# Puppy Colour



## Welshy23 (Dec 11, 2012)

Hello, 

soon i am about to go ahead and purchase a GSD. Now ive been doing lots of research on buying the right puppy/dealer because i know how important it is. 

What im looking for is this colour dog









But ive been doing research and ive been told that darker coloured pups change to this colour...

Now i dont know what this is called, i assumed black and tan, then i type in Sable into google and the same images come up. Im highly confused into which one will end up like the dog in that photo... I am viewing a dog tomorrow which is too dark for my taste if she stays that colour.... Could someone help me with - 

A) what is the dog in the photo, colour called?. ^
B) Will a darker pup become lighter, the breeder has stated that this beautiful female is black and tan.. will she become like/close to the photo of the older dog uptop?









This is the dog i will be viewing!

(im not just going on colour before someone says that) 

Many thanks, Sam


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## 1sttimeforgsd (Jul 29, 2010)

Black and tan, and yes the puppy will resemble the dog at the top when grown. If I am wrong will someone else please give them the right answer.


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## Welshy23 (Dec 11, 2012)

1sttimeforgsd said:


> Black and tan, and yes the puppy will resemble the dog at the top when grown. If I am wrong will someone else please give them the right answer.


Thank you for the prompt reply. 

I was just worried that it will stay that dark, i have my heart set on that beautiful gold/black colour!


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## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

The dog in the top picture is a black and tan saddle back. 

Puppy coloring is a crapshoot. It would help to see the parents of the puppy. Do you have pictures you can share or perhaps a link to the breeders website which should have pictures of the parents? The puppy in the picture is already lightening up quite a bit for it's age, so yes it will probably end up being similar to the adult dog in the photo on the top. It will definitely NOT stay as dark as it currently is. It will get significantly lighter over the next year.

How did you come across your breeder?


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## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

Welshy23 said:


> I was just worried that it will stay that dark,


 It won't.

Black and tan puppies are born very black, and lighten up a ton over the first year. For as much tan as that puppy already has, it will be very light colored as an adult with likely just the black "saddle" marking.


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## GsdLoverr729 (Jun 20, 2010)

Generally, black/tans lighten up with age. The more tan she has now, the more she will lighten up in the end.

My dog as a puppy: http://www.germanshepherds.com/foru...da-picture2898-my-mommy-say-no-more-bark.html

My dog now, two years later: http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/members/47352-gsdloverr729-albums466-dakoda-picture18074-a.html


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## Welshy23 (Dec 11, 2012)

Rerun said:


> The dog in the top picture is a black and tan saddle back.
> 
> Puppy coloring is a crapshoot. It would help to see the parents of the puppy. Do you have pictures you can share or perhaps a link to the breeders website which should have pictures of the parents? The puppy in the picture is already lightening up quite a bit for it's age, so yes it will probably end up being similar to the adult dog in the photo on the top. It will definitely NOT stay as dark as it currently is. It will get significantly lighter over the next year.
> 
> How did you come across your breeder?


The dad, the mum is completely white.

I wouldnt want the pup to be like dad, its a bit too dark! 










The breeder is just a private breeder. I know all the questions to ask and what to look for when/if i buy her!


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## SS-GSD (Dec 10, 2012)

Dad is beautiful! What does color matter so much? I'd take a good temperament, good nerved white dog (Which is my least favorite color) over an ill bred bi-color/sable (My two favorite colors) any day. I wouldn't want a basket case or dog who simply doesn't fit my family just to get a pretty color.


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## Welshy23 (Dec 11, 2012)

SS-GSD said:


> Dad is beautiful! What does color matter so much? I'd take a good temperament, good nerved white dog (Which is my least favorite color) over an ill bred bi-color/sable (My two favorite colors) any day. I wouldn't want a basket case or dog who simply doesn't fit my family just to get a pretty color.


Would you buy a car if was a colour you didnt like? 
Would you buy a house if you didnt like the town it was in? 
Would you buy a ps3 game if you didnt like the genre? 
Would you buy a heavy metal album if your into classical music?

Ive stated in my posts that ive my heart set on this colour and that i understand its more than just colour... but if the breeder is worth their salt and done things right then this puppy will be fine. My question in this thread was will the pup pictured change colour to what i would ideally want from my dog for life? Is this too much to ask?


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## SS-GSD (Dec 10, 2012)

Well none of those things are living creatures so I don't see how they can even be compared.

I guess the real question would be what if the pup is "too dark" for your taste when it grows up? What will happen to the dog? Will you like it less? Get rid of it for a new lighter colored puppy? I do agree with others that the chances are this dog will probably lighten up quite a bit but it might not lighten to the point you're looking at. Why not adopt an adult dog with the color you like so there is no chance of the dog being "to dark"?


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## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

Puppy won't be as dark as dad. The trouble with mom is that white is a recessive masking gene, which means the white is covering up her true genetic color. If you have a pedigree (registered name?) we might be able to look her up and try to determine what her true color possibilities are based on her sire/dams coloring. But either way, that pup is going to be a light colored black and tan saddle back most likely.


Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Would need to see a better photo of the puppy to compare. Just a cell phone head shot pic isn't going to be that accurate. The pup looks black and tan but how much black we cannot see without seeing the body.


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## sophia_dave101 (Jan 18, 2013)

Sometimes picking out the perfect puppy from a litter can be overwhelming, after all, they're all so adorable! But our decision should be based on more than which one has the cutest ears or the best coloring. For me i choose gold/black color as well.


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## Rosie428 (Jan 16, 2013)

Welshy23 said:


> Would you buy a car if was a colour you didnt like?
> Would you buy a house if you didnt like the town it was in?
> Would you buy a ps3 game if you didnt like the genre?
> Would you buy a heavy metal album if your into classical music?
> ...


No one is saying you can not want a certain dog. I am very into working lines and waited for the puppy that suited me best. If you want a certain color, then get that color. The puppy looks like it will lighten up quite a bit. One thing to keep in mind is that the most beautiful colored dog, with dysplastic hips and a nervy temperment, will not be so beautiful! Safe yourself heart ache and make sure that the hips/elbows have been done on the stud and bitch so at least you know basic health is covered. One thing to consider is that white shepherds are NOT considered breed standard, so if a breeder is willing to breed the do anyway, make sure they at least did the health checks. 

Color is great, but color, health, and temperment is best


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