There are many dog breeds that have a white variant in addition to all sorts of other colors. However, there are only a few breeds that only have white fur.
The reason for this is very different. Some have been bred specifically for this colour, others come from very cold, snowy areas.
In most multicolored dogs, a white coat color is often associated with a genetic defect that renders them deaf from birth. This is usually not the case with pure white dogs, because here one pays particular attention to healthy parents during breeding.
If you’re thinking about getting a white dog, you’re sure to find what you’re looking for here.
How about a sacred dog from the Himalayas? Or a fluffy snowball on four legs?
Small dogs
White coat color is very common among small dogs. In many places, this was probably a breeding goal for small ornamental dogs that kept aristocratic women company in everyday life.
But many hunting dogs for small game are specially bred to be white so that they can be recognized better at dusk.
1 Bichon Frize
Although the breed is more correctly called the Bichon à poil frisé (Fr. «curly lap dog»), it is best known as the Bichon frisé.
His ancestors are believed to be toy poodles and water spaniels that met in the Canary Islands. Already with the Romans and Greeks he was a popular companion dog and has remained so to this day.
Bichons are pronounced friendly and sensitive. This is precisely why they are often kept as family dogs and also by seniors. However, they are also very smart and need to be well trained and constantly mentally challenged.
2 Bolognese
The Italian Bolognese is a star in the art world: In many paintings he is immortalized as the lap dog of the nobility.
No wonder, the little sunshine brightens up every day. He meets people, dogs and cats with open-mindedness and affection and is the perfect beginner dog.
The Bolognese also hardly sheds hair, which not only makes household chores easier, but also helps him allergy friendly dog makes.
3 Japan Spitz
Spitz are known for their, to put it politely, very communicative nature. The Japanese Spitz, on the other hand barks very rarelyeven if he always observes his surroundings curiously and attentively.
The dog, which weighs just 8 kg, has fur like an exploded feather pillow – the soft hair sticks out in all directions, especially after bathing and brushing. Nevertheless it is right easy-care and only requires more frequent brushing during the period of shedding.
The sports cannon has wasabi in its blood and is perfectly built for high-energy sports such as agility.
4 West Highland Terriers
The West Highland Terrier impresses with its cute button eyes and the small, pointy ears. He suddenly became known and popular in Germany at the beginning of the 90s as the advertising figure for a dog food brand.
However, the Westie is much more than a cute lap dog. Originally it was used to drive martens and foxes out of the chicken coop.
His hunting instinct is still unbroken today, which is why he has a difficult relationship with cats.
«Small but powerful» applies here, because the West Highland Terrier likes to overestimate itself and lie down self-assured with everything that seems dangerous to him.
5 Havanese
The Havanese brings Cuban joie de vivre in every household. Their unique selling point is that they are the only breed that originated in Cuba.
Your life is a party and everyone is invited. Havanese prefer to be busy all day long and with people around them who are with them play or brush him.
6 Maltese
The Maltese breed is believed to be very old: Statues resembling the small dogs were found in Egyptian burial chambers.
The name Maltese seems to have nothing to do with the island, but comes from the Semitic word «màlat», which means port. That fits, because the little dogs often lived in harbors and kept the warehouses there free of rats and mice.
Unfortunately, these dogs are often prone to illness relaxed sofa matesbut insist on their long walks.
7Lhasa Apso
The Lhasa Apso comes from Tibet and is considered sacred in Buddhism. He is therefore a popular gift as lucky charm.
The soft fur makes them everyone’s favourites, although they don’t really value admiration themselves.
Important with a Lhasa Apso is the Check the length of the fur above the eyes. According to the standard, the coat must not restrict the dog’s vision and must therefore be trimmed regularly.
8 Sealyham Terriers
If there’s a British dog, it’s the Sealyham Terrier. He has the demeanor of the British gentry with an often showy hairstyle, which is why he is known as a dog model uses.
Although he is a terrier with body and soul and likes to much barksyou can control your hunting instinct well through training.
He is very attached to his family and is also around animals in the house open mindedthat he would otherwise hunt. A great first dog!
Big dogs
In the case of large dogs, a white coat color is particularly common among guard and herding dogs.
It is unclear whether this made them easier to distinguish from wolves for shepherds or whether a white coat was an advantage in the inhospitable area in which they often lived.
1 Berger Blanc Suisse (White Swiss Shepherd Dog)
The Berger Blanc Suisse is a Swiss shepherd variety that specifically breeds healthy white puppies.
Curiously, breeding did not start in Switzerland, but in the USA and Canada. It wasn’t until around 1960 that the first White Swiss Shepherd Dogs flew back to Europe.
De Berger Blanc Suisse have a dense, long coat on dark skin, similar to a polar bear. Her character corresponds to a typical shepherd dog: willing to learn, obedience and quiet.
2 Rajapalayam
The Rajapalayam is presumed to be the ancestor of the Dalmatian. Originally from India, it was a typical dog of colonial officials and Indian nobles, who admired its elegant posture and trotting, almost floating gait.
Today this breed is almost extinct. That’s why India took an unusual measure: the picture of the Rayapalayams adorns a postage stamp there to make the breed better known.
Its appearance is quite unusual: the standard is a milky white fur with a pink nose and golden eyes.
3 Mastín del Pirineo
The Mastín del Pirineo is the polar bear dog from the Pyrenees. Its thick fur gives it the charm of a four-legged snowman.
It takes him a long time to really grow up and he still behaves like a young dog at the age of 3. However, his strength should not be underestimated: If necessary, he will also take on wolves.
Mastíns love people, company and the crawl. They are very trainableas long as they find the commands useful – they won’t learn circus tricks.
4 Maremma-Abruzzo Sheepdog
The Maremma-Abruzzo Sheepdog is a friendly giant, who guards everything from sheep to small children. He likes it hustle and bustle around him, so his family can’t be big enough with children.
Nonetheless, he is a herding dog and therefore needs space and a task. He also sometimes has to learn through consistent upbringing not to see strangers as a threat to his family.
The good-natured German Shepherd loves long walks – but the pace can be moderate.
5 Ovcharka
Originating in Russia, the Ovcharka is divided into several breeds found in different regions of Russia and Eastern Europe.
he is only rarely purebredbecause he is still mainly used as a working animal and therefore only a few look at a stud book.
Although he as a typical guard dog very independent lives, he is only little aggressive and relies more on expelling than attacking for protection. He needs consistent training, but ultimately decides for himself when to listen to his masters and mistresses.
6 Komondor
A Komondor always attracts attention – and also the question of whether you can brush your dog properly.
To be shaggy fur the Komondor can do nothing, on the one hand it is a warming weather protection and on the other hand a camouflage mechanism for its original use as a herding dog for sheep.
Its white, woolly fur enabled it to move unnoticed in its flock, surprising predators who mistook it for another sheep.
A Komondor does not belong in the hands of beginners and needs a long and consistent upbringingwhich leaves him his stubbornness.
7 Porcelain
The Porcelaine was a hunting dog of the French nobility. His name speaks volumes about the creamy white coat color and the elegant body shape.
He’s a top notch nose tracker dog and therefore loves hidden object games. In general, he needs a lot of work and sporting activities, as he gets bored quickly and then no shoe is safe from him.
He only gets along with other animals as long as they don’t fit into his prey scheme.
8 Samoyed
The Samoyed always looks pageant-ready with its bright white coat and graceful gait.
He was not bred as a decorative dog, but as a working animal. In Northern Siberia he was for centuries sled dog and even impressed Fridtjof Nansen there so much that he mentioned it in his travelogues.
Accordingly sports enthusiast is the four-legged friend and needs a lot of exercise and activity. He prefers to have his people around him.
9 Dogo Argentino
The athletic Dogo Argentino is a muscle man.
He was bred purely as a hunting dog for wild boar. The white coat color was therefore important in breeding, because it helped the hunter not to confuse the dog with the pig during the hunt and accidentally shoot it.
Beyond the hunt, he is ideal as a sports dog or bloodhound because he loves to work with his people in the team.
He doesn’t lack self-confidence: he doesn’t let aggressive dogs tell him anything. Good socialization and continuous training is therefore recommended.