GSD Coat Colors and Patterns

German Shepherd Colors and Patterns

Concerning the German Shepherds colors, Max von Stephanitz – the breed founder said, "No good dog is a bad color.”

Truly speaking, GSD colors, pigments and patterns should be sought after but many other factors like anatomy, temperament, and health, which are more important than German Shepherds colors. GSD colors and coat colors in any other dog breed hardly influence the dog’s working ability - which the German Shepherds have actually been bred for. Acceptable and desirable German Shepherd colors are black and tan and all shades of black and tan except any dilution. The black is a resultant of eumelanin (which is black to brown pigment produced by melanin). The black blanket in German Shepherd Dog varies in its degree of extension throughout the body. On the other hand, the tan markings or colors in German Shepherds are actually produced by the pigment pheomelanin (which is golden yellow to reddish-brown pigment produced by melanocytes). The tan colors in German Shepherds vary in richness depending on the dogs’ lineage.

It is desired from a well pigmented dog to exhibit an extension of black over around 50% of its body, with a strong, uniform tan ranging from a golden tan to rich, reddish mahogany markings, accompanied with very good facial mask. The black mask which again varies in the degree of the coverage or extension throughout the face and front head region is highly important and is one of the most important desirable features in a well breed and well pigmented GSD. The depth and the patterns of German Shepherd colors have been categorized into 4 distinctive categories, in the order from highest to lowest dominance, viz. Sable, Black and Tan (B&T), Bi color and Solid Black. Regarding the German Shepherds colors the SV has specifically stated, "the color of the GSD is in itself not important and has no effect on the character of the dog or on its fitness for work and should be a secondary consideration for that reason. The final color of a young dog can only be ascertained when the outer coat has developed."

Specific words defining German Shepherd colors cannot always explain exactly what a dog of specific colors or patterns should look like. Most often terms defining German Shepherds colors and patterns tend to confuse people to a great extent, as a specific German Shepherd color may represent a range of colors and patterns in the GSD breed. Quite unfortunately, the variations in the range of GSD colors and patterns have not yet been listed separately by any club or organization. Almost all kennel clubs in the world have listed a pretty wide varieties of German Shepherd colors and patterns, and the list includes Black & Tan, Black & Red,Black & Sliver, Sable (Gray), Solid Black, Blue, Liver, and Solid White although not all of these fall under the GSD standard concerning GSD colors. When it comes to GSD colors, desirable is that the breed must have rich, strong colors. Diluted colors in German Shepherds are not desirable. List of German Shepherd colors also interestingly include Liver, Blue and silver, which are genetically diluted colors, and are NOT bred by responsible GSD breeders. Amongst the solid colors in German Shepherds, i.e. Solid Black and solid White, both are pure breeds. When we talk about German Shepherds colors, we cannot skip off talking about the genes governing the GSD colors. White is a recessive gene and has been recognized (on a provisional basis) as a breed by the FCI on 26/11/2002 as the "Berger Blanc Suisse". It is to be remembered that the black gene is also recessive to all German Shepherd colors.

Pictorial representation can help you to figure out what specific GSD colors and patterns may look like.

 Note: The images of Sable, Black-Tan and Bi-Color German Shepherds have been reproduced from the original work of Linda J Shaw (www.shawlein.com)