What Dog Breed Is Bolt?

Bolt is one of the most beloved Disney dog characters to ever earn his own featured film. In 2008 he pranced onto the screen and captured the hearts of millions of dog lovers around the world. However, one question kept coming up…

What Dog Breed is Bolt?

Bolt is a white German Shepherd puppy. Animators took some creative license in designing his look, but the base look is German Shepherd.

Bolt was animated to have a softer look than a white German Shepherd. There is a more rounded look to the body and head that is common in animated heros (notice that villains are usually animated in sharper lines).

Disney used special software to animate the hair on Bolt to give it the most realistic look possible. There were over 200,000 hairs animated individually.

Who Voiced The Character Of Bolt?

None other than John Travolta. In fact, the voice of Bolt was recorded first and the animators styled the facial expressions and mannerisms of the pup after the way Travolta performed.

Do German Sheperds Make Good Pets?

They can make excellent companions and family protectors. However, they also have their fair share of problems due to over-breeding and poor training.

German Shepherds have been one of the most popular dog breeds for decades because of all their wonderful traits. Unfortunately, that popularity has created problems for the breed.

If you are looking to acquire a dog like Bolt, there are a few things to keep in mind:

• Research the needs of German Shepherds – how much they eat, how much they shed, etc
• Look at multiple breeders – how often are their dogs bred? How many litters per year? How clean are their facilities? Always look at the parents of the litter to evaluate if those dogs exhibit the characteristics that you want in your new puppy.
• Get Pet Insurance – in my 20 years of experience as a vet, German Shepherds are most prone to the following conditions:
  • Hip Dysplasia
  • Torn ACLs
  • Allergies (sometimes very severe ones that require constant medication)
  • Variety of auto-immune conditions including pannus and perianal fistulas
• Do you have the proper experience and temperament to own a German Shepherd? These dogs need for their owners to take charge and be firm leaders. Left to their own devices, GSDs can become anxious, fearful, and destructive.
• These are wonderful dogs when bred and raised well, but there is a lot of potential for things to go wrong.

What Is A White Swiss Sheperd?

One option to a white German Shepherd is a breed you’ve likely never heard about before. Known officially as the Berger Blanc Suisse, the White Swiss Shepherd is a newer breed of European origin. This breed has not been officially recognized by the American Kennel Club as of 2020.

The White Swiss Shepherd descends from German Shepherds. They have many of the same physical characterisistics, but decades of strict breeding of white German Shepherds produced a dog that is distinctly different.

In Europe, there is far tighter control over the breeding of the Berger Blanc Suisse. Potential stud or bitch dogs have to pass stringent tests for appearance, health, and temperament. This has allowed the emergence of a far more mellow dog that retains many of the best working characteristics of German Shepherds.