# Color breakdowns (%'s)



## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

on another gsd board a member asked approx what percent of gsd are black. i'm in the united states and came up with the following breakdowns based on my observations irl, on boards & rescues...

50% black/tan (incl b/red, b/brown, b/cream, b/silver, & bi colors)

20% sable

15% black

10% white

5% other (blue, liver, panda, fawn)

anyone have any input, objections?


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## scannergirl (Feb 17, 2008)

That's interesting since sable trumps all else. Must not be too many homozygous sables out there.


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## DancingCavy (Feb 19, 2001)

Well both showlines (AKC and FCI) are _generally_ looking for black and tan dogs. And if you're only breeding black and tans, you'll only get black/tans, blacks, whites, etc. You'll never get sable that way. It's an easy way to eliminate it from the gene pool. So it doesn't surprise me that black and tan would be statistically more common.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Just based on observation, it sounds about right to me, assuming blankets and bi-colors are considered black and tans.


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## Chris Wild (Dec 14, 2001)

Depends on the bloodlines really. 

German show lines - 99.9% black & tan is pretty accurate, and almost exclusively of the saddle variety.

My guesses for the others:
American show lines - probably around 75% black & tan (mostly saddles, but a few blankets), 15% sable, 7% black, 3% bicolor

Working lines - 65% sable, 15% black, 15% black & tan (probably evenly split between blanket and saddle, or with a few more blankets than saddles), 5% bicolor


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## Xeph (Jun 19, 2005)

Indeed  I'm generally the only sable at a show. Every now and then there are two more that pop up, but for the most part, it's a sea of black and tan.

Of course, that makes it all the sweeter when my sable wins xD


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

In my area I see far more whites than sables.


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## SunCzarina (Nov 24, 2000)

I see more black and red. All in the neighborhood...

1 bicolor
2 black and tan
4 black and reds (one is a LH)
1 black and cream
1 sable

The fat dog, not sure if he's all GSD and just really fat, black and tan

Then there's Morgan, who I've had for 6 1/2 years and still can't decide what she is other than 5 different colors - some say Black and tan, others say gold sable. LOL, she's like a bad home die job from HS.

and one crazy bitch who I'm not really sure because she's always moving really fast barking her head off and fence running! Eek, good morning Ginger...


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

how do you include blk&red, blk&brown, blk&cream, blk&silver, and bi colors under one percentage (50%) if all of them are different colors???


> Originally Posted By: Camerafodderon another gsd board a member asked approx what percent of gsd are black. i'm in the united states and came up with the following breakdowns based on my observations irl, on boards & rescues...
> 
> 50% black/tan (incl b/red, b/brown, b/cream, b/silver, & bi colors)
> 
> ...


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## Chris Wild (Dec 14, 2001)

> Originally Posted By: doggiedadhow do you include blk&red, blk&brown, blk&cream, blk&silver, and bi colors under one percentage (50%) if all of them are different colors???


Because genetically they really aren't.

All of those you listed, except bi-color, are variations on black/tan. Different hues of tan pigment don't change that genetically the dog is black/tan.

Bi-color is a separate color.

The 4 (accepted under the standard) colors for GSDs are sable, black/tan, bi-color, and black. That's it.


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## Ceph (Mar 28, 2007)

Chris is right - the saddle is controlled at the Agouti Locus - which is also where sable and solid come from....Bi-color is postulated to be at that locus as well...but I have thoughts about that. I think in that classification it is about pattern, not color.

The degree of red in the tan is at the intensity locus - and it controls whether or not the tan points are going to be white/cream, tan or red.

It's kind of hard to break it down that way though - because technically White's, Blues, and livers are all be Sable, Bi, Saddle or Solid. Phenotypically whites arent because it is masked, but even phenotypically the blue and liver still are patterned.

Panda's are too...it's just harder to tell because of the Spotting Locus.

~Cate


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