Puppy coat change? When? - Page 1

Just curious, when did you guys who have sable Shepherd pups typically change coat colors? My pup (littermate to DDRCzechfan's male) still has the puppy coat, but I've noticed more black showing up on the front of his legs.  It was black going down to a certain spot....and then black stenciling on the top of his paw/toes, but now black is showing all the way inbetween that as well...which I like.  Anyway, just curious as to when your guys sable pups had their "coat change"  I'll attach his picture (same as my profile pic), but it's not update to date.  Black is taking over where the brown is in that picture on his legs, he didn't have any black there when that one was taken.  I need to get camera batteries today so I can get more pictures of him. 

Oh but he is so darn cute! Beau misses his brother!

Well, in my experience (Now have had 3 Sable GSDs) they lose that initial puppy coat around the time of the first coat blowing, which being that I'm in a colder state than you, usually happened around April-May up here. Being that your climate is pretty warm, but where he came from is cold, it's hard to say. All of my fur kids started losing puppy fuzz around 5months or so. I remember every single Shepherd Fur Tumbleweed that rolled around my kitchen and yard...LOL

What I have noticed about Beau (not a sable, but all of my sables did this too) it starts with the toes, creeps up the hocks and legs, and gradually makes it way to the rest of the body. Heck, even Beau is losing the black and the tan on his hocks are becoming more prominant. It started with two or three little golden strands, but now you can almost tell he has tar heels.

Being as that our kids are on basically the same food (apart from Beau also getting supplimented with Raw) I think it has little to do with it. 

You have to think, you got him about 12wks old, you had originally gotten your other sable at a younger age and he came from a similar climate as your own state, didn't he? Your puppy came to you at a later age and from a VERY different climate than what he's enjoying now (lucky little turd, it's still pretty dang cold up here!) so that might've possibly changed his coat blowing a little?

When the first puppy (fluffy) coat is replaced it starts with a small shiny ring around its tail, and a line of shiny hair along its backbone. These becomes wider. Then around the eyes and spreading over its face and, around with its toes going up its legs. Its a very gradual process that starts about 2.5 months and lasts a month or so. After this second coat is in (which has a texture more of an adult), the 3rd coat is more seasonal with the next fall or spring. It doesn't seem to have the same pattern as the first.