Sable German Shepherds: A Brief Overview
A Sable German Shepherd, also known as the classic German Shepherd, is a quintessential dog because of the similarity of its DNA with a wolf. They possess the dominant Agouti allele and are true German Shepherds in work ethic and color to the original GSD, Horand von Grafrath.
They may look different from common German Shepherds but carry the same traits and characteristics.
A sable German Shepherds color pattern means that almost all of their hair has a black tip, while the rest may have a different color. Although it is usual for this other color to be tan, there is a wide range of colors that can be seen, including gray, blue, red, and silver.
For a glance at the breed, check out the below table:
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Do You Have Experience With Dogs
German shepherds are highly trainable and obedient, which means even first-time owners should be able to take on the challenge of training them.
However, that doesnât mean they are well-suited for just anyone.
German shepherds need a commanding presence to keep them in check.
The sad reality is that many people are also afraid of big dogs like these, and their behavior and response to them can cause serious problems. You need to feel confident to take control of your dog in charged situations.
Blue German Shepherd Appearance: What Does A Blue German Shepherd Look Like
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Except for coat color, the blue German Shepherds share the same characteristics and physical traits as their other siblings.
They are medium to large-size dogs with muscular and well-balanced figures. Their overall appearances display nobility, intelligence, and composure.
A male blue German Shepherd dog usually stands between 24 and 26 inches tall and weighs around 65 to 90 pounds. Meanwhile, its female counterpart can reach 22 to 24 inches in height and weigh between 50 and 70 pounds.
What most people consider appealing about blue German Shepherds are their blue eyes, thanks to the dilution gene. However, some may also have yellow or amber eyes.
The head of a male blue German Shepherd dog should look masculine, while a female blue GSD should be distinctly feminine. They also have slightly pointed ears and long muzzles.
Blue German Shepherds have medium-length double coats. Their outer hairs should be dense, straight, harsh, and lying flat close to their bodies.
The tones of the blue pigmentation vary depending on the intensity of dilution. Some may exhibit rich blue color, while others may sport a grayish-blue hue.
Heres how a blue German Shepherd puppy looks:
Aside from a solid blue color, blue German shepherds can also sport bicolor coats: blue bicolor, blue and tan, and blue and sable.
Heres what the different variants of blue German Shepherds look like:
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Different German Shepherd Coat Color Patterns
Sam Shephard is an experienced German Shepherd owner and has learned throughout the years how to optimize the breed’s health and wellness.
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Not every German Shepherd is going to be a stereotypical tan with a black “saddle” and a black “mask.” In fact, this breed’s coat thickness, colors, and patterns vary significantly.
Two purebred German Shepherd dogs with excellent lineage can have wildly different colors, ranging from completely white or black to a combination of tan and black. Max von Stephanitz, the founder of this breed, once said, No good dog can be a bad color.
Some breed purists today might disagree, but just because the coloring of a German Shepherd dog isn’t show-ring standard doesn’t mean it isn’t up to breed standard for temperament, personality, and body shape. Before concerning yourself with a dog’s physical appearance, you should look to see if it has the right temperament.
But if you still want to pick a puppy based on physical appearance, this article will guide you through the most common coat color patterns of the breed as well as coat types.
Black & Silver German Shepherd
The black and silver German Shepherd is another common color combination. Even though they look more exotic than your average GSD, breeders still breed them, as theyve been growing in popularity.
Most of the time, color distribution may vary from dog to dog. However, they will typically have a silver base on the bottom of their body and black on the top half on their body.
The hue of black can range from a dark gray to a deep black. In some instances, the German Shepherd may have silver with multiple shades of black on the coat.
These dogs are truly spectacular in terms of appearance, and its not difficult to see why theyve been more prevalent among families in the United States .
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A Great Addition To The Family
Black German Shepherds may look aggressive, but they are very loving and friendly. These loyal hounds are great family dogs and will fit in with different types of household.
They are known to be funny, which is a trait that helps them get along with children or teenagers. The Black Shepherd can also have a soft spot for cats or other pets when provided with socialization training during their puppyhood.
Look at this amusing YouTube video of a Black German Shepherd doing a head tilt at the sound of a crying baby:
However, these dogs are aloof, and because of their watchdog nature, they will be wary of people they dont know.
Red Sable German Shepherd
Red sable is another fairly common sable German Shepherd color combination. Just like tan, red is a common coat color in German Shepherds, so many sable GSDs come in it.
In fact, according to many German Shepherd owners, red sable is probably the most unique and gorgeous GSD coat color. The bright red coat color looks striking when combined with black tips.
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How Big Do Sable German Shepherds Get
Sable German Shepherds are large dogs but do not grow over 26 inches tall. The smallest males are around 24 inches, and the females are usually smaller around 22 to 24 inches. Sable male GSDs generally weigh between 75 to 95 pounds, whereas females weigh between 55 to 73 pounds.
If you ever come across a sable German Shepherd that is even smaller than these statistics, he may be a miniature German Shepherd.
Blue German Shepherd Temperament: Do Blue German Shepherds Make Good Family Dogs
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Coat colors do not affect the temperament and behavior of dogs. This is true for all pooches regardless of breed and color.
The rare blue German Shepherd dog shares the same temperament as the other GSD variations. It is considered a loyal, courageous, obedient, and very intelligent dog that is perfect for guarding duties.
To give you a more detailed overview, heres how blue GSDs interact with others at home:
- With Family: Blue GSDs are very loyal and affectionate to their family members. They are also known to be calm, patient, gentle, and loving towards children. They will unhesitantly protect any of their family members if they sense any danger.
- With Other Dogs and Pets: Blue GSDs get along pretty well with other pets and dogs, especially if they have been with them for a long time. If they are given early socialization and training, they will behave well around other pets and dogs.
- With Strangers: Generally, blue German Shepherds can be quite suspicious of strangers. A well-trained blue GSD will remain calm and patient around unfamiliar people but will always be vigilant. They are always ready to protect their families from possible threats.
The individual temperament of each dog is influenced by the training it receives. If you want your blue German Shepherd puppy to have a befitting personality, make sure to provide training and socialization at a young age.
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Is A Sable German Shepherd Rare
But sable German Shