So You Want to 
Breed Your White Shepherd?

By Jean Reeves

"My White Shepherd is the most wonderful family companion in the world. He is so intelligent and has the best temperament of any dog I have ever known. I am certain that he will produce wonderful puppies with the same characteristics. Lots of my friends and family want a dog just like mine. I can’t wait to find a mate for my dog!"

The above statements are quite often made by many people who think that breeding their dog would be fun, educational, and possibly profitable. However, there are huge responsibilities involved in producing even ONE litter of puppies. For example, you have a responsibility to your pet, to the puppies themselves, and to the breed as a whole. Every member of a breed is a representative of that breed.

Breeding should not be done by pet owners, but only by serious breed enthusiasts that know what they have in their dog and the dog they are considering for a mate. You need to know what genetic faults or disorders lay in the bloodlines, and yes, there are faults and disorders in all dogs. If you don’t believe this, you are only lying to yourself.

A responsible breeder will:

1. Know the breed standard. The standard is a blueprint of the perfect White Shepherd, how the ideal dog looks, moves, and behaves. Though there is no such thing as a dog without faults, it is important to know what faults your dog possesses and how to find a mate that will help eliminate the weaknesses and compliment the strengths. The best way to learn about the standard and how it applies to the dogs themselves is to see as many dogs as possible. Attend shows, visit reputable breeders, study web sites, and most of all ask lots of questions from those that are successful in the breed. Please read AWSA's Code of Ethics and see a list of member/breeders who have signed it.

2. Accept responsibility for every puppy that is produced for its entire lifetime. People may say they want a puppy from your dog, but when it comes time, most of them will back out - count on it! For each and every puppy that is brought into this world, many others are in need of homes. Puppies that are no longer wanted by their owners should always be reclaimed by the breeder and replaced into suitable homes. It is a huge undertaking to be certain that each puppy is placed in a safe, loving home that is suited to its needs and personality.

3. Provide assistance to people who have purchased a puppy. Most breeders like to stay in touch with the people who buy their puppies throughout the life of the dogs. Any problems the new owners are having can be quickly helped with a little advice and guidance from an experienced breeder.

4. A good breeder will also provide a written health guarantee, photos of the sire and dam, a pedigree of the puppy's ancestors, and a health record stating all vaccinations and worming that has been given to the puppy.

If you still think that you would like to consider the possibility of mating your White Shepherd and you are willing to take on the responsibilities of raising a litter, there are some basic requirements that should be followed for every dog that is to be mated.

1. Registration - most responsible breeders will sell most or all of their puppies with limited registrations. This means that the offspring of this dog is not eligible to be registered. The reason for this practice is to insure that only dogs of sound health, temperament and structure are bred, thus helping the breed to remain healthy, strong and of good nature. If your dog has an AKC/CKC limited registration certificate, it is possible for the breeder to remove the limited status by filling out a form and sending it to the AKC. But before doing so, the breeder will most likely want to see proof that your dog has been x-rayed and passed clean of all hip and elbow dysplasia. Also the dog should be a good specimen of the breed standard with no disqualifying faults, and of course, should have a wonderful temperament and should have passed some basic obedience course.

2. Health Issues - as I have mentioned, there are always genetic faults in every dog. Again, you need to admit this and find the information about the health of your dog and ALL of its relatives. It is extremely important to have x-rays taken of your dog's hips and elbows and to have them certified through the OFA or possibly PENNHIP to be certain that your dog does not posses hip or elbow dysplasia. The fact that your dog comes from lines that have not had this problem, or that your dog has never limped, is not proof that dysplasia is not present. There are many other tests that can be done, such as heart, thyroid, Von Willibrands, and eye evaluations. Each should be considered before breeding. Read about the health and genetics survey conducted for the White Shepherd.

3. Each dog should be checked for infections or disease that could affect the litter. There is nothing more heartbreaking than to lose puppies, or your dog, to illnesses that could have been prevented.

4. Re-examine your motives for wishing to mate your dog. If you think you will make money, if you think it will be a good experience for your dog or your children, or if you are just wishing to produce more pet-quality dogs, you are strongly encouraged to reconsider your objectives.

Most people do not make money in raising puppies until they are well established. Complications with the pregnancy, delivery, or with the puppies could cost you a small fortune. Losing your pet and/or some or all of the puppies can be very stressful on the entire family. Producing puppies that have genetic faults will also affect the people who purchase them, and their families and finances.

After meeting all the above requirements, it may be time to look for suitable mates for your dog. Again, it is best to attend conformation shows, visit established breeders and look at pedigrees, certificates and titles that have been earned by potential mates to be insured of good health, temperament and structure. Be certain to ask questions about the offspring that the dog has already produced. Ask what faults he has, what faults he has produced, as well as what positive qualities he can provide when crossed with your female or other females from her line.

Ask the advice of the breeder from whom you purchased your dog. Most likely they already know what works well with their lines and what does not. Breeding is much more of an art than of a science. Even the best-informed people can make mistakes in choosing breeding partners, resulting in a litter of puppies that is below what was expected. The major goal for the litter should be sound health and temperament, whether you are breeding show- or companion-quality dogs.

Make plans well in advance if you are going to breed. Waiting until the bitch is in season to think about this does not allow enough time to make needed arrangements. Testing for hip and elbow dysplasia as well as other genetic conditions needs to be done months in advance. Contacting and obtaining information about prospective studs often also takes quite a while.

The following information on reproduction is meant to be a basic guideline and is not intended to take the place of careful and thorough research or experience in breeding and whelping that can be learned from long-time breeders and veterinarians.

The Female Season

White Shepherd females may begin coming into season (also know as heat or estrus) as early as six months of age or as late as 18 months of age. The average for most White Shepherd females is around 10 to 12 months for the first season. If your intention is not to have a litter of puppies, spaying is recommended as early as five to six months of age. There are no benefits of letting your female run even one season.

The first sign of heat is a small amount of spotting blood. Also the vulva begins to swell. Blood flow will increase for about a week, and then change to a thinner, more yellow color the second week. Usually around 10 to 13 days after the first spotting, ovulation occurs. Ovulation is the release of eggs and the time when fertilization can occur. Spotting will continue for about three weeks total.

There is a large variation between females on the timing between seasons, ovulation, and length of season. There can also be variations from one season to the next in the same bitch. Testing by a veterinarian can determine the exact time of ovulation.

Keeping safe the bitch who is not yet old enough to breed, who you are not intending to breed, or that you are breeding when there are other males around is often one of the most difficult tasks of the inexperienced bitch owner. Males and females alike can be very persistent in their efforts to mate. Many stories could be told about the inventive ways dogs have accidentally gotten together and unwanted breedings have occurred.

Before committing to breeding your female, you should make certain that she is in good condition. Not too fat or too thin and that she has good muscle tone. She should be mentally mature enough to care for a litter puppies and not still be acting like a puppy. Vaccinations, worming and heartworm testing should all be done before the female comes into heat. All drugs and medications to be given to the bitch should be carefully monitored and researched if a healthy pregnancy is to be achieved.

The Male

Male White Shepherds can become sexually mature as young as five months of age or as late as 10 to 12 months, averaging at about eight months old. Most breeders will wait until a male is around a year old before considering using him for stud. The major reason is that OFA preliminary x-rays for hip and elbow dysplasia should be done before considering any breeding.

Though there is little physical stress placed on a young male used for stud, it will definitely change his attitude toward female dogs. Your once fun-loving and carefree puppy will be instantly turned into a full-fledged, hormone-influenced stud dog. Keeping him home and away from female dogs in the neighborhood may become a problem. Escaping from fences can become a major priority for your boy. If you are not planning to use your male for breeding, again neutering is highly recommended. Your male will not miss out on anything, and he will become a much easier-to-live-with companion.

The Breeding

Arrangements for breeding should be made well in advance and the stud owner should be notified as soon as the female comes into season so that they can plan for the event. Usually the female is brought to the male so he will feel more at ease on his own property and the female will be less likely to feel that her territory is being invaded.

When the bitch is ready to ovulate, she will usually readily accept the advances of a male dog. This is most often around the tenth day of her season, though this can vary greatly from one bitch to the next and from one season to another in the same bitch.

Some females will not easily accept a male, though, and help may be needed. Always keep the dogs on a leash and be ready to assist in an instant if the attitude of either dog is not accepting. Many times the female will have to be held.

Once the breeding has taken place, the dogs will be in a "tie" for about 10 to 20 minutes. A tie is not always necessary to have a successful breeding, but few bitches will become pregnant if there is not a tie. In canines, the tie provides time for the semen to be passed from the male to the female. Although it is possible to hold the dogs together long enough for the semen to be transferred, having a successful, natural tie is much preferred, in terms of knowing that semen has been transferred to the bitch.

Holding the dogs still during the tie so neither of them become injured is recommended as many times one or the other will become distressed during this time. After the tie is released, the dogs should be separated to allow them to rest and to keep the female quiet. Usually mating should be done on an every-other-day basis until the female is no longer receptive or the male loses interest.

Care should be taken so that no other males are allowed around the female while she is being bred. More than one male can sire litters. While each puppy only has one father, if a bitch is mated to more than one male, different dogs can sire puppies within the litter. Even after the female comes home, care should be taken to keep other males away until she is definitely and completely out of season.

Puppies are usually due around 63 days after the first breeding, though they could be born normally as early as the 58 day, so be prepared. Palpation by a veterinarian around 24 to 28 days can usually confirm pregnancy. Ultrasound can also be done around that time. X-ray detection of puppies usually needs to wait until 50y days of pregnancy in order to positively see skeletal features.

Much more could be written about whelping and care of the newborns, but we will leave that for another article!

Again, I encourage you to clearly know what you have in a breeding dog (its bloodlines and genetic background) as well as what you plan to produce with each litter. The joy in raising puppies is tremendous, however, as any breeder will tell you, the heartache and pain involved in this commitment is often more than the average person can bear. Joy and loss often come hand in hand no matter how prepared you are.

There is great satisfaction in knowing that you are helping to provide lifetime companions, working partners, and supreme show champions to people who will love and cherish their dogs for their entire lives.