# puppy color dilemma



## pr3dict (May 12, 2014)

Hi all,

First I would like to say please don't judge me too harshly as I am just trying to find what type of puppy would best for me.

I am planned to go pickup my first ever puppy in less then 2 weeks and it has been a journey I have planned for the past 4-5 months. 

Originally I put in a deposit for a male puppy (I wanted sable but color was not something that was guaranteed) 

After the puppies were born there were not enough males to go around and a few females were sable and a few were jet black. 

After some discussion with a few people and my breeder we decided a female would not be the end of the world and either gender would be a great companion for me. 

Now, after the temperament training I have been matched with a jet black female which was the total opposite of what I originally planned for. Now, I can say that the puppies are all beautiful but for some reason (maybe because the sables are more photogenic) I can't help but keep picturing myself with a sable puppy...

The puppies parents are of GREAT quality and the breeder is top notch. I just can't stop but think that my drive for a puppy is overpowering what I will be happy with. 

Can anyone weigh in on the situation as I am having a hard time making a decision. 

Thanks.


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## WVGSD (Nov 28, 2006)

My gut says that you need to wait until you find what you are looking for because, I am afraid that you will never be happy with this puppy. You mention that you have now been matched with a puppythat is the opposite of what you wanted. To me, this sounds like a recipe for disaster and I am afraid that the puppy will be the big loser in the end.


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

WVGSD said:


> My gut says that you need to wait until you find what you are looking for because, I am afraid that you will never be happy with this puppy. You mention that you have now been matched with a puppythat is the opposite of what you wanted. To me, this sounds like a recipe for disaster and I am afraid that the puppy will be the big loser in the end.


I agree with this ^^^^^ completely!

If you don't want a black puppy then don't get it! (Although blacks are the best! :wub


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## Bob_McBob (Nov 15, 2012)

This is a really individual decision. If you don't want a black puppy, then don't get a black puppy. You can find exactly what you want if you wait long enough. I've had all the various coat colourings over the years, and I think they all look great. I'm way more concerned about temperament and health. I would have been happy to get matched with almost any puppy my breeder selected.


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## Nigel (Jul 10, 2012)

I didn't think I would care to own a "coatie" but we now have two, one sable, the other some variation of black and tan. The thing I've noticed is once I've got to know them, their personality, quirks and all that, I don't even think about the way they look, I just see Ranger and Ollie. I wouldnt make too many concessions if it matters that much to you, but its easy to move beyond looks once you work, play and live with it.


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## My2shepherds (Jun 10, 2014)

In my opinion, if you need to ask advice about whether a pup is right for you from other people then I would say it is not the right pup.  Keep looking... I am sure you will find the perfect pup for you..


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## Shade (Feb 20, 2012)

Delgado was the only bicolour in a little of sables. I wanted a sable SO badly and honestly didn't even look at him when I visited the first time. The second visit the litter was 5 weeks old and the breeder pointed out three pups she was considering for me and the bicolour was one of them, I held and played with each one and one of the sable pups I discarded in my mind which left me with the other two. They were both identical in temperament at the visit and the only difference was the colouring. 

I spent the next two weeks thinking hard about those two puppies and weighing my options. One was exactly what I liked in all aspects and the other was everything except for the right colour. At the 7 week mark I visited again and we took the litter outside to play in the yard. The bicolour ran around with the siblings here and there but always was one of the first to obey the recall and kept trying to engage me with eye contact and physical contact multiple times. The more I looked at him the more I fell in love with what was inside him.

The breeder and I talked about both pups but neither of us committed to one in particular as the breeder hadn't officially tested them yet. At this point I officially changed my mind and the bicolour became my favourite of the puppies though I knew whichever puppy I had would be a good match. A few days after the visit she sent me three photos of the bicolour with the caption "Luka (puppy name) says hi" and I wasn't sure if that was a sign or not so I sent back a positive note and hoped for the best. When I arrived at 9 weeks to pick him up I still wasn't positive which dog I would be getting and when she came around the corner with the bicolour in her arms my heart just sang

If you asked me at any point up to the 5th week mark whether I would be content with a bicolour I would have hesitated or even said no. Delgado won me over and now bicolours are officially my favourite even trumping sables though they are a close second 


In the end it's your decision to make, don't get a puppy for the sake of getting A puppy. If you don't believe she would be a good fit then I would back away, but if you trust the breeder and would be willing to overlook the coat colour you may find a wonderful dog underneath that you would be heartbroken to live without.

Either way you are not a bad person and it's not an easy choice, go with the one that feels best

Just my two cents


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

If you don't want a black puppy, don't get the puppy. However if the sables are not a good match for you, be prepared to wait for another litter.


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## pr3dict (May 12, 2014)

Thank you everyone for your thoughtful and informative replies. I really liked what everyone had to say and I am obviously still unsure.

One thing is for certain and that is I believe temperament and health are definitely the top of my priority list. I have not gone to see any of the pups yet as they are almost 10 hours away from where I am but I have the feeling once I do go see her I will fall in love.

I always make the best of any situation I have, its the kind of person I have, but as it is still in my control now I obviously am scrutinizing every thought. In the end, whatever decision I make will be my own and it will have been the right decision. Everything leading up to it is where it is eh...

Some of you say that if I want x and y puppy I should get what I want but I don't know if its that simple. Even though we can essentially pick whatever kind of dog we want its almost like having a kid and I feel we should love it for whatever color/type it is. 

I think this thread was more of a channel to express myself to some other dog owners. 

On the pros, the puppy parents are super dogs that have proven great litters before and are healthy as can be. their temperaments are perfect for me and so have their litters.. The breeder is greatly reviewed and has been amazing with all questions I have asked. 

On the cons, I am afraid that when the puppy gets older people will think because its a big dark black dog that it is scary. from what I can tell in photos the multi-color/sable GS's are more defined with their features. I've never seen a full black german shepherd in the flesh. 

Things to consider:

I already have put a multi-hundred dollar deposit that I could lose if I choose not to take the puppy (I signed an agreement that didnt have color could not be a determining factor)
I believe the summer would be a great time to raise a new puppy
I believe I will love whatever I am presented with because it will be mine


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## Bob_McBob (Nov 15, 2012)

pr3dict said:


> On the cons, I am afraid that when the puppy gets older people will think because its a big dark black dog that it is scary. from what I can tell in photos the multi-color/sable GS's are more defined with their features. I've never seen a full black german shepherd in the flesh.


If it makes you feel any better, people frequently asked me if the dog in my avatar was a black lab. Now I have a dark sable and they ask if he's a wolf dog.


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## blackshep (Aug 3, 2012)

It's not the end of the world to hold out for the colour you want, but having said that, I ended up with a black female, when I had my eye on the sable. I was IN LOVE with the sable.

I adore my jet black GSD. People are always commenting on her, and have no idea they come in black, so she's quite the conversation piece  and I think sometimes things happen for a reason. If you really like the breeding, I personally would not get too hung up on the colour, but that's just me.

A good dog is never a bad colour, as they say.

PS. People tend to think ALL GSD's are big scary dogs, so the colour probably wont' factor into that so much. I had someone ask me if my dog was a wolf, I've also been complimented on my beautiful Lab x Husky cross. lol I think my dog is gorgeous, I never liked the black GSD's until I got mine, now I think they are the best. Once you go...ok, I won't go there.


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

blackshep said:


> PS. People tend to think ALL GSD's are big scary dogs, so the colour probably wont' factor into that so much. I had someone ask me if my dog was a wolf, I've also been complimented on my beautiful Lab x Husky cross. lol I think my dog is gorgeous, I never liked the black GSD's until I got mine, now I think they are the best. Once you go...ok, I won't go there.


I get the black lab comment or the wolf comment all the time. 

You are also correct, blacks are the best and once you go............. lol. I will most likely always have a black male GSD.


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## Atika (Jun 10, 2014)

pr3dict said:


> On the cons, I am afraid that when the puppy gets older people will think because its a big dark black dog that it is scary. from what I can tell in photos the multi-color/sable GS's are more defined with their features. I've never seen a full black german shepherd in the flesh.


I had an Akita everyone would pull their children from because she looked "wolfy". She was the sweetest, most gentle dog I have ever had. I think you should be prepared for a little of that no matter what color you end up with. You can look at AlpineK9 website to see how the sable changes over time. I think the sables look just as "menacing" to people that have that fear of large dogs.


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