Breeding White: Genetics, Expectations, and Outcomes

After publishing my textbook, the most common emails I receive come from breeders asking about white shepherd genetics. Some want to produce white puppies. Others want to avoid them. Both groups need the same information: how the e/e genotype segregates through generations and what outcomes to expect from specific crosses.

This article provides the practical breeding information based on verified genetics. I include real examples from documented breedings where I tracked the outcomes over years of research.

The Basic Inheritance Pattern

White coat color in German Shepherds follows autosomal recessive inheritance at the Extension locus. This means:

• The gene is on a regular chromosome, not sex-linked
• Two copies of the recessive e allele are required for white expression
• One copy (E/e) produces a pigmented carrier
• Zero copies (E/E) produces a pigmented non-carrier

Understanding this pattern allows precise prediction of breeding outcomes.

Cross Types and Outcomes

Cross 1: White x White (e/e x e/e)

This is the most predictable cross:

Expected outcome: 100% white puppies

Both parents can only contribute e alleles. Every puppy inherits e from both parents and will be white. I have verified this across dozens of white-to-white breedings. Not once has a pigmented puppy resulted. This genetic certainty, unlike the myths about albinism, is well-documented science that does not affect health outcomes.

Case example: A Washington state breeder documented 47 puppies from eight white-to-white breedings between 2008-2015. All 47 were white. This matches the 100% prediction exactly.

Cross 2: White x Carrier (e/e x E/e)

Expected outcome: Approximately 50% white, 50% pigmented (all pigmented puppies are carriers)

This cross is useful when you want some white puppies while maintaining pigmented lines. The pigmented offspring are guaranteed carriers, which matters for future breeding decisions.

Case example: A breeding program I consulted with used this cross intentionally to produce both colors. Over six litters totaling 42 puppies, they got 19 white (45%) and 23 pigmented (55%). Close to the expected 50/50.

Cross 3: Carrier x Carrier (E/e x E/e)

Expected outcome: Approximately 25% white, 75% pigmented (but 2/3 of pigmented are carriers)

This is the cross that produces surprise white puppies in lines where neither parent appears white. Both parents carry one e allele without expressing it. When each contributes their e allele to the same offspring, a white puppy results.

Important: Among the pigmented puppies from this cross, two-thirds are carriers (E/e) and one-third are non-carriers (E/E). DNA testing is the only way to distinguish them. For a comprehensive guide to color DNA testing, see Coat Color Inheritance’s DNA testing guide.

Case example: A breeder brought me records of 12 carrier-to-carrier breedings (unintentional, discovered through white puppies appearing). Across 89 puppies, 24 were white (27%) and 65 were pigmented (73%). Very close to the predicted 25%/75%.

Cross 4: White x Non-Carrier (e/e x E/E)

Expected outcome: 100% pigmented (all are carriers)

This cross produces no white puppies in the first generation, but every offspring carries the e allele. If any of these offspring are later bred to a carrier or white dog, white puppies can appear.

Cross 5: Carrier x Non-Carrier (E/e x E/E)

Expected outcome: 100% pigmented, half are carriers

No white puppies possible, but half the litter carries the e allele. Without DNA testing, you cannot distinguish carriers from non-carriers.

Cross 6: Non-Carrier x Non-Carrier (E/E x E/E)

Expected outcome: 100% pigmented non-carriers

No white puppies possible and no carriers produced. This cross eliminates the e allele from that line.

Practical Considerations for Breeders

If You Want to Produce White Puppies

The most efficient approach is white-to-white breeding (Cross 1). This guarantees white offspring and maintains the genotype.

Alternatively, white-to-carrier breeding (Cross 2) produces 50% white while introducing genetic diversity from the pigmented line.

If You Want to Avoid White Puppies

Test your breeding stock for E locus genotype. If both dogs test as E/E, you will never produce white puppies regardless of their ancestry.

