The Brown Joke

Recently on Facebook there has been a lot of banter about the "brown" dog and pups. A couple of people who are not in the breed have messaged me privately asking what it was about as brown is a non-standard colour in the breed, and knowing me to be a bit of a breed purist, it has left them confused. 

It all started with Ross, who is a sable I bought in from one of the breeds top kennels "Silkenwood." (His breeder is judging Crufts next year.) I was at the vets when Ross was a puppy and coincidentally another local GSD exhibitor also arrived. He was/is a friend, a nice guy, but having been involved in the breed for a very short 10 years or so he already thought he knew it all, as was his nature. Obviously he didn't, and he did not recognised a sable puppy, saying nothing to me he reported back that I had bought a "Brown" puppy. Of course the recipient of the information was on the phone to a friend within days and was horrified that I had bought a brown dog. When my friend tried to explain that he was a sable, she was not having it as "the expert" had told her he was brown!!! I understand that some adult sables can be mistaken for black and tan, but the puppies are dramatically different with the huge changes in both colours as they grow, but if in doubt check under the top layer of hair. 

Orin - black and tan

Ross - sable

What often confuses people is that some black and tan's fade, more often females but sometimes males too. So sables darken and black and tans fade. 

Both top photos are of Krizzie and the bottom photos of Asha shows the fading from youngsters to adults. Beacause Krizzie was a red tan the fading didn't detract in the ring, but sadly it always went against the paler coloured Asha.