White-coated German Shepherds were once barred from registration in their native Germany, but in the United States and Canada the colouration remained popular; a
breed club was formed and these white dogs came to be recognised as a distinct breed, the
White Shepherd. The Berger Blanc Suisse derives from dogs of this type imported from North America to Switzerland from the early 1970s. The first of these was an American dog named Lobo, born on 5 March 1966; other dogs were imported from Canada and from the United States. It was recognised as a breed in Switzerland in June 1991, and registered in the
Livre des origines suisse of the
Société Cynologique Suisse. It was provisionally recognised by the
Fédération Cynologique Internationale in 2002, and was definitively accepted in 2011. It was recognised by the British
Kennel Club in 2017. == Characteristics ==