White markings - Page 1

IIRC, the breed standard allows minimal white markings on the Shepherd, eg, a small white spot on the chest, which is probably the most common white marking seen. How severely would a dog be penalized in the show ring for such a marking? Would they just never place, even though the standard allows it? And would people not want to breed to such a dog? Just curious...I've seen quite a few pups with white marks on their chests lately, and was wondering if this would make the dog hard to sell.

White markings on the chest normally become much smaller as the dog matures. A lot of top studs in germany produce pups with such markings. Imortant thing is that markings are not very big. Why is that happening? The reason could be the quest for strong pigment and then you get this. Just guessing.