WOULD LIKE TO KNOW - Page 1

 MY QUESTION IS THIS....HOW CAN YOU TELL WHEN A PUP IS SAY 7 OR 8 WEEKS OLD IF IT WILL BE A SADDLEBACK OR A BLANKETBACK? IF YOU CAN'T TELL BY THIS AGE, THEN WHEN CAN YOU TELL? ALSO DO ONLY CERTAIN LINES OF GSD'S HAVE BLACK SPOTS ON THEIR TONGUES. I HAVE HAD AMERICAN SHOW LINES AND GERMAN LINES AND HAVE NEVER HAD ONE WITH BLACK SPOTS ON THEIR TONGUES.  THANKS FOR ANY INPUT GUYS!

It's odd that you ask that about the tongue spots. I have several males that have huge blue spots, yes multiple spots, on their tongues. They are all from the same breeding/bloodlines. Every male from this breeding has them. It almost has to be genetic. Neither of the parents have the blue spots.

I have read different theories but no one seems to have a definitive answer, but for me it seems just to be genetics.
Beardog

black or blue color spots on the tongue are genetic, some lines do have them.   There are many other dog breeds out there who also have certain lines which have tongue spots (I've seen them on greyhounds, labs and golden retrievers too)..  It does not mean that there are any chowchows in the lineage.    Spots on the tongue are not a fault in any of these breeds.  

As far as pups that will be saddle back versus blanket back, much of it depends on what the parents look like.  If one of the parents is solid black and the other is a saddleback then all of the pups will most likely be either bi-color or blanket back.  
When looking at the pups, the ones most likely to be saddle back are those whose tan/red color come up past the hock and most of the way up the elbow, or past the elbow.