had bred the white ones I had met.

I was looking for a white shepherd after I lost my last dog as I still wanted a shepherd but, not one that would remind me of her. A pal who is very knowledgeable about shepherds on here told me they were not as good temerament wise as the black and tans.

I ended up with a pointer in the end.

:-( :-( that's awful!

I ended up with a white GSD, no idea how as I didn't even like the look of them
The guy at the GSD rescue sadi roughly 7/10 white GSDs that came to them were highly strung, nervous dogs. Casper is actually pretty chilled out in the house the majority of the time (and fine with travelling, being left alone, etc) but is reactive to dogs. He's wary of raised voices and flailing hands (even, like in our household, in jest) and does seem to get more worried about little things. And despite his reactivity making him look like a hurricane of aggressive, he's a big wuss when it comes to other dogs and will only snap out when cornered (and even then, it's all warning snaps and no aggressive contact biting) - otherwise it's hiding behind Mummy! He does get worried if we're out on a walk, OH is holding him and Mummy is falling behind or rushing off ahead - has to catch up with me or let me catch up before his worried look will disappear. Funny as he doesn't suffer SA though, just gets a bit protective of me out on walks! If we're in a big group and he's off-lead he has to check in with me quite frequently, we'll see him run from person to person checking their faces to see if it's me.
His personality is quite similar in some aspects to my last GSD though, who was black and tan but most likely from terrible lines - a relative bought her through Loot and she had such health and behavioural issues.

thanks for all the replies guys. very interesting.

Those points (in bold) are just GSD traits I think...they are generally very loyal to one person in particular.
Oh and sadie(b&t) does the checking in thing in big groups

Ive only met one white GSD, she lived in our street and sadly was pts last year

I guess it could be said her breeding wasnt the best - she was totaly ovesized

But she was fantastic!! not a nasty bone in her big fuzzy body
Much better than the temprament of most of the GSD's I have seen round here that are pretty nervy, gobby and controling

White, with some animals, where white is not the norm, does often indicate genetic defects. Many pure white cats, especially with blue eyes, although beautiful, tend to be deaf.

I have a pure white male cat, who has a heart murmour.

Experienced GSD owners I know wouldn't get white.

One of the nicest, most laid back GSDs I have ever met was a white long haired. Bless him, he was so placid.

Unfortunately, cancer took him at 6 years old

I have a white longhaired GSD bitch [Sasha] she will be 15 next march, good temprement was very easy to train dosnt really like other dogs but not aggressive , & a white shorthaired dog [Barry white] 12 in june ,also easy to train, good with other animals & our family but oversised & very protective of his people, home, food ect, both are from mixed litters half black n tan & half whites, the bitch is well bred from german lines & the dog is unregistered, I have had black & tans & sable gsds before & have not noticed any connection between colour & temprement.

I think the problem here is that some people are breeding for the colour white. So its not usually a case of good breeding with the odd white coat cropping up but people breeding specifically with the main aim of producing white pups.