Yes, they are purebred German Shepherds. The white colored dogs have been a historical part of the early development of the breed developed by Max Von Stephanitz. Many of the foundation dogs were white or carried the recessive white gene. In fact, the white colored German Shepherds were highly sought after by Shepherds to guard their flocks of sheep. The White German Shepherds would blend well with the flock, making it easier for the Shepherds to identify predators such as wolves. The picture below is from Max Von Stephanitz’s book, The German Shepherd. The dog is Berno von der Seewiese who was born in 1913. Berno was the first White German Shepherd to be registered by the SV. He is also a 5th generation descendant of the first registered German Shepherd, Horand von Grafrath.

No, science as proven this to be faults. DNA testing has become an important tool for screening dogs for genetic issues. Any color German Shepherd can be a carrier of some of these common breed issues such as DM, PD and MDR1. Advances in science have proven color does not play any role in this. Responsible breeders screen their dogs prior to breeding in an effort to produce healthier offspring and to improve future bloodlines. It is also proven that these white dogs are not albinos, as an albino is void of pigment, and a White German Shepherd is not absent of pigment. They always have dark pigment on their noses, eye rims, paw pads, mouth and lips. These white dogs are also not any more likely to suffer from deafness than a colored German Shepherd.

Yes, but this is due to a lot of misconceptions and a shady history of discrimination. In the 1930’s Hitler and the Nazi regime preferred the darker colors because they were more difficult to see at night. During this time, it was also incorrectly thought that the white dogs when bred to colored dogs would cause a color dilution in their offspring. Science has proven this to be incorrect. The white color is actually a gene that masks the dogs actual color which can be any color from standard or non-standard. Health of the dogs was also in question but science has disproven that white dogs are any less healthy than their colored counter parts. Due to those reasons, discrimination towards White German Shepherds had led many to exclude them from breeding and showing. The history of this discrimination has been built on misconceptions and it almost caused this color to become extinct. In recent years, White German Shepherd fanciers have brought these dogs back to the world by the promotion of their best qualities and the restoration of their genetic worth to the breed.

Yes, they can. White German Shepherds can be registered with AKC as long as they are out of AKC registered parents. They can compete in most AKC performance events, but are still excluded from the confirmation show ring. Due to the confirmation show ring exclusion many White German Shepherd owners have also registered their dogs with UKC or United Kennel Club as White Shepherds or registered as German Shepherds through UKC if they have any colored ancestors within three generations. White is not considered a fault in UKC and UKC allows them in the confirmation show ring,

 Yes, ancestrally and genetically they are all the direct decedents of the German Shepherd breed. Due to the discrimination of the white colored German Shepherds; fanciers have carefully selected the best qualities and traits of the white coated bloodlines in order to establish some new breed standards. These efforts were made to restore the genetic worth and reputation of these beautiful dogs as new breeds under other registries. So yes they do have a different breed name and adhere to different breed standards but they have the same ancestry as a White German Shepherd. Setting these standards does help to preserve the white coated bloodlines. At Winter Storm, we still refer to our pack as German Shepherds, however, we also try to preserve the foundation bloodlines and the best traits of the dogs of old.  We understand why these efforts have taken place and so we support all clubs, registries, and individuals who are committed and focused on the efforts that are most beneficial to all dogs of the White German Shepherd heritage.

Yes and no, but certainly less common than other colors. Since the white color gene is recessive and the gene pool has been reduced, the white dogs are less common than other colored dogs. In addition, the long hair gene is also recessive, making a long coated white even more rare than a short coated white. However, two White German Shepherds bred together will always produce a litter of all white puppies which can be helpful in restoring more White German Shepherd to the breed.