How common is bitch striping in Males? - Page 1

Hi there.... I have a West German Showline male with a bitch stipe down his back. He is only 8 mos old. He was otherwise beautiful pigment. His mother had the same striping. Is it genetic or is it b/c he was neutered at 6 mos? Any help is greatly appreciated. Pic attached: http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r219/geebee78/IMG_2639.jpg http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r219/geebee78/IMG_2626.jpg

This can be a result of neutering. Our males were neutered at age 5 yrs and both developed the bitch stripe within 6 months across the formerly deep black mantles.

According to the breed standard the saddle should be solid black. It is something we as breeders should strive to achieve. In bitches I believe it is hormonal and therfore tolerated to an extent, but a broken saddle in males is regarded as a pigment problem. I have noticed that breeding with one specific line does produce broken saddles, whereas another bloodline produces solid black saddles, even in my bitches. So, IMO it's a matter of genetics.

According to the breed standard the saddle should be solid black. It is something we as breeders should strive to achieve. In bitches I believe it is hormonal and therfore tolerated to an extent, but a broken saddle in males is regarded as a pigment problem. I have noticed that breeding with one specific line does produce broken saddles, whereas another bloodline produces solid black saddles, even in my bitches. So, IMO it's a matter of genetics.