2

Just curious to know (I also need this piece of info for writing my novel).

So, can a German Shepherd (classic-looking fur coat) give birth to four identical German Shepherd puppies that look just like their mom, but then, her last one is a white German Shepherd puppy. Is that possible? If it is possible, is it likely that the mother would neglect the oddball puppy?

Improve this question
2
  • 2
    I don’t know much about dog genetics, but the parents could carry the albinism gene. google.com/amp/s/amp.hillspet.com/dog-care/behavior-appearance/…
    – Gwendolyn
    Commented Dec 3, 2020 at 23:35
  • 1
    You can see if it is albinism at the color of the skin and the eyes. Albinism means in simple words "lack of all colors" which is not only the fur. Skin will be pink (because of the red blood in it) and eyes would be red or blue (depending of the animals species and the structure of the eye).
    – Allerleirauh
    Commented Dec 4, 2020 at 9:19

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
3

Yes it is possible! Not common, but it CAN happen.

The white coloring happens because of a recessive gene that can be hidden for several generations before making an appearance. Both parents must carry the white gene to produce white German Shepherd puppies.

It is very possible that two "normal colored" German Shepherds (carrying the white gene) can produce white puppies in a litter of black and tans or sables, etc.

A white German Shepherd is not albino, and should also have both dark eyes with a black nose and lips. White is also considered a "masking" gene which covers up the dog's true color, although it does not affect skin pigment. This is why "white" German Shepherds often have a cream or blond tint to their solid white coat.

Improve this answer
1
  • Albinism and leucism are also possible in dogs, though very rare. Both result in a white color due to lack of certain fur/skin pigments, and both are recessive genes, I believe. Albinism has other medical problems associated with it (I'm not sure about leucism), which theoretically might lead to the mother rejecting the puppy, as mother dogs are more likely to reject puppies that are unhealthy, though I've never heard of this happening in real life, but that could just be because albino and leucistic dogs are rare to begin with.
    – Kai
    Commented Dec 5, 2020 at 16:42
1

Possibly you're just seeing a case in which different puppies in the same litter have different fathers. This is called superfecundation, and dogs' reproductive biology tends to make it happen fairly often, because dogs (unlike wolves) mate promiscuously, and ovulation is not triggered by mating, as it is in cats.

It's also possible that this is just a recessive gene.

Improve this answer

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.