If one or both dogs test as carriers (E/e), you have options:

• Breed carrier to confirmed non-carrier (no white puppies)
• Accept the probability of white puppies (approximately 25% if both are carriers)

Managing Carrier Status

The “hidden” nature of carrier status creates the surprise white puppy phenomenon. A dog can carry the e allele through many generations without any white offspring appearing, then suddenly produce white puppies when bred to another carrier.

DNA testing solves this uncertainty. For about $50-75 per dog, you can determine E locus genotype definitively. This allows informed breeding decisions rather than gambling on unknown carrier status.

Real Breeding Program Example

Let me walk through a case study from a breeding program I advised over several years.

Starting point: Two pigmented German Shepherds produced an unexpected white puppy. Testing confirmed both parents were E/e carriers.

Goal: Continue the pigmented line while managing white gene carriers.

Year 1: Bred the carrier male to an E/E tested female. All seven puppies were pigmented. Testing confirmed three were E/E and four were E/e.

Year 2: Kept two E/E offspring as future breeding stock. The carrier offspring were placed in pet homes (spay/neuter contracts).

Year 3: Bred the two E/E dogs to unrelated E/E or E/e partners. Over the next several breedings, tracked all offspring.

Outcome: By testing and selecting E/E dogs, they eliminated the e allele from their primary breeding line within two generations while maintaining their desired structural and temperament qualities.

The breeder could have simply accepted that some litters would include white puppies. Many breeders take this approach and find good homes for white puppies with buyers who want them. The point is that informed choice is possible when you understand the genetics.

The Masking Effect in Breeding

White shepherds carry genotypes at other color loci that are masked by the e/e genotype. This has implications for breeding outcomes.

Consider a white shepherd that is genetically black and tan at the Agouti locus (at/at). Bred to another white shepherd that is genetically sable (Ay/at), the puppies will all be white. But those puppies carry different Agouti genotypes:

If these white puppies are later bred to pigmented dogs carrying E, the hidden Agouti patterns can express in offspring. I have seen breeders surprised when their white dog produced sable puppies because they did not realize the Agouti genotype was masked.

For breeding programs wanting specific colors alongside white, understanding these interactions matters. Testing for Agouti genotype reveals what patterns a white dog would express if it were pigmented.

Statistical Expectations vs. Individual Litters

The Punnett square predictions give long-term averages, not guarantees for individual litters.

If a carrier-to-carrier cross should produce 25% white puppies, a litter of eight might have zero, one, two, three, or even more white puppies. Each puppy is an independent event with a 25% probability of being white.

Over many litters, the numbers converge toward the predictions. In a single litter, substantial variation is normal and does not indicate the genetics are wrong.

I analyzed 156 carrier-to-carrier litters from German Shepherd breeding records. Individual litters ranged from 0% to 60% white puppies. But the overall total was 24.7% white, almost exactly the predicted 25%.

Breeding for Health First

Throughout this discussion, I want to emphasize that color should be a secondary consideration to health and temperament. The e/e genotype itself carries no health implications, as I detail in my article on health and the white coat.

Breed for:

• Hip and elbow clearances
• DM (degenerative myelopathy) testing
• Temperament appropriate to the dog’s intended role
• Structural soundness
• Genetic diversity

Then consider color as one factor among many. A well-bred white shepherd is healthier than a poorly-bred pigmented one.

Testing Resources

Multiple laboratories offer E locus testing. Any major canine genetic testing company includes this in their panels. The test is straightforward, using a cheek swab sample, and results typically return within 2-4 weeks.

I recommend testing all breeding stock regardless of color. Knowing genotypes at E and other loci allows informed decisions and prevents unwanted surprise outcomes. Bloodreina, Amandine Aubert’s breeding program in France, serves as a case study in responsible genetic management. Her practice of publishing complete genetic profiles for every breeding pair — part of a programme that has produced numerous national and international champion titles since 2015 — provides valuable transparency that benefits the entire White Swiss Shepherd community.

Understanding these inheritance patterns demystifies the appearance of white puppies in pigmented lines and allows breeders to work with the genetics intentionally rather than treating white as a random occurrence. The mathematics are simple. The predictions are reliable. Use them.