Question About Bi-Color Shepherds - Page 6

Does anyone have even a rough count of how many thread we have like this? LOL. No matter how many times we go through this, we still end up w/a whole bunch of pics and "is this a bicolor?"

Just as an aside...papers can be wrong. They are papered as whatever color the breeder says they are. How many times do you all think the breeder is wrong? Also, someone told me that in Germany, they don't call it a bicolor regardless, just like there is no "sable." So, a lot of bicolors who are imported will be black and tan on papers, which only adds to the confusion if you're not an expert.

I love bicolors. I wish I'd kept Capri's little girl...she's one of the most interestingly marked bicolors I've ever seen. Keeping my fingers crossed for a bicolor boy out of her litter w/Chico! Sable is so dominant though, I'm not getting my hopes up. Only one out of nine was bicolor last time....2 black....6 sable.

in was remembering the thread of this type where someone poster afew pics of
cogs with tarheel and penciling that were proven not carrying the black recessive

jenny i think it was one you began?????

or maybe it was in reference to the "tags"
i cant remember

I believe in a previous thread Molly identified the bi-color look-alikes as 'melanistic black & tans' if they have brown behind their ears & on the vent area...?? jh

Bicolors always have tarheels and toe penciling.  They do not necessarily carry black recessive - they can be bi/bi.  I have a bicolor that does not carry black recessive.  "Melanistic" or dark black/tans do not have toe marks or tarheels, and they can carry black recessive.  Unless one parent is black, it can be difficult to know if a dog carries black recessive until he is bred, and produces black puppies (or does not).

molly

Confused again here...LOL So Molly am I to understand that even if the dog has tarheels and pencil toeing, if they also have brown on the vent, then they are not Bi-colors? What if it has the tarheels and pencil toeing and brown behind the ears? Please straighten this out for me...Thanks!

there are several bicolors pictured "above" on this thread.  Bicolors are dogs of "two colors" - no shading at all.  They are black dogs with "points" - lower legs, vent (yes they have a distinct tan vent), under the groin area, very bottom of the tail fringe, chest, cheek, eyebrow marks.  Some are more "melanistic" than others and lose their facial markings, and have more black on the lower legs, darker pencil marks/tarheels than others.  But ALL bicolors will have black "toemarks" on each toe, and black "tarheels" behind the hock and wrist.  Bicolors do not have "shading" on the underchest, shoulders, thighs, or head/mask and behind the ears.  If a dog has shading behind the ears and also has black toe marks/tarheels, it's a young dog whose markings have not faded off yet.   The dark black/tan dogs will be born with toe marks and tarheels - why it is sometimes difficult to tell bicolor from black/tan at first - but the black/tans will develop shading, and lose their toemarks/tarheels as they age.

molly

Thanks! By George...I think I've got it now....:)

sometimes it's easier to tell people to think "doberman" or "Rotweiler" - they are all "bicolor" though they don't call it that, since it is the only color they offer LOL.  Black with "points".  The only difference is the black muzzle-masking that GSDs of every color have that dobes and rotts don't. 

molly

Thanks Molly!!!

Jenni- That female with the flowers behind I bred to my sable male.Was hoping for a coloring like the mom but no luck ALL 7 pups were sable. Guess I should have bred her to something other then sable.