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Dates & News:

ZimDog News, can be accessed from: www.vanerp.net.

I believe that Meryl Harrison has come back to live in Zimbabwe and is now helping Wild Life Society.
Helen Brown and her family will leave for the UK on 5 May and settle in Aberdeen.

KCH & ZKC are holding their AGM’s on this Sunday 28 March 2010

Zimbabwe Kennel Club:

The Zimbabwe Kennel Club office will now only be open on a Tuesday and Friday each week, 14.00-16.00 CAT.
Also they will come to Kennel Club every LAST SUNDAY of each month  

Local Shows and Fairs

He cannot be a gentleman which loveth not a dog [john northbrooke] 

German Shepherd Dogs are diverse not only in their abilities but also their appearance. Most people who aren't familiar with the breed mistakenly believe that there is only one colour/pattern combination in the breed, that being the typical 'black and tan/red, saddle back'. Of course, these are the same people that will probably state that your sable is a lovely husky mix, or ask if your solid black is mixed with Lab :)

The genes and alleles that control coat patterns and colours are not fully understood, and often complicated (and disputed), but we will try and provide an overview of the colours and patterns that the GSD coat can come in below.

The Basics: In genetics, some genes are dominant, co-dominant, recessive, etc. Dominant genes will 'override' recessive genes if both are present, meaning for a dog to physically exhibit a recessive gene, the dominant gene cannot be present.

Example: The Saddle Back pattern is recessive to the Sable pattern. This means if two Saddle Back dogs are bred, there can not be Sable pups, because neither Saddle Back parent would carry the Sable gene (otherwise they would be Sable).

Another factor that must be considered is whether a dog is Homozygous or Heterozygous for a certain trait. There are at least 2 genes for every trait. Homozygous means that the dog only carries one type of a gene for certain trait (coat pattern, for example.), while Heterozygous means that dog carries 2 different genes for the same trait.

Example: A Sable dog can be either Homozygous or Heterozygous Sable. This means it either carries 1 or 2 copies of the sable gene. If the Sable dog had, for example, a sable parent and a Saddle Back parent, that dog would carry both of those genes - Sable, and Saddle back. The dog would appear Sable since that is the dominant gene. This dog in turn could produce both Sables and Saddle backs, since he carries both genes.

For a Sable dog to be Homozygous Sable, it would have to have 2 copies of the sable gene. This would mean the dog would have had 2 Sable parents that both passed the sable gene on to it, and also that this dog can ONLY produce sables.

Confused yet? Genetics being long winded, complicated, and more than this writer can coherantly explain in the space of one page, we will provide some very helpful links to learn more about the genetics of the German Shepherd.

Zwinger von Arlett, Germany: The "Sable" German Shepherd Dog.
Sahiela German Shepherd Dogs: GSD Colours and Colour Genetics
GSD Blues and Livers: Genetics and FAQ

The colour/pattern combination that is by far the most seen is the Saddle Back pattern, and the colours Black and Tan (Tan will be used as default for tan, red, cream, silver, etc). This is the combination that is considered the 'classic' look of the German Shepherd. Other coat patterns that can be seen in the German Shepherd are "Blanket Back", where the Saddle markings will extend down to approximately the elbow of the dog, giving a 'blanket' rather than 'saddle' appearance. Bi-Colour is a pattern in which the 'saddle' covers most of the body, leaving markings only on feet and sometimes face. The Solid pattern is exactly as it sounds - one colour on the entire body of the dog. And lastly, there is the Sable pattern, which is the banding of colour on the dogs individual hairs, leaving a variety of shades and colours available. (Note: this is a simplification of the coat patterns for the sake of readability - there are more in depth genetics and factors involved, especially in the complicated sable pattern, that cannot be covered because they are not fully understood - yet!) Aside from the different coat Patterns, the German Shepherd also comes in a variety of colours. Black and Tan, Solid Black, Blue and Tan, Liver and Tan, Solid Blue, Solid Liver, Black Sable, Red Sable, Blue Sable, Liver Sable...there are many possibilities. Here's how you can identify just what colour of dog you're looking at:

The Blue Gene: The blue gene is a recessive colour gene. Both parents of a dog must carry this gene for a pup to be blue. At birth, dogs who are blue will be 'grey' or 'silver' in colouration, not the usual black. The blue gene is a Dilute gene, meaning it dilutes all the black pigment of a dog. This means Blue dogs have grey nose leather, and a grey 'dusted' appearance to their coats. The blue colouration can vary from a very light 'powder' blue to a very dark, almost indistinguishable 'steel' blue. Blue dogs will also have very light eyes, often being very blue at a young age, and as the dog grows, going through varying shades of green and yellow, often ending up yellow or a light shade of brown.

The Liver Gene: The Liver gene is also a recessive colour gene. The Liver gene blocks all black pigment, resulting in a dog that has brown nose leather, and a brownish coloured coat, where it would normally be black. The 'liver' colouration has a range of shades, varying from a very light brown to a deep chocolate brown. Like the blues, liver dogs also have light coloured eyes of varying shades.

"Kahlua", a liver and tan with a lighter brown coat and light brown muzzle/nose leather.

In closing, we'd like to leave you with a few thoughts to keep in mind. When coming across a German Shepherd breeder who advertises something they breed as rare or hard to find, you should use extreme caution. None of these colours are 'rare', nor are they particularly hard to find - blues and livers are not allowed under the standard, and when inquiring about a breeder who breeds specifically for these colours, take this into consideration, along with any other parts of the standard they see fit to ignore. Buyer beware, buyer be educated, but buyer, also keep an open mind. In the words of Captain Max von Stephanitz; "No good dog can be a bad colour".

Next month a little more on colours: Solid black, Bi-colour, Whites and Sables