merles shepherd? - Page 3

Off colours from the past pop up occasionally in all breeds, so why not the GSD?  I suppose GSD breeders are so skilled in genetic manipulation they know for sure they have bred them out so any off colours can only be crossbreeds.

Margaret N-J
(who once saw a well bred GSD with a beard)

I've heard stories of people getting unique colors(such as brindle) in a litter and thinking the female somehow was able to be bred by a different male, took all the puppies to the pound as mixed breeds, or only taking the odd colored ones in. Is it possible, that with all the random unselective breeding being done by people that just want to breed German Shepherds, that the gene has been re-awakened? Possibly? Though, people aren't realizing it, because the puppies are being brought to animal shelters(without any papers or background info), are being adopted as mixes, and nobody ever thinks to question it? Or, maybe some were given with their papers, as "unique or rare" colors? I do not know if blues ccan be registered, but perhaps they are saying they are blue?? Just a thought :) must say that the coloring is rather stunning in my opinion.

Harrisons, ok if you say so, I don't have a copy of "word & picture"
to hand to read up on the details of this reference.  I don't recall
seeing that pic before, but I may have forgotten ...  at any rate, I
guess it is still quite possible that both things are true:  it was one
of the foundation dogs, but it did have some greyhound in it's makeup ?
I don't think anything was specifically ruled out, in terms of outcrossing
​[except perhaps to wolves ? !], and so long as it could tend sheep, the
fact it may have been a lurcher could have been overlooked ? Especially
as there were probably plenty of shepherds' dogs to choose from.
Fascinating.
Was there any name with that ?

Nice Thread, 
@​momosgarage, I don't think the standard says anything at all about merle being a fault, as I don't think it has been detected in the breed in recent history from any credible source. I have not detected one a merle GSD in the database or in any litters ever.

However, the list of breeds that have merle are endless, as some have said here.
Austrailian Shepherd, Collie, Corgi, Border Collie, Sheltie, Chihuahua, Xolosuintle, Great Dane, Mudi, Dachshund, and the Catajoula Leopard Dog that has now been crossed with the Bulldog to get the Alpha Blue Blood BullDog. 
I have detected it too in the pit bull database and I am sure I have not mentioned all the breeds that carry it.

I do think it not likely it could hide as cryptic (phantom) merle is so rare. You would see an obvious inheritance from parent to each progeny. It is a pretty rescue dog though.

It would be nice to find out who the dog in the picture is if it was registered.

http://www.aboutgermanshepherddog.com/german-shepherds-evolution

The dog may have been registered with the first GSD society which failed. All I can remember is the dog is from the 1800s.

The link Lineage gives does not tell us any more;  no Max quotes; no dog's
name, no shepherd, no owner, no breeder, no place in original matings.  
Anyone got their copy of Max's book to hand, who could look up this picture
and tell us if there is ANY information on it ?  Please ?  [I hate these bits of
odd 'stuff' off websites !]  I was not expecting Registration details, or a Stud
Book No.  !!!
But we might hope, if the dog pictured formed any significant part of the
Wurrtemburg stock used to 'make' the breed, there would be at least some
mention of its unusual colour or other factors, given that the photo exists.

Hundmutter, I must have the wrong book. I couldn't find that picture. I found this one among others. I have no idea how helpful it is, because I can not read or write in German. Maybe someone who does can shed some light on this subject?

I was reading this thread and I wanted to mention that I have seen three in my version of the book as well, but a total different picture of a German Shepherd with a total black face that's merle, p. 128, this is the 2009 reprinted version by Hoflin. When you put the words "Merle German Shepherd in word and picture" into google it comes up in the first and fourth row when you hit the images link. In this version there are three of them the one I mentioned and two on two different pages, The information under the first picture is "Fig. 106. Long smooth haired shepherd dog from Saxony, flaked blue-grey". The other says "Fig. 107. Smooth haired shepherd dog from Brunswick, flaked blue-grey". There is also one on pg. 130, which says "Fig. 108. Smooth haired shepherd dog from Brunswick, tiger-spotted, black spots on grey ground, white points".

ETA: This starts in the Geneological Tree section of the German Shepherd-and Herdsman's dog.


Fig. 108


Fig, 106

I don't see fig. 107, online though.

Clearly neither of these two dogs (Bee's / Fig 108  ;  or Fig 106)
is the sighthoundy-looking one in the photo,  accompanying the
traditionally dressed German shepherd.

I am assuming that whether or not it would upload isn't the crucial
factor in CelticGlory's Fig 107, 'cos presumably CelticGlory can
actually SEE that online, and in their copy of the book,  even if we can't ...
and therefore would have said "It's that one. " ?  And it has a dark face.
Also, the ref to 'Brunswick' confuses. 

Not being familiar with von Stephanitz in the original
German language and script, I - at least - have no idea whether
the page Beetree reproduces is even his "Word & Picture",
or some other book / document.   Bee, can you put the cover &/or title
page up ?  I'd guess I could at least read enough to tell you if that is
the right book !

Surely someone out there has an older, translated copy of the actual
book, complete with illustrations/pix, who can tell us where and how
the merle Wurrtemburg dog features ?  Else, sorry but I am likely to believe
this is some sort of hoax.  

My copy is from !924 I have to get it out but I also have the 1924 digital copy. Its in one or the other just have to get it out and look.