# What color coat will my dog be?



## rarerare37 (May 6, 2012)

Our 6 month old female has been changing color lately. We thought she was going to be a black and tank but now are thinking she may be sable. What do you guys think? Most of the sable puppies I've seen have been born sable. She looks like she's turning into a sable.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

sables are born not made -- you can't turn in to one -- your dog is a black and tan who has fading pigment - looks like she has some white on her feet and white nails .


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## rarerare37 (May 6, 2012)

Her nails are black and legs/feet are tan not white.


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## Konotashi (Jan 11, 2010)

Black/Tan. 

You can tell when a GSD is going to be sable the moment they're born. Black/tan puppies have a lot of black with some tan on their chest/legs/face with it eventually fading to b/t, and sables have a stripe down their back, then change colors every other day. LOL


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## rarerare37 (May 6, 2012)

Here's a picture of one paw where the sun isn't making it look faded. Here's another picture of her coat but closer. You can see how it's black then tan and then black again at the tip. I haven't seen any regular black/tan dogs who look like this. Is she a black/tan without a saddle?


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

still you can not turn in to a sable .
This dog has a lot of "bright points" , the white on her chest , sorry still seeing white nails which you can see in picture #2 . The nails aren't "white" but light grey or greyish white probably with a stripe running through it.
Pigment is not strong --- as she ages there will be less black over her ribs . 
She looks like a nice dog


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

got pictures of her as a baby


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## Konotashi (Jan 11, 2010)

I've seen that type of banding on several GSDs. She could be developing a bitch stripe.


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## rarerare37 (May 6, 2012)

Her nails are jet black, it must be the light reflecting or something. We were just wondering what other people thought. It doesn't matter to us what she ends up looking like and she is registered as a blk/tan anyway.


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## Konotashi (Jan 11, 2010)

Scroll to the bottom - that's a good example of a bitch stripe. 

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/general-information/124428-black-tan-silver.html


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## rarerare37 (May 6, 2012)

Ok I see what you mean. 
And I tried to put up some pictures of her at nine weeks when we got her but for some reason it's not letting me upload them. She was very dark when we got her and all of the brown on her shoulders, hips, chest and stomach wasn't there. The brown has been invading for a few months now. I was hoping she would stay dark but I see her fur has a mind of its own and she still looks pretty anyway! Haha thanks for the help.


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## Konotashi (Jan 11, 2010)

I think there's a thread on here somewhere where everyone put pics of their dog as a puppy and then as an adult. Every black and tan started out very dark, then it faded into a saddle.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Konotashi said:


> Scroll to the bottom - that's a good example of a bitch stripe.
> 
> http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/general-information/124428-black-tan-silver.html


Very informative, this is what my dog has and I didn't know what was going on, it starts just past the ears, gets somewhat stronger at the shoulder, stops, starts again and their are wisps of it along her back...is there a reason that some dogs get it and others don't?


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

llombardo said:


> Very informative, this is what my dog has and I didn't know what was going on, it starts just past the ears, gets somewhat stronger at the shoulder, stops, starts again and their are wisps of it along her back...is there a reason that some dogs get it and others don't?


It's genetic. Most WGSL females have a bitch stripe, some more than others. My working line female does not have a stripe, just a little patch at the withers.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Freestep said:


> It's genetic. Most WGSL females have a bitch stripe, some more than others. My working line female does not have a stripe, just a little patch at the withers.


Sorry about all the questions(I learn something new everyday), do American lines have this or can they? I'm just wondering because I don't really know what line my dog is


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

bitch stripe - colour paling , fading pigment, very common to ancestors of Canto Wienerau.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

carmspack said:


> bitch stripe - colour paling , fading pigment, very common to ancestors of Canto Wienerau.


Now I just have to find something in English


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