# my puppy's coat color



## totono7 (Jan 22, 2009)

Hi, my 8 week old german shepherd's coat is not an intense black like his siblings but more of a dark grey. Can anyone with expertise in the area guess what the color will be like when he grows up? Is this considered a fault? Here are some pics. Thanks in advance!


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## VectorSketcher (Jul 20, 2008)

Adorable pup! I am no expert with coat colorings, but I do know that their coats change considerably as they get older, my 3yr old GSD is a bi-color and when he was younger he had alot of little grey hairs in his coat, now that he has grown he is very dark, just his undercoat has the little greyish/white hairs. I think it is hard to tell what coat they will grow up to have though.


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## emjworks05 (May 30, 2008)

Im no expert either but he does look black to me.


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## Amaruq (Aug 29, 2001)

I cant really tell from the pictures but is his nose and toes a true black or more of a gray/blue? The lighting is not the best in the pictures but it is possible that your pup is a blue dilute or he will have very weak pigment.


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## pupresq (Dec 2, 2005)

My guess would be predominately tan as an adult.


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## Elaine (Sep 10, 2006)

My best guess is he's going to be a very light black and tan with a lot of grey/silver.


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## DHau (Feb 24, 2007)

Have you seen the parents? What do they look like?


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## totono7 (Jan 22, 2009)

Hi all, thanks for your comments. I don't think he is a blue since his eyes are dark and his nose looks black to me. Here are some pics of the parents, i guess they are both predominantly tan. Dad top, mom bottom.


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## Chris Wild (Dec 14, 2001)

Looks like a black and tan to me.







As is normal for black and tan pups, as he matures the black will receed and his markings will become smaller. When an adult, he'll be a lighter black and tan. Probably very similar to his parents, or perhaps a bit lighter (more tan, less black than they have).


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## totono7 (Jan 22, 2009)

Thanks again,
Chris, so would you consider him a "light" black and tan? Does light refer to the intensity of his coat or to the proportion of coat/ground he will have as an adult?


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## Chris Wild (Dec 14, 2001)

My use of the word light refers to to ratio of tan ground to black markings. So a "light" dog would be one mostly tan with smaller black markings, and a "dark" one would have more extensive black markings.


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## rokanhaus (Mar 20, 2006)

Yes, I also agree he will be more like his parents, more tan than black. If your pup is 8 weeks old, his black may be dull looking due to it is just his puppy coat. I have had solid black pups look reddish or brown until they shed that puppy fuzz and then the jet black coat comes back. My sable pup right now, 10.5 weeks old, has a his black strip down his back looking more grey as he is shedding his puppy fuzz and getting ready to grow in his "man hair".


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## jimmym1981 (Dec 5, 2008)

looks blackish tan to me also...The coat changes as the loose their coat, so i would say wait and see. i think he will end up a beautiful boy no matter what!!


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## totono7 (Jan 22, 2009)

thanks for all the comments, ill wait until he sheds all that puppy fur to see what comes underneath. I don't mind that he is more tan than black overall, like his dad, I just prefer that his black parts are dark.
BTW, what do you think about the parents? I'm new to the breed so I am always interested on what more knowledgeable people have to say, feel free to be critical. 
If I am not mistaken, they are both from the German line, since the pedigree states that Oliver's (my pup) grandparents are German.


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## Chris Wild (Dec 14, 2001)

His parents look from the pictures to be German show lines.









Do you have pedigrees of them that you can post? That would be more helpful if you'd like comments about them. Some people here may know them or their relatives or general bloodlines.


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## totono7 (Jan 22, 2009)

Thanks Chris Wild,
this is what I found on the database.
Mom's pedigree is http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/gsd/pedigree/505893.html here.
From the Dad Side its a little trickier. I have a full pedigree from the dad's side its just not registered on the database. My pups Granddad's from dad's side pedigree is http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/gsd/pedigree/368786.html here.
Grandmom's pedigree from dads side is missing on the databse, but that dog's dad is here http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/gsd/pedigree/350704.html .
Hope that helps to give me an idea of Oliver's past


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## Chris Wild (Dec 14, 2001)

Yup, German show lines.


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