all this talk of the correct named colours for dogs i was reminded of a question i wanted to ask. a lady came to kennels the other day with 2 gsd's one black and tan and her son a pure black. i was talking to her about the sons colour as my brother has 2 pure blacks and 1 pure white and i really like it. She then told me that she breeds gds;s and the couldnt sell the pure black as "hed gone wrong" there not true gsd's if they are not black and tan, and she wont be breeding the bitch again because of it. i didnt get into a discussion about it as ive never heard that before and no nothing on the subject other than i like the pure black/white ones. just wondered if anybody had a view on that of if this is thought to be true
The breed standard colour for the GSD is black and tan, any other than that is an undesirable colour (but desirable in the pet world). I would have thought she'd be able to sell her pups if she was a decent breeder as people like the coloured sheps I personally prefer the look of B&T GSDs but I think some of the coloureds are lovely looking.
Sorry to contradict you but this is the UK Kennel Club Standard Colour Black or black saddle with tan, or gold to light grey markings. All black, all grey, with lighter or brown markings referred to as Sables. Nose black. Light markings on chest or very pale colour on inside of legs permissible but undesirable, as are whitish nails, red-tipped tails or wishy-washy faded colours defined as lacking in pigmentation. Blues, livers, albinos, whites (i.e. almost pure white dogs with black noses) and near whites highly undesirable. Undercoat, except in all black dogs, usually grey or fawn. Colour in itself is of secondary importance having no effect on character or fitness for work. Final colour of a young dog only ascertained when outer coat has developed.
so black is in the breed standard but white is undesirable. white my fav wolf (not named by me!) looks like a big fluffy polarbear - i think hes stunning
You can in the UK show any colour or coat length GSD as there are no disqualifying causes in the UK KC breed standard. Whether or not you get placed is down to the judge on the day & their preferences I used to show an black GSD & she won a CC & Res CC at breed shows
I imagine the lady i knew with a Champion all black bitch back in the eighties would be amazed to hear this.
I've been priviliged to 'own' 2 GSDs in my lifetime. I never heard of all this colouring stuff then. They were all the same colour! The only thing I recall being told was that so called 'long haired' are not correct because the coat was not waterproof? No clue as to whether this is or was correct. But it was, in my day, just about the only variation. Short hair or long hair. I am going back some 30yrs.
I have a view. The woman obviously should not be breeding as she has evidently not read the breed standard! I am constantly amazed at the enthusiasts who have not got a clue about colours (let alone anything else) but a breeder should constantly have the breed standard tattood into their brain as a template for what they are breeding for! Of COURSE GSDs come in black, it is an acceptable colour and there are several stud dogs that I know which are black! I personally would not touch a white or cream GSD with a bargepole but that is by the by. You can take anything you like into the showring, but unless you want to waste your money, it would be pointles taking a white or cream one in.
Unfortunately this lady should never have bred a litter in the first place as she clearly doesn't know what she is talking about!
Sounds like she needs to read up on GSD colour genetics. The GSD is one of the few breeds that has a recessive black gene, meaning ANY colour GSD has the potential to produce solid blacks if they carry the gene, when bred to another carrier. She could breed her bitch to other stud dogs and possibly never throw another black. If she really wanted to be sure, she could get the potential stud dogs DNA tested to see if they carry recessive black or not.
Agree with Smokey Bear and Merlins Mum...seriously is this woman mad?? Sable is also the most dominant colour of them all and I'm pretty sure of one of the first pics ever taken of a GSD is a sable so to say they should all be black and tan is absolute rubbish!
Oops sorry misprint mind wandering should have read 50's. I remember Star, I Loved that bitch Didn't realise she was yours. She was in the ring same time as my Cariad.
Some long coats have an undercoat some don't. Long coats are starting to have classes but only ones with an undercoat. As for there not being other colours that may have been the case in Cyprus but our first show bitch Merry ws a bicolour back in the early fifties & we went to shows with Jean Miles, & her Bella Rosa of Byenroc was also a bi. Indeed they were so alike we sometimes muddled them up when looking at them through the mirror in the car. Then there were the sables. If you entered under Madelaine Pickup you prayed there were no sables in the class as she nearly always placed sables over black & golds
