# Black stripe down back?



## sedodsworth (9 mo ago)

Hello everyone, my dog is only half shepherd (as you will notice in the pictures). But I'm just looking for some insight as her personality and energy seem to be all shepherd. When we rescued her 2.5 years ago we didn't know what the dad was but now know he was a shepherd of _some _kind (we just don't know which). Anyway she was completely black when we got her as a puppy and I know most dogs' coats change a lot but I thought by 2.5 years it would have mostly stopped changing. She developed a sable double coat on her sides but on her chest and back is completely different fur. And the stripe down her back has gotten super defined. And is a completely different type of fur to the rest of her. Long and wiry and just one layer where as everywhere else is short, very soft, and double coat sable look. Is this normal for shepherds? I'm not concerned with the way she looks, I think she is beautiful (we call it her 'racing stripe') I'm just curious. Sorry for the not great quality of the pictures, she is very rarely standing still. Puppy pic added to show how much her coat has changed.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

have you done an Embark panel?


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## BigOzzy2018 (Jan 27, 2018)

All I can say is what a beautiful dog. She looks more like a Mal. Did you do a DNA test to see what her breed is? Would love to know.


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## Buckelke (Sep 4, 2019)

First thing I thought of seeing the photos is you've got some Rhodesian Ridgeback in there. photo (note the shape)








They have a ridge of hair down their backs that is growing different than the rest:









Obviously there is some similarity there. But the only way to know for sure is a DNA test. We use Embark and have been more than satisfied with the results. They can tell you all the breeds in your dog. I also agree with Big Ozzy that your dog appears to have some Malinois in it. Whatever he turns out to be, he is a beautiful dog.


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## Honey Maid (Dec 25, 2020)

I have no idea, but she sure is striking! What a beautiful dog!


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

Some Dane perhaps?


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## sedodsworth (9 mo ago)

Jax08 said:


> have you done an Embark panel?


We did Embark and WisdomPanel. Both came back saying she is Staffy/GSD. Based on her temperment and coloring we think the dad might have been a malinois. I dont know how accurate they are but given the research I've done on breed personalities and the opinion of the trainers we've worked with, malinois fits much better than GSD. But we'll never know for sure.


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

She is what Embark told you she is. They are extremely accurate.


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## sedodsworth (9 mo ago)

BigOzzy2018 said:


> All I can say is what a beautiful dog. She looks more like a Mal. Did you do a DNA test to see what her breed is? Would love to know.


A lot of trainers we worked with assumed she was mal. Two DNA tests came back GSD/Staffy mix. The staffy part is true, we met the mother, but mal feels more accurate than GSD given her personality and temperment. But we will never know for sure, I suppose.


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

sedodsworth said:


> We did Embark and WisdomPanel. Both came back saying she is Staffy/GSD. Based on her temperment and coloring we think the dad might have been a malinois. I dont know how accurate they are but given the research I've done on breed personalities and the opinion of the trainers we've worked with, malinois fits much better than GSD. But we'll never know for sure.


50% GSD 50% Staffie??


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## drparker151 (Apr 10, 2020)

A high drive working line GSD could very easily seem like a Mal. Embark is very accurate, if two tests say GSD, then GSD it is.


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## sedodsworth (9 mo ago)

Fodder said:


> 50% GSD 50% Staffie??


So looks like the results have changed since I last looked (they told me that was normal. As their pool increases and they get more data, our results can change based on a larger information base). These are the current results. For my purposes (not a breeder, not for dog show purposes, etc) I know she is absolutely a mutt to most people. There is no purebred anything in her and I totally understand that. I'm just super intrigued by her and want to understand as much as I can to be the best owner I can be for her.


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## sedodsworth (9 mo ago)

drparker151 said:


> A high drive working line GSD could very easily seem like a Mal. Embark is very accurate, if two tests say GSD, then GSD it is.


She is...a very intense dog. If I could sum up her personality in one word that word would be "extreme". I was not ready for this dog haha. Extreme obsession with me. Extreme anxiety. Extremely vocal. Extremely energetic. Extremly protective of me. Extreme pray drive. All this despite many hours and $$$ in down training. I've heard that GSDs can be like that as well but that it is less common. However I was always hesitant to say she is part mal because both tests definitely said GSD and Malinois is a result you can get but she didnt get that.


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

Work with the dog in front of you rather than trying to analyze her personality by genetics. With less than 50% of any one breed, you aren't going to find a predominant breed behavior. German Shepherds can definitely be extreme. She has such a unique look. Use her strengths when you train. Intense can make her very successful in various types of training.


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## sedodsworth (9 mo ago)

LuvShepherds said:


> Work with the dog in front of you rather than trying to analyze her personality by genetics. With less than 50% of any one breed, you aren't going to find a predominant breed behavior. German Shepherds can definitely be extreme. She has such a unique look. Use her strengths when you train. Intense can make her very successful in various types of training.


Oh yes don't worry, her individual personality and needs are what comes first and she has come a long long way and I am so proud of her. This was more of a side quest on my part. Driven by curiosity more than anything else. This dog has changed my life and I have done everything I can to understand her needs and I am constantly researching new ways to work with her and enrich her life (after all, she had no choice in who adopted her). While I am fascinated by what genetics may or may not contribute to her behavioral issues, it wont affect how I approach her or her training in the future. ❤


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

she’s very similar in body type to my friends 1yr old pit x gsd x husky…








her color is likely being drawn from her husky heritage… as another friend has a great dane x malamute who she resembles as well. he’s 12 in this photo so his coloring is a bit washed out…only pic i had handy.









you should also be able to look up her color genetics on wisdom.

as far as coat texture - it is what it is and can’t always be explained. my dog is a gsd x mal x acd and by touch, doesn’t have the exact coat type of any of the three.


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## CKMunday (10 mo ago)

My pup is a working line GSD and also has a ‘racing stripe’


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## Dunkirk (May 7, 2015)

sedodsworth said:


> Oh yes don't worry, her individual personality and needs are what comes first and she has come a long long way and I am so proud of her. This was more of a side quest on my part. Driven by curiosity more than anything else. This dog has changed my life and *I have done everything I can to understand her needs and I am constantly researching new ways to work with her and enrich her life* (after all, she had no choice in who adopted her). While I am fascinated by what genetics may or may not contribute to her behavioral issues, it wont affect how I approach her or her training in the future. ❤



Thank you, I wish everyone did this.


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

CKMunday said:


> My pup is a working line GSD and also has a ‘racing stripe’
> View attachment 586814


sable puppy color progression trait… it goes away/blends once the adult coat comes in, OP’s dog is 2.5yrs


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## sedodsworth (9 mo ago)

Fodder said:


> she’s very similar in body type to my friends 1yr old pit x gsd x husky…
> View attachment 586809
> 
> her color is likely being drawn from her husky heritage… as another friend has a great dane x malamute who she resembles as well. he’s 12 in this photo so his coloring is a bit less defined…only pic i had handy.
> ...


 Wow, what a beautiful dog! I definitely see the similarities!


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## Honey Maid (Dec 25, 2020)

WNGD said:


> Some Dane perhaps?


That was my first thought also, when I enlarged that first picture.


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## Honey Maid (Dec 25, 2020)

sedodsworth said:


> So looks like the results have changed since I last looked (they told me that was normal. As their pool increases and they get more data, our results can change based on a larger information base). These are the current results. For my purposes (not a breeder, not for dog show purposes, etc) I know she is absolutely a mutt to most people. There is no purebred anything in her and I totally understand that. I'm just super intrigued by her and want to understand as much as I can to be the best owner I can be for her.
> View attachment 586793
> 
> View attachment 586794


Okay, I'm officially confused, I do know what an American Staffordshire Terrier is. I know what an English Staffordshire Terrier is, AKA: Staffordshire Bull Terrier, but what is an American Pit Bull Terrier??


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## sedodsworth (9 mo ago)

Honey Maid said:


> Okay, I'm officially confused, I do know what an American Staffordshire Terrier is. I know what an English Staffordshire Terrier is, AKA: Staffordshire Bull Terrier, but what is an American Pit Bull Terrier??


It's just a standard pitbull.


Honey Maid said:


> Okay, I'm officially confused, I do know what an American Staffordshire Terrier is. I know what an English Staffordshire Terrier is, AKA: Staffordshire Bull Terrier, but what is an American Pit Bull Terrier??











Honestly the staffies all look the same to me. Pitbulls are a bit taller/bigger, personally I think they are beautiful and striking dogs. IMO Staffies are like the pocket sized version of pitbulls haha. But again, I am no breeder and don't pretend to have any useful knowledge about telling breeds apart. This is why I'm not sure how accurate DNA tests are when you get in to such diverse mixes of genes, especially terriers that are all so similar. I've been going with she's a pitbull/shepherd mix when anyone asks because everyone knows what those are.

This is another pic of her face on, where you can definitely see the staffy/pitbull in the shape of her face/head


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## sedodsworth (9 mo ago)

Honey Maid said:


> That was my first thought also, when I enlarged that first picture.


I don't think so. No mention of dane in either DNA test and she is a very small little lady. About 40lbs. Her mama was a tiny little staffy.


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

We tend to say that a high content mix has the behavior of the predominate breed, but even then it’s not always the case. My mixed dog is purebred GSD on one side and part GSD on the other, and looks like a small purebred, so people assumed she would behave more like a GSD. She doesn’t. I can see behaviors that are more common in the less represented breeds.


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## BlueYonder (9 mo ago)

Your dog looks like it has the pattern Seal. Seal is believed to be a broken dominant black, so it reveals whatever color the dog has underneath that solid black should have hidden, but since it has been broken by Seal it's making the black slightly transparent. Underneath your dog looks to be sable (Ay sable, not agouti "sable") with an extended mask causing the black legs (what mals have)
Seal is quite common in staffies and can also occur in German shepherds.



Dog Coat Colour Genetics


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## tim_s_adams (Aug 9, 2017)

Are there any smaller, slender dogs in the mix further down? Pit/GSD/Huskie/Rotti etc., just don't seem to fully account for her body shape...


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## sedodsworth (9 mo ago)

tim_s_adams said:


> Are there any smaller, slender dogs in the mix further down? Pit/GSD/Huskie/Rotti etc., just don't seem to fully account for her body shape...


No the last 7% just said Super Mutt. Which means its so mixed up they cant distinguish anything definative. Her mom was a tiny little thing tho. The smallest Staffy (or whatever mix she was) I've ever seen. I assume she gets most of her small size from her. But siberian huskies are actually quite small as well. Yeah I dunno, she is a little enigma for sure hahaha









Here's another side pic of her. I think people assume mal cause she has the black feet/face. Well that, and her psychotic energy.


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

Mals have that slender body shape but their heads are narrower.


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

Not sure if the age difference, but she has a very different appearance in the updated photos…. and yes, the staffie is very apparent.

The pit x gsd x husky i posted earlier is 43lbs…. different face structure tho. i believe her pit % was in the 40’s.


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## finn'smom (Oct 4, 2019)

She is stunning!!


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## dracosmom22 (4 mo ago)

sedodsworth said:


> Hello everyone, my dog is only half shepherd (as you will notice in the pictures). But I'm just looking for some insight as her personality and energy seem to be all shepherd. When we rescued her 2.5 years ago we didn't know what the dad was but now know he was a shepherd of _some _kind (we just don't know which). Anyway she was completely black when we got her as a puppy and I know most dogs' coats change a lot but I thought by 2.5 years it would have mostly stopped changing. She developed a sable double coat on her sides but on her chest and back is completely different fur. And the stripe down her back has gotten super defined. And is a completely different type of fur to the rest of her. Long and wiry and just one layer where as everywhere else is short, very soft, and double coat sable look. Is this normal for shepherds? I'm not concerned with the way she looks, I think she is beautiful (we call it her 'racing stripe') I'm just curious. Sorry for the not great quality of the pictures, she is very rarely standing still. Puppy pic added to show how much her coat has changed.
> 
> 
> View attachment 586772
> ...


 our puppy is 10 weeks old and has this exact coat with one brown eye and one blue eye! All we know is that his mom is a german shepherd husky mix and we don’t know what the dad is. Are GSD’s the only ones with these coats?


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