grey puppies - Page 2

is this puppie a solid gray not like a sable, I think what you are discribing is a blue, http://www.bluedogs.8m.com/blue.htm hope this helps, you can get blues from black and gold sire and dam with no blue in the back ground

I for got to say that not all blues stay that colour, some ture b/k as they get older, some turn sables and some stay blue.

I used to hear that dilutes [blue and liver] had problems - they have skin problems in dobies and danes. But it seems that may not be the case - but then, it depends on who you talk to. There is some LT out on the west coast who is intentionally breeding them I thought of anohter one - which was born this dusty smoky color out of 2 black and tans - working/show mix sire and old line dam - and that one, like Karices states, did seem to be just a plain duller black as it got older. The sunday paper one is just up the street, I have not seen it in a long time. It was sold as a "RARE Silver".

Yup, apparently lots of the genetic defects are RARE -- therefore twice the price -- be the first on your block to have a sick or worse dead dog before it's time with a special color !! Dull black is still blue the blue gene displaying itself in different fashion. Yup, the blue (and fawn) dobie's are no doubt riddled with problems -- I have a friend who likens the very light black and tan's -- (sometimes even a golden hue to the tan but with lots of it and a small or NO BLACK MASK on the muzzle - as dogs to be extremely wary of skin problems as they are like strawberry blonds or readheads in people -- very very fair skin and susceptible to numerous skin problems - and or auto immune issues -- therefore, his favorite color is a dark bi-color - (colored like a doberman) - and it's probably true - our bi-colors had no skin issues or hot spots and such - and our golden boy was a mess of allergies !!! Much of the same lineage at that point too !! BEWARE THE RARE GOLDEN AND SILVERS then -- for they are RARE for GOOD REASONS !!

Karices, a blue puppy can NEVER turn sable. To be sable, a puppy MUST have at least one of the parents sable. That is completely different gene fron delute. Grayish looking dog in not neccesarily sable, can be just week or deluted black.

So where are we on this? Blue is the greyish puppy, the liver is more redish!!!for sure. I have seen blues turn a light black when older, BUT what is the reason these odd puppies? WHO are born of normal black and tan parents?? Do you disgard the male as a breeding sire?? or IS the female as reject?? forget the special puppy thing, thats money grabing. What do the breeders think, Can you live with this, or is it a big problem??? If the % is so low in litters what do you do about it??

A buddy of mine had a litter with a blue pup. Mouse colored is a good description. Dusty black. Both parents black and tan. Mixed show and working on both parents. Dog ended up being a good police dog. The others I seen - maybe 5 or 6 in 20+ years - were all from black and tan dogs, never saw one from a sable. usually show or show/work mixes. None with any abnormal health problems. I think if there are going to be health problems, they are going to corp up when people breed these blues/livers/whites to each other trying to get colors to sell. You are doubling on recessives and then who knows what. Responsible breeders will put them in pet homes with no papers. But I guess that does not stop some stupid people from breeding them anyway from one website on blues! I don't think there aer so many from anywhere in good breeding programs that anyone needs to worry about breeding the parents again if they are good dogs. Not to each other again for sure. There are much worse problems like character and drive and fear being bred anyway.

So true, There aren't many -- of all my breeder friends (most of whom breed American Lines (not me, thank you) I only have seen a couple of Blue and the on GOLDEN (LIVEN) shepherd ! Let's not blame stud dogs for everything -- it takes two to make puppies. It's a genetic accident with a low indicence -- probably far easier to get whites from black/tan's that carry the resessive than it is to consiously come up with liver's and/or blue's -- and then, there are the DWARF's !!! Anybody want to take that one ?? Probably the most rare, but they crop up in seemingly 'normal' litters.

Just wanted to say its not so uncommon to see a " Sliver Sable " from a litter. I have seen two recently from German lines. Jerry

I wouldn't call blue's "silver sable" -- there are lighter sable's too - perfectly correct. The mother of the pups shown at bluedogs is an American Bred bitch ! Her well-known American bloodlines (back to the 80's are also well-known for lots of problems !! Nuff Said. Yes, there are problems around every corner. and it does take to and the planets have to be alligned properly -- but if you breed enough, you will see it all sooner or later. My almost 14 year old American Bred bitch is in excellent health -- I consider her one of a kind - Her mother does go back to Canto Wienerau however-- and a couple of other well-known German dogs in their day, but in all fairness - she is American bloodlines -(that are not around anymore.) She comes from the lines where they could climb stairs, and their ears stood erect, and they didn't bite first and ask questions later !!