# "what kind of dog is that"



## mego (Jan 27, 2013)

I dont know if this happens to you guys with coated pups, or black gsds, or even sables, anything that's not 'black and tan', but do you ever get those people that act like your dog is NOT a gsd even though you tell them it definitely is?

Here's Lara:









VERY GSD looking in my opinion, just long coat. I have her pedigree, she is DEFINITELY 100 PERCENT GSD. But I cannot count how many times in the 3 weeks I have had her people have either said "are you sure that's not a mix?" "Isn't she a belgian?" "that looks like a chow mix" "did you actually get her from a breeder?"

...I explain to them that long coat gsds definitely do exist, it's a recessive gene so its less common, but they still give me the "I think someone gave you a load of bs that is not a gsd" look. Gah!

People with all black gsds have told me they get the same thing, so, am I just around a group of people that are gsd ignorant, or do you guys get this too?


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## mego (Jan 27, 2013)

Ooh and no offense meant by the "anything that is not black and tan" just usually people don't have near as much trouble identifying a black and tan/reddish short stock coat gsd, it just seems like the other variations that throw em for a loop


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## Faelan (Jun 25, 2012)

While I completely agree with this, I just want to say that I have had at least two people argue with me about my black and tan, stating he didn't have the coloring of a GSD. I honestly couldn't believe it. These people supposedly used to "raise" shepherds.


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

Try owning a sable long haired GSD.  I get the most interesting questions when people see him.


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## Nigel (Jul 10, 2012)

Lauri & The Gang said:


> Try owning a sable long haired GSD.  I get the most interesting questions when people see him.


We get this with Ranger. He's a sable and his coat is kind of long, (not entirely sure yet myself) whatever it is, it confuses people as to what breed he is.They see our females and say those are german shepherds, but what is that one.


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## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

I get that ALL THE TIME, lol. I've had a few people know that he was a GSD though. One guy at a pet store was surprised when I said he was a GSD, he said but he has so much black on him...

A lot of people seem to get thrown off because he's so dark and because he's a long coat... I've been getting asked more and more if he's a Belgian Shepherd. 

One lady thought he was a Rottweiler mix, really?? :rofl:


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## RocketDog (Sep 25, 2011)

If I had a nickel...... 

"Is that a King Shepherd?" 
"Is that one of them Belgians?"
"Are you sure he's a German Shepherd?"


Need I go on?


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## RocketDog (Sep 25, 2011)

Carriesue said:


> I get that ALL THE TIME, lol. I've had a few people know that he was a GSD though. One guy at a pet store was surprised when I said he was a GSD, he said but he has so much black on him...
> 
> A lot of people seem to get thrown off because he's so dark and because he's a long coat... I've been getting asked more and more if he's a Belgian Shepherd.
> 
> One lady thought he was a Rottweiler mix, really?? :rofl:


I had a very old gentleman approach me in a store and say "German, right?" When I figured out he was talking about Rocket I said yes. He then said "I was in WWII. I haven't seen one like that since then when I was there. He's beautiful" then proceeded to pet him a bit. It touched me, even if they're not as uncommon as he thought.


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## Lin (Jul 3, 2007)

Like I said in another thread the other day.... Anyone who's dog doesn't look like Rin Tin Tin will get people insisting its a mix. And anyone who's dog looks like Rin Tin Tin will get people insisting its a mix. 

I have a sable and a LC, and oh yea I hear it all. Neither are purebred


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## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

RocketDog said:


> I had a very old gentleman approach me in a store and say "German, right?" When I figured out he was talking about Rocket I said yes. He then said "I was in WWII. I haven't seen one like that since then when I was there. He's beautiful" then proceeded to pet him a bit. It touched me, even if they're not as uncommon as he thought.


Awww! He must have a lot of interesting stories he could tell.

I would have been slightly confused at first since I'm half German.


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## x11 (Jan 1, 2012)

RocketDog said:


> I had a very old gentleman approach me in a store and say "German, right?" When I figured out he was talking about Rocket I said yes. He then said "I was in WWII. I haven't seen one like that since then when I was there. He's beautiful" *then proceeded to pet* him a bit. It touched me, even if they're not as uncommon as he thought.


 
err yr lucky he wanted to pet and not stab yr dog, a lot of vets have never forgot the war and lash out at symbols of the enemy, apparantly thats why they changed the name GS to alsatian cos folks were worried the dogs would not do well after the war if they were called GSD.

one vet here punched his grandson for buying a japanese vehicle and didn't talk to him for ages, lots of bad feeling still around.


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## gsdlover91 (Jul 21, 2012)

Your gonna have to get used to being asked this, lol. Happens to me every time I take him out. Rarely does someone KNOW he's a LC GSD...most are like..I thought he might be GSD, but wasn't sure. I have been asked if hes mixed with a collie, wolf, husky. Weird things. Not to mention, i get asked all the time what breed of dog he even is! :headbang: 

He looks GSD to me! :shrug:

BTW, Lara is too friggen cute. Looks so much like little berbear.


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## Wolfgeist (Dec 4, 2010)

I always get "is he a wolf hybrid?"


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## RocketDog (Sep 25, 2011)

x11 said:


> err yr lucky he wanted to pet and not stab yr dog, a lot of vets have never forgot the war and lash out at symbols of the enemy, apparantly thats why they changed the name GS to alsatian cos folks were worried the dogs would not do well after the war if they were called GSD.
> 
> one vet here punched his grandson for buying a japanese vehicle and didn't talk to him for ages, lots of bad feeling still around.



The UK changed the name out of an early version of Political Correctness right after the war, yes, due to stigma, but not out of being afraid for the dog. It was more about nothing German was acceptable.

FWIW he's the second vet I've met, and both loved him. I've even had a white-haired gentleman yell out across a park, "Is that a Rin-Tin-Tin? Love them!"


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## RocketDog (Sep 25, 2011)

Wild Wolf said:


> I always get "is he a wolf hybrid?"



LOL I'm sure!


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## RocketDog (Sep 25, 2011)

mego said:


> I dont know if this happens to you guys with coated pups, or black gsds, or even sables, anything that's not 'black and tan', but do you ever get those people that act like your dog is NOT a gsd even though you tell them it definitely is?
> 
> Here's Lara:
> 
> ...


Mego, that is the cutest picture!


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## gsdlover91 (Jul 21, 2012)

Wild Wolf said:


> I always get "is he a wolf hybrid?"


Hunter does look kinda like a wolf, a very snuggly, cute wolf.


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## Cheyanna (Aug 18, 2012)

Yesterday, someone thought I was walking a coyote. Really, a coyote on a leash? Fiona is a sable and the airport driver insisted she was a Belgian, just like on person of interest. I think the next time someone asks me, I am going to say ... Dalmatian.


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## BellaLuna (Jan 27, 2013)

Well clearly she looks like a gsd so I don't know what to say about that one lol... You will always have those people who will ? You and think that they know better... I guess You need to look at the source and just shrug it off.. I could definitely see how that could be annoying luckily for me I don't have to go through that.. that would most definitely peeve me off LOL.. she is such a cutie


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## Mooch (May 23, 2012)

LOL I got asked once if Hex was a Golden retriever  

It's hard not to sound put out then you say "no he's a german shepherd" LOL


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## Sarah~ (Apr 30, 2012)

Eko is a large black and tan I never get asked what he is. Only once has anyone ever said he is not a german shepherd, that was when he was about 5-6 months old and I was in shock. He's the spitting image of the GSD most people think of, then the man tried to tell me my friends pit/lab mix was a catahoula.

This is a picture of the two dogs at that time:









I tried to tell him that he had it wrong but there was no convincing him. I just let it be, people will believe what they want to believe. I have Eko's pedigree and my friend has Rusty's paperwork from the shelter so we know the truth and that's all that matters.


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## Lin (Jul 3, 2007)

Shelter paperwork doesn't mean anything, I've been the person in there that had to do my best to guess and label what breeds dogs were. 

But that is no catahoula. I've fostered a catahoula before and theres nothing in that dog that would make me think it had catahoula. Its not a popular enough breed, and the body type is so similar to popular breeds like lab. So to label a dog one it would have to have a distinguishing sign.


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## Anubis_Star (Jul 25, 2012)

My neighbor was CONVINCED that Zeke was part greyhound. There was no talking him out of it. Then my ex's uncle agreed  :thinking: I guess MAYBE if you closed one eye and poked yourself in the other....


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

i was having a conversation with a guy who
told me he grew up with GSD's. then he looked
at Loki and said "that is a GSD, isn't he". i
laughed and said "yes, he's a GSD". i'm not
bothered by people's comments about my dog
and my dog isn't bothered by people's comments.


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## Dainerra (Nov 14, 2003)

I get the coyote comment all the time. One woman was threatening to call Game and Fish 










When he was a pup, someone asked "Is that one of those Belgium Mali-somethings?" But at least that one kind of made sense!


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## Kaiser2012 (Mar 12, 2012)

yup, sable long stock coat here. When he was little munchkin people thought he was a keeshond (ugh...). When he was going through his initial coat change phase nobody could figure him out (even supposed german shepherd breeders). Now that he has his adult coat and is more or less full grown, appearance wise, (at 1 year) people argue with me that he is 

1) a belgian shepherd (granted he is from belgian lines, but NOT a "belgian shepherd", ie, a tervuren), or 

2) a GSD mixed with collie or something else

I use the opportunity to educate people about working lines, dominant/recessive traits, and GSDs in general


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## Anthony8858 (Sep 18, 2011)

Kira's very petite compared to what people perceive as a GSD. She's only 60 pounds.

People always ask me if she's a mixed breed.

It's gotten to a point where a dumb question, requires a dumb answer....

My answer has been something like:

She's a domestic, pygmy GSD, bred specifically for smaller living quarters.

Then I get the "oh, that's a nice breed".


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## starburst (Jun 9, 2012)

Your dog is adorable !!
Don't worry too much about people's comments, people ask me all the time what kind of dog Lola is and as you can see in my avatar she's the typical GSD.


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## starburst (Jun 9, 2012)

Anthony8858 said:


> Kira's very petite compared to what people perceive as a GSD. She's only 60 pounds.
> 
> People always ask me if she's a mixed breed.
> 
> ...


That's hilarious !


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## Lin (Jul 3, 2007)

I get collie/Tervuren most commonly with my LC. I get wolf/coyote/what is she mixed with most with my sable. 

I'm also frequently told my sable is "too small to be a GSD." She's 24" at the withers. My LC is a bit oversized, female at 25" at the withers. Oh, man, also one time I got about Tessa (sable) that her ears were too big to be GSD...


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## Jag (Jul 27, 2012)

I've had people guess everything from a GSD mix to a wolf mix to a husky mix. Really??  All but one accepted my reply that he was 100% shepherd. I guess there's at least one just about everywhere that just won't believe you.


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## MichaelE (Dec 15, 2012)

I get asked all the time what kind of dog is Lisl. Apparently folks this far from a city have never seen anything but a black and tan.

Sometimes I'll say she is from Czech and West German working lines and their response is, "Oh, I knew she had to be a mix"

As if they would know...


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## Shade (Feb 20, 2012)

Delgado gets wolf mostly

Even the vet has him labelled as a B&T in their files  Most if not all of the people who have asked don't understand "bicolour" in any sense either which makes it even more awkward

Not to mention Delgado's not 110 lbs so he's obviously not purebred


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

My favorite is when the person argues with you that your dog isn't a GSD because it has long hair. Don't argue with me. I'm not asking your opinion. 

We even had a guy who claimed to be a GSD breeder for years, therefore he knew my dog wasn't a GSD. Hubby said, "I could be a goat breeder and still not know goats." The guy huffed and walked away. 

I just don't understand what difference does it make to them? It's not like I am selling semen in a bottle.


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## GSD mum (Feb 22, 2003)

I've had many young kids call my girl a horse. 
She can look like a deer too when she stands in the wind, sniffing the air with her ears folded back.


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## JackandMattie (Feb 4, 2013)

Anthony8858 said:


> Kira's very petite compared to what people perceive as a GSD. She's only 60 pounds.
> 
> People always ask me if she's a mixed breed.
> 
> ...


Awesome! :rofl:


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## Jag (Jul 27, 2012)

Lilie said:


> My favorite is when the person argues with you that your dog isn't a GSD because it has long hair. Don't argue with me. I'm not asking your opinion.
> 
> We even had a guy who claimed to be a GSD breeder for years, therefore he knew my dog wasn't a GSD. Hubby said, "I could be a goat breeder and still not know goats." The guy huffed and walked away.
> 
> I just don't understand what difference does it make to them? *It's not like I am selling semen in a bottle.*


I have SOOO much I could say about this, LOL!!! :rofl:

The arguing is the best, right? Like you have NO idea what your dog is!


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## Shaolin (Jun 16, 2012)

I get Husky mix a lot. Had a vet tell me he looked as if he was mixed with wolf. The other times, people ask me if he's an Albino Shepherd.

Finn is white though, so I can't get too cranky when people ask what exactly he is.


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## JackandMattie (Feb 4, 2013)

Get that question about my old girl on the right all the time, especially since Jack's always around and he's the typical B/T...

It's one of my neighbor's _Favorite_ conversations...what is Mattie mixed with? Just had it again last night because I told her about the similar looking longcoats I've been seeing on the forum.










I don't even try to argue. I rescued the dogs, anyway. Even when I explain that I ended up going and meeting the breeder and their microchips were scanned and she gave me their papers, that's about all I really know... So, I listen to all the theories, from husky to chow to collie, and just nod and smile, say could be, and shrug 

Mattie doesn't really mind, either. She just gives 'em her "What you talkin 'bout, Willis?" look, haha:










And this is while her hair still hasn't fully grown out after last summer's shave!


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## hattifattener (Oct 7, 2011)

mego said:


> I dont know if this happens to you guys with coated pups, or black gsds, or even sables, anything that's not 'black and tan', but do you ever get those people that act like your dog is NOT a gsd even though you tell them it definitely is?
> 
> Here's Lara:
> 
> ...


Lara is sooo cute!:wub:

I had some questions regarding coat length,but in general people recognize Odi as purebred German shepherd.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

Jag said:


> The arguing is the best, right? Like you have NO idea what your dog is!


I think the thing that gets on my last nerve is what difference does it make to them? I could understand if I had my dog on an online dating service and was pushing his baby making capabilities. If I said my dog was a persian cat, what difference does it make to them? 

And it always seems to be men who want to argue about it. I don't know why. One of these days I'll wait till the guy has his kids with him. I'll look at his children and say, "Hmmm, are they yours? Are you sure? They don't look like you. They look like they're half way intelligent."


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## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

Lilie said:


> And it always seems to be men who want to argue about it. I don't know why. One of these days I'll wait till the guy has his kids with him. I'll look at his children and say, "Hmmm, are they yours? Are you sure? They don't look like you. They look like they're half way intelligent."


:rofl: I'm sure that would get them to shut up right quick!


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## Dainerra (Nov 14, 2003)

the best answer is always "Deutsche Schäferhunde" then they will nod and say "I knew it wasn't a German Shepherd"


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## MichaelE (Dec 15, 2012)

Oh that's good. I'll have to use that.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

when my black tri aussie was little, I'd get "oh border collie!", nope no tail, aussie, or "a berner puppy", nope

Dodge was bicolor, 95% black with a touch of red on his feet,,my gosh, he couldn't have been a purebred! he was BLACK! ,,

Masi, well I get 'what is that a coyote? wolf?",,nope, a wild dog from africa 

Yes, most around here think if you don't have a dog that looks like rin tin tin, well what the heck is it?


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

Instead of being snarky, silly or condescending why not try TEACHING people something.

When they ask "What is he/she" here is what I say (without giving them a chance to but in):

"Mauser is a long coated sable colored German Shepherd dog. The breed comes in many colors but Black and Tan is the most common - and probably what you would think of as a typical German Shepherd. They come in all white, all black, mostly black with just a bit of tan on the feet and toes (these are called Bi-color), black and tan and black and red. They also come in two coat types - regular coat (which is what you see most of the time) and long coat - like Mauser. The long coat is seen less often since up until just recently it was considered a fault - a bad thing to have in the breed."

Now - 90% of the people that have stuck around through my long speech have forgotten their original argument (where they try to convince me that Mauser cannot possibly be a pure bred GSD) and latch onto the last thing I said and reply "Why was it considered bad?"

Ahhhhh - now I have them on the hook. From here I can tell them about the GSD Standard, what it says and why it's so important. I can talk about size (and why 110 pounds id not right for a GSD). I can talk about temperament. I can talk about structure.

Or I can just give them a short answer and be on my way. 

I prefer to follow the "Kill them with Kindness" ... or in this case ... "Inundate them with Information" philosophy in my life. Much healthier for ME than getting worked up about why people ask stupid questions. Especially since I know that I have asked some real doosies in the course of my life and will probably ask more before I'm gone. 


Edited to add - when I was at the IL Kennel Club show a couple weeks ago with one of my Crested bitches I can't tell you how many people asked "Don't they get cold in the winter?". Of COURSE they get cold - they have NO HAIR. But I always answered nicely "If it's really cold they live to wear something warm - just like us."


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## Cheyanna (Aug 18, 2012)

Lauri & The Gang said:


> Instead of being snarky, silly or condescending why not try TEACHING people something..


Because sarcasm naturally comes out of mouth. I don't even have to think about it.


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## Lin (Jul 3, 2007)

I usually go with education. But its fun being snarky when people don't care about what you're saying and just want to argue. 

I have my little speech I launch into as well. Key points being things like "sable is actually the dominant coat pattern in german shepherds" or "long coat is recessive so it doesn't pop up very often since there's no way to know the dogs are carrying the gene until they pop up in the litter." depending on which dog they're questioning.


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## LeoRose (Jan 10, 2013)

I just tell tham that Leo is a long-coated GSD. If they don't believe me, oh well. 

I think it's more amusing when they tell me that Ilka, my mutt, just _has_ to be a *insert breed here*. She's been called a Dalmation (okay, she is black and white, but not spotted), a Doberman Pinscher (um... black and white?), a Great Dane (she's 22" and 48 pounds), a Lab (pointy ears), a husky (definitely not the right coat), an "English Terrier" (okay, she does look _kinda_ like a Bull Terrier from the late 1800's/early 1900's), and a few other breeds that she bears no resemblance to whatsoever.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

Lauri & The Gang said:


> Instead of being snarky, silly or condescending why not try TEACHING people something.


Awe man, nothing worse than being guilted into doing the right thing.


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## MichaelE (Dec 15, 2012)

Half of them wouldn't believe you anyway and the other probably wasn't listening to begin with.


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## gsdlover91 (Jul 21, 2012)

When people ask me, I usually begin my rant about long coats and the breed standard and a bunch of knowledge, because why not spread all this wonderful knowledge I have! Its actually sad how much I teach people about GSD's, most people are SOOOOO clueless!! "I didnt know there were different lines" "I didnt know that they could have a long coat.." "I didnt know they were so friendly" You guys have no idea how much I get "Is he a pet dog?....Is he safe to pet?" No, he's going to rip your hand off. :hammer: The general public just thinks of GSD's as crazy attack dogs and police K9's...LOL. Berlin is just a serial kiss giver.



Lilie said:


> If I said my dog was a persian cat, what difference does it make to them?


LOL, totally resembles a persian! :rofl:


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## irickchad (Feb 6, 2013)

gsdlover91 said:


> When people ask me, I usually begin my rant about long coats and the breed standard and a bunch of knowledge, because why not spread all this wonderful knowledge I have! Its actually sad how much I teach people about GSD's, most people are SOOOOO clueless!! "I didnt know there were different lines" "I didnt know that they could have a long coat.." "I didnt know they were so friendly" You guys have no idea how much I get "Is he a pet dog?....Is he safe to pet?" No, he's going to rip your hand off. :hammer: The general public just thinks of GSD's as crazy attack dogs and police K9's...LOL. Berlin is just a serial kiss giver.
> 
> 
> 
> LOL, totally resembles a persian! :rofl:


As sad as it may sound, before I met my breeder and was trying to decide if a GSD was right for me, I had no idea there were "long coats"... a few years ago one of my friends had a 'long coat' GSD named nikita, and he often lied... so I just assumed when he said he had a "rare" long coated GSD that he was just lying, and she was a mixed breed... :hammer:


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## gsdlover91 (Jul 21, 2012)

irickchad said:


> As sad as it may sound, before I met my breeder and was trying to decide if a GSD was right for me, I had no idea there were "long coats"... a few years ago one of my friends had a 'long coat' GSD named nikita, and he often lied... so I just assumed when he said he had a "rare" long coated GSD that he was just lying, and she was a mixed breed... :hammer:


LOL, its okay! In your defense, before I started researching the breed extensively before getting one, I had no idea there were long coats either! But, now that I knoooooww....they definitely look 100% GSD to me. I mean, usually mixes look like a mix of both dogs...my GSD just looks like a GSD. Besides long hair, he has no other features or traits of other breeds.


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## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

Same, before I started researching I had no clue about sables, never heard of one and never saw one in person. I knew there were whites but didn't know about solid black ones or that there were even different lines. But hey, this is why I thoroughly researched the breed before I took the plunge! I picked exactly the right dog for me in the end. 

I don't do snarky responses, I can't... I just can't be mean to people, it's a weakness I know lol. I will just explain that he is a long coat GSD and that his dam is a solid black GSD and that's why Ollie is so much darker then most GSD's... Sometimes I'll often throw in a, "hey did you know most GSD's are born all black?" Especially when they're really confused about his coloring.

I've yet to have anybody argue with me about it yet though.


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## Jag (Jul 27, 2012)

Lilie said:


> I think the thing that gets on my last nerve is what difference does it make to them? I could understand if I had my dog on an online dating service and was pushing his baby making capabilities. If I said my dog was a persian cat, what difference does it make to them?
> 
> And it always seems to be men who want to argue about it. I don't know why. One of these days I'll wait till the guy has his kids with him. I'll look at his children and say, "Hmmm, are they yours? Are you sure? They don't look like you. They look like they're half way intelligent."


:rofl:



Cheyanna said:


> Because sarcasm naturally comes out of mouth. I don't even have to think about it.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


This is SO true!



Lilie said:


> Awe man, nothing worse than being guilted into doing the right thing.


No kidding! I've tried to explain a few times, but for some reason it causes more confusion. After I went through an explanation and I got "Well, I still think he's a mix", I gave up. Sarcasm is way more fun!


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## balloons (Aug 18, 2012)

a guy at the local dog park a few months ago asked me no less than 4 times if i was sure that piper isn't a belgian shepherd. like, bro, i have papers on her. i saw her parents. yes, i am sure.

i've also been asked if she was a collie or a collie mix.


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## Lin (Jul 3, 2007)

Carriesue said:


> I will just explain that he is a long coat GSD and that his dam is a solid black GSD and that's why Ollie is so much darker then most GSD's... Sometimes I'll often throw in a, "hey did you know most GSD's are born all black?" Especially when they're really confused about his coloring.
> 
> I've yet to have anybody argue with me about it yet though.


But thats not true. Having a solid black parent has nothing to do with the amount of black on a sable. And they aren't born all black and change, they're just mostly black and the black recedes. Not very unusual in puppy coloring, dalmatians develop their spots over time.


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## mehpenn (May 22, 2006)

Oh yeah, I CONSTANTLY get comments. Don't even get me started on that.


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## Lucky Dog (Dec 1, 2012)

Cheyanna said:


> Because sarcasm naturally comes out of mouth. I don't even have to think about it.


Ya thats what I do to. BUT our last GS we got did look like a mutt. He was the last male of the litter. Most laid back dog we ever had. Gave ya the puppy eyed "look" to us an he was on his way home. Even the wife questioned him. Both parents were there to see to. Hunter was all by himself.. Here he was @ 10 weeks, then about 4/5 months an now with his buddys. I never thought a dog could change this much .


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## lemonadeicedtea (Aug 8, 2011)

My guy is a red and black stock coat and there are still people who are absolutely baffled by the fact that he is a German Shepherd. I had one woman badger me incessantly on what I must have been feeding him to get that red color because it surely wasn't natural, until I finally just said carrots. Carrots, everyday, all day long.

Now I really hope there isn't a black and tan out there who is being force-fed carrots...


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## LoveOscar (Feb 4, 2013)

My boy is a black/silver or black/cream (we usually say silver as he's just about a shade or two off white). Ive shown people pictures and gotten the reply 'Rin Tin Tin!' but I dont think he looks like Rin. He's to light and has to much black on him lol.

I havent yet introduced him to the public yet, so I dont have any heinous stories to tell. I used to almost always get asked of my last black and tan GSD if he was a police dog. I think.someone asked me once if Charlie was a Malinois, but I could not understand for sure what he was saying, and I didnt know what a Mal was at the time.

LO


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## huntergreen (Jun 28, 2012)

since rin tin tin, was only seen in black and white shows, it would be hard to judge. either way, good looking gsd.


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## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

Lin said:


> But thats not true. Having a solid black parent has nothing to do with the amount of black on a sable. And they aren't born all black and change, they're just mostly black and the black recedes. Not very unusual in puppy coloring, dalmatians develop their spots over time.


My dog isn't a sable he's a black and red, my breeder told me that because his dam is a solid black that he'd likely have a larger saddle. He's still only 6 months but he's still has a lot more black on him then most other dogs his age I've seen so I'm expecting his adult coloring to possibly be a blanket back. Though obviously I could be way off. That's just what I've said to people because I'm not really sure what else to say.

Regarding being born black, that is what I meant I guess I just didn't word it very well.


My pup

Untitled (2013-03-05 15:13:57) by Carriesue82, on Flickr


Untitled (2013-03-05 15:12:38) by Carriesue82, on Flickr


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## SueDoNimm (Jul 3, 2012)

lemonadeicedtea said:


> My guy is a red and black stock coat and there are still people who are absolutely baffled by the fact that he is a German Shepherd. I had one woman badger me incessantly on what I must have been feeding him to get that red color because it surely wasn't natural, until I finally just said carrots. Carrots, everyday, all day long.
> 
> Now I really hope there isn't a black and tan out there who is being force-fed carrots...



My boy is a black and (reddish) tan, saddleback, stock coat, slight slope to his back, angled hindquarters, and occasionally people still ask me what kind of dog he is. Someone once asked if he was part Great Dane! Some people are just clueless.

In what way does this dog not look pure German Shepherd?










We get the Rin Tin Tin comments, too, and he definitely looks nothing like the original Rin Tin Tin!


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