# Light puppy will color darken?



## BabyBruno

*Light puppy will color darken?*

Hi, we're looking at adding to our crew and the puppy we're considering is a light golden tan color with a black muzzle. He has very liitle black on his body. We were told that he would darken as he gets older. His parents are both black saddle or sable lookng. What do you think? Will he darken? Oh yeah, He is 8 weeks old. I've seen progression pics of sables on here, but our pup is much lighter than those posted. If anyone has pics of progresion of light pups, Please post. Thanks.


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## Cassidy's Mom

*Re: Light puppy will color darken?*

Is he a sable? Can you post a picture?


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## Amaruq

*Re: Light puppy will color darken?*

Sounds like the pup is most likely a sable and will darken but a picture would help.


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## kelso

*Re: Light puppy will color darken?*

yes, post pics!

If your dog is sable, there is a good chance the pup could be dark, but some are alot lighter than others. Sometimes hard to tell for a long time, they change so much.

I think you can sortof tell if they are going to be darker or not by small pup pics?!?! As the sables all seem to go through a period of lightening, then get dark again if they are "originally" darker as a pup than other sables. They all sem to get darker again, just some more than others. Then there are just those that you can tell will be "black sable." Kelso is not one of those.

Black and Tans, on the other hand, start out very dark as well but generally just lighten with age, rather than get any darker.

Kelso as a wee one



















Lighter puppy blowing coat stage










about 3yrs old


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## Kayos and Havoc

*Re: Light puppy will color darken?*

wow can hardly tell Kelso is the same dog. Gorgeous!


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## gbocrafty

*Re: Light puppy will color darken?*

Wow!! What a change in colors. Great looking dog.


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## BabyBruno

*Re: Light puppy will color darken?*

Here are some pics this morning. Sorry my good camera wasn't working so I took these with my phone. 
IMG]http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j95/GSD4ME/2.jpg[/IMG]


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## Cassidy's Mom

*Re: Light puppy will color darken?*

He's very cute, but he looks like he could be a mix. Are you sure he's a purebred?


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## Chris Wild

*Re: Light puppy will color darken?*

Adorable pup, but I agree he looks like a mix, not a purebred.


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## BlackGSD

*Re: Light puppy will color darken?*

Looks like a mix to me too. And not a sable. (Judging from the pics.) 

He looks like a fawn. (Think a "tan with black mask" Boxer, Mastiff or Great Dane as far as his color goes.) The length of his coat also looks more like the breeds I mentioned too. Doesn't like like a "baby GSD" coat. 

Either way, he sure is a cutie.


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## MaggieRoseLee

*Re: Light puppy will color darken?*

A D O R A B L E!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh my gosh, what a face!


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## mysablegsd

*Re: Light puppy will color darken?*

He looks JUST like a GSD/Pit Bull we had years ago. We called him Spud.


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## Cassidy's Mom

*Re: Light puppy will color darken?*



> Originally Posted By: BlackGSDThe length of his coat also looks more like the breeds I mentioned too. Doesn't like like a "baby GSD" coat.


That's what I was thinking too. Not just the color, but also the type of coat doesn't seem quite right for a purebred GSD. Hard to tell for sure in the pictures, but it appears to be a shorter, tighter coat, like a boxer has.


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## BabyBruno

*Re: Light puppy will color darken?*

Well, I was thinking along the same things too. Unfortunately, my husband bought him already. I called the owners and asked if there is any chance the female bred with a different dog than the one they believe to be the father. He said absolutely not and that she was confined with him and was the only match. So I really don't know what to do at this point. Especially because he is a good boy and very adorable. 
He looks a little "off" for me as far as for GSD. His coat as not as short as a boxer, not as short as a great dane for sure, but still its not as fluffy or cozy as I remember Bruno's being. Well, I guess I'll just have to wait and see what develops. I am tempted though to take him back. Though it was really our mistake for acting so rashly. 
I would rather have adopted from the shelter than buy, especially if we were not getting a pure bred. Oh well. Live and Learn I suppose.


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## Barb E

*Re: Light puppy will color darken?*

He is darling!!!
But I do agree, I don't think he's a purebred.


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## APBTLove

*Re: Light puppy will color darken?*

I see some kind of bulldog, meaning pit, staffy, or boxer, in the face and coat. All of those can have that mask as well... That doesn't matter, though, does it? If he IS mixed with pit, you MAY have dog issues in the future, but don't fret, just b prepared to rotate if you must, and he was probably mature sexually before it shows. 

I can assure you, while you may be upset about supporting an obvious BYB, you have this lovely life in your care, what does the length of his fur or the shape of his head matter? Train him up like he's a champion sired GSD and treat him all the same. Once he grows a bit more we can give a better assessment of his breeds. Could you possibly get a pic of him standing from the side, a side shot of his head, and an above shot of his head? That's the only way I can really tell.

He is beautiful, and looks like he is going to be someone special.


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## BabyBruno

*Re: Light puppy will color darken?*

Thanks, 
He is a great little guy regardless of breed. He has a GREAT temperment and is very smart. Only 1 day and he is 
"sitting" well. Plus leash walking should not be a problem later. Thanks again. I'll post more pics when I get a chance.


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## BabyBruno

*Re: Light puppy will color darken?*

You know I think I am very happy to have another little one to focus on since losing our Rosco. He is still MIA. Posters have been put up everywhere that will hold one and he is chipped, but we have heard nothing. I hope someone will find it in thier heart to return a very loved dog.


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## BowWowMeow

*Re: Light puppy will color darken?*

I knew a lot of dogs who looked like that in New Mexico!


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## mysablegsd

*Re: Light puppy will color darken?*

Found a pic of Spud, GSD x Pit Bull mix. This was many years ago.


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## BabyBruno

*Re: Light puppy will color darken?*

He does look like him. Now I have another question. I spoke to the woman in the couple that sold my DH the pup and she says that she was sure that the male GSD was the father, but she says that mistakes are possible and that she is willing to refund our money and keep the pup, or refund money and we keep him. 
I am really at a loss as far as what to do. We have had him for three days and so the attachment has grown and like I said he is a good boy. What I wanted to do was agility with our new pup, possibly even that registration with AKC to compete for dogs not eligable for AKC registration. So I'm not sure what to do. My mind says to return him and keep looking for a good solid GSD pup, but I am attached to the little guy. 
Any input?


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## BabyBruno

*Re: Light puppy will color darken?*

Plus it's not his fault.


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## JakodaCD OA

*Re: Light puppy will color darken?*

no it's not his fault,,,can I ask what you paid for him? 

If you really love him, I would most likely ask for atleast 1/2 my money back, you can still do agility with him,,akc is supposedly going to be opening up agility for mixed breeds so there ya go!

He is a cutie,


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## BowWowMeow

*Re: Light puppy will color darken?*

I would keep him and take the refund and donate it to your local gsd rescue!


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## BabyBruno

*Re: Light puppy will color darken?*

Hmm, I think I will do that. We paid $200 for him. Oh and I called the place that I wanted to go to practice and they agree, that it looks like more opportunities will be opening up for mix breeds. We have an appointment for tomorrow afternoon to start getting him-and me- familiar with stuff. Thanks for your help.


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## APBTLove

*Re: Light puppy will color darken?*

If he is a pit/GSD he should be an agility master...

Good luck with him


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## Odimus

*Re: Light puppy will color darken?*

When Freykja was about 3 months old she looked exactly like a Belgian Malinois...golden with a black nose. Her dad was dark and mom was a grey sable...they were afraid that I wouldn't want her because of her coloring...by the time she hit 4 months her grey sable self came out and she is dark...


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## BabyBruno

*Re: Light puppy will color darken?*

Interesting, well either way he is a great little guy and I can't wait to get started. Thanks everyone.


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## Justin0406

*Light color sable*

My sable is light coat as well... pics at 8 weeks are different at 11 wks


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## blackviolet

BabyBruno said:


> Well, I was thinking along the same things too. Unfortunately, my husband bought him already. He looks a little "off" for me as far as for GSD. His coat as not as short as a boxer, not as short as a great dane for sure, but still its not as fluffy or cozy as I remember Bruno's being.I would rather have adopted from the shelter than buy, especially if we were not getting a pure bred. Oh well. Live and Learn I suppose.


The same thing happened to us when we got Victor. He has very close/slick fur, not GSD fur, but not as short as a boxer's either. He's DEFINITELY not an "unpapered purebred" like they tried to say he was, but there was no way my husband was leaving him there. I would also rather have adopted a dog, but I kinda feel like we DID adopt him. I mean, we paid next to nothing, and they had the puppies in a shitty situation, so even though he definitely wasn't what we were looking for, my husband brought him home anyway, and we love him to death, although he still has issues from those people.  But who knows what they may have done with him if we hadn't taken him? He probably would have been dumped at the pound.


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## FuryanGoddess

My red sable is very light as well. As a small pup, he had a lot more black in him. At about 10 wks it ALL fell out! ALL OF IT. He was this light red, rusty color. My hubs called him pink. Said he was pink w/ a black tail.

He's now 15 wks and the black is slowly working it's way back in. I have no idea what color he will turn out to be. So, if your pup is sable, there is a chance he will darken. 

As for as being a mixed, I can't tell. The pix are kinda hard to see. Some think maybe my Murphy might be mixed, like my sister, but what the heck does she know. I'm almost convinced her GSD is a mix. White GSD my butt! 

He's heavy, 30 lbs at 15 wks. Shorter than my Zeva who is 54 lbs at 9 1/2 mos. He's hard to pick up, has a broader face and will be generally a lot bigger than her, but shorter. 

I had another female, red gsd, possibly sable and she was really boxy too. I posted pix her and they all think she was pure, but had soft ears. 

The thing is, if he acts like a GSD, well, isn't that the most important thing? If you already bonded w/ him, why get rid of him. 200 bucks for a healthy dog isn't a lot to part w/. Most shelter dogs cost that much around here and sometimes their health or temperament can be a bit off. He's a baby, you got plenty of time to train and learn him how you want him. 

What did his litter mates look like. 

Keep the dog if you love him. Forget about the 200 bucks. Think of it as paying her for cleaning up 8 wks of poop and pee and feeding him, shots, wormer... and just love your unique GSD, mixed or not!


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## Justin0406

*Sable GSD color change*

I'm glad I took picture of this lil fellow... his sable coat is changing weekly. Had I not taken pictures I would have forgotten what he looked like when he was younger. His sides have a darkened saddle pattern with black on top... His thigh and tail has darken... I miss the tan tail wth the distinct black markings. They are still there but not as distinct as once before... We got him and 8 weeks and now his 16 weeks and we are looking at a total different puppy. The only thing constant is that he still loves to chew my hand instead of his toys...


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## FuryanGoddess

Nice looking pup. I need to take a new pix of Murphy. 

He's really dark red now, almost brown and is getting some black in him. He's a good pup and darkening nicely. Every says he's cute lol.. so that's a good think. Got big feet and ears, but not as huge as Zeva's were.


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