Posted on March 20, 2024

This is a question that is often asked and can be confusing. I want to be clear; I breed Berger Blanc Suisse aka White Swiss Shepherd. Any of these breeds are great animals. I grew up with GSD both tri-color and white.

In respect to the Berger Blanc Suisse, the White German Shepherd, and the White Shepherd, they are all “technically” different breeds with different standards. The Berger Blanc Suisse is recognized by FCI, but not AKC or UKC. AKC will register a White German Shepherd and disqualify it for having a white coat. UKC will register a White Shepherd (this can also be a White German or even a BBS), however know that they are different. With all this being said, know that there is an overlap in the history and characteristics of the different breeds

Generally speaking, I would place a Berger Blanc Suisse (BBS) and a White German Shepherd (WGSD) on two extremes with a White Shepherd (WS) in the middle. The WS I would say is a transition between the BBS and the WGSD (however, depending on the breeder, they could have characteristics that could resemble either). Hence the confusion of the breed. It is my hope to help you see the difference and the distinction between the breeds.

For more details on the standards, please click the links below (or something)

FCI: http://www.fci.be/Nomenclature/Standards/347g01-en.pdf 

AKC: https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/german-shepherd-dog/ 

UKC: https://www.ukcdogs.com/white-shepherd 

PDF: https://www.ukcdogs.com/docs/breeds/white-shepherd.pdf 

In Summary

The BBS is as follows:

• Highly intelligent 
• Very easy to train
• Medium energy level 
• Medium prey drive 
• They do not wander away from their owners
• Very loyal to their family
• Tend to have less health problems than a GSD
• They live 14 years or longer, depends on diet and care
• They are great watchdogs they will protect you, however they are no GSD
• They have a less tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.
• They adapt well to lifestyle changes
• Very kid friendly
• Cat friendly
• Dog friendly
• Overall animal friendly, especially if socialized early.
• Are one of the best breeds for the elderly
• Have a natural ability for service dog, example: diabetes, epilepsy, etc
• They make excellent service dogs. They can also be an SAR.
• Are great for an office environment
• Are NOT hypoallergenic
• They shed, with regular brushing and a good diet you can stay on top of it.
• They can develop separation anxiety if left alone too long. They bond very closely with their human.
• They are sensitive and need a positive human and training methods
• They love water, but may hate a bath
• They generally aren’t talkers.

This is a brief summary, I encourage you to research the above links and feel free to email me.