Blue eyes AKC German shepherd from Czech - Page 2

 So would my dog (the one in my avatar) count as blue then?  He's adopted, and I don't know anything about his background.  I didn't think he was blue because his nose is black -- I just assumed someone was breeding outside the standard.  It doesn't matter to me because I wouldn't breed him even if he hadn't been neutered at the shelter, but if blues do have a higher incidence of health problems it's good to know what I should be looking out for.

Who decides the color is a flaw.. Just some club. Those pups could be great dogs why does everyone get so uptight over a color. Hips and elbows and other health problem I understand, but color is not going to change the dog. $800 is cheap compared to what people are paying for so called DESIGNER BREEDS (Mutts). Not a flaw because some jackass club decided. Just nature.

It's considered a flaw because it is not bred to the standard.  Nothing jackass about breeding to standard.  If we didn't have a standard to follow, then we would all end up with mutts.  Color outside the standard should not be bred...they should be neutered.  I'm sure by just being GSD they will make great pets or sport dogs.  Just don't try to sell me one for $800.00 with the pretense that it is some rare gem.     

"Just some club" decided blue, liver, white, green, or any other color outside of standard is a fault - like the SV "club" you mean - the GSD standard for the breed states the accepted colors - and they do not include blue, liver, or any other "dilute" color - they are a fault!  And yes they can have health and temperament problems stemming from the dilute color - or not.  They might be completely healthy and fine in temperament and a fine pet - just don't breed them, or breed for them!  If you want a blue dog - get a weimeraner or great dane, or pit bull that comes in that color.  Liver - get a chocolate lab or irish water spaniel.  That's my opinion.  If I had blue, liver or white puppies in my normal litters I would give them away spayed/neutered without papers to good pet homes, and I wouldn't repeat that breeding ever again.  Other breeders would "cull" and zip their lips about it.  Certainly not advertise for money or state the color is "rare" LOL

Jackal - hard to tell if your dog is a blue from the pic.  I know that blue dogs can appear black until you  put them next to a true black dog, then they have a steel-blue or dark grey sheen to their coat.  The yellow eyes can just be eyes that are too light.  From the picture I'd say he's a black dog with yellow eyes.

molly

 Thanks Molly.

I never thought of him as anything other than black with atypical eyes, but then I read a little more about blues (I've never actually seen one that I know of) and started having my doubts.  I really don't care about the technicalities of his colour, but I do care about health!

Here are some pictures, I don't know if it would help establish his colour or not:





Frankly I'm hoping the consensus is that he's a black dog with light eyes.  I know that's no guarantee of health, but it would still be reassuring.

Looks like a black dog with light eyes to me - but again, hard to tell with pictures.  Blue dogs can look black until you stand them next to a black dog and then you can see the grey tinge to their coat.  They are not usually blue like weimeraner, though the baby puppies I've seen look pretty obviously blue/grey - they darken with age.  And even if he is blue, that doesn't mean he will have health problems just because he's blue (if he is) - he could be just fine.  Dogs with normal pigment have health problems too.

molly

Hi Jackal, your stunning specimen is very very deep black from your pictures. If you where able to take hair sample to aforensic lab ( a very nice person told me this, ahh to be young again ) and compare it to another black dog then you will see the difference. This is where the eyes come from.

Always,
Cee

what is where the eyes come from?  There are no black dogs with yellow eyes?  All black dogs have dark eyes?  No - it's genetics.  Light eyes are a fault in themselves, but not a disqualifying one.  In breeding you would just not breed a light-eyed dog to another light eyed dog - you would work to darken the eyes.  Otherwise the color is correct and a Koermeister would say "eyes are too light" and move on to the conformation rating and Koer.  It would not knock the dog down in rating except for a recommendation to breed to dark-eyed dogs. 

Unless this dog is blue which is possible but IMO not probable.

molly

Hi Molly the point I am making,  this dogs alleles for this variation sometimes connect with alleles for this type of eye color. 

Always,
Cee