Why Speak out about the Australian White Swiss Shepherds

You may be wondering why I have something to say about the distinction between the Australian White Swiss Shepherd and the ANKC registered White Swiss Shepherd.

My main reason is I know what happens when dealing with the people involved in non-ANKC sanctioned white shepherd organisations - I know from personal experience.

When I decided Merlin was my new best friend he came with the promise of registration papers. In my ignorance I automatically assumed they were ANKC registration papers as I know no other organisation can issue pedigree papers for purebred dogs.

Boy ... how wrong can you be? Very, very wrong. This was the beginning of a 12-month saga.

I took Merlin home and we fell head over heels in love with each other. After a few months when his registration papers failed to arrive I rang the breeder and we had a discussion. The result was the papers are one the way.

I waited another 6 weeks, or so, and rang the breeder again. I asked why it was taking the ANKC so long to send me purebred papers for my puppy. It was during this conversation I found out they were not ANKC papers at all, but White Swiss Shepherd Dog Club of Australia registration papers. By this time Merlin is nearly 9 months old and I am beginning to get very irritated by the stories so the breeder gives me the phone number to contact at the club.

I finally get hold of the club representative and hear a long story about the situation. We have a conversation and I am assured that Merlin's registration papers are on the way to me. While I understand they are next to useless for anything I wanted them regardless of anything - I had bought a papered dog.

Another 6 weeks or so go past and nothing arrives in the mail. So I ring the breeder again and get told to ring the club. For 2 or 3 weeks I ring and leave messages until I finally get through. By this time my patience has worn out and I am sick of getting the run around. I pretty much tell the club that I want my papers and I expect them in the mail in the next couple of days.

They finally arrive, 12 months after Merlin and I joined forces to share out lives together.

It became the principle of the whole thing in the end after I realised the papers were next to useless. See Merlin's Clayton's White Swiss Shepherd Dog Club of Australia pedigree line here. The original papers do come presented on nice paper and I will scan in an image when I get a chance.

The white shepherd has a murky history here is Australia and the varying names have pnly confused the issue further. There is only one purebred white Swiss shepherd in this country and only the ANKC has the power to register it as a purebred dog in Australia.

If it does not matter to you whether you buy a purebred dog ot not - well at least you know the difference and can buy your gorgeous white shepherd puppy fully informed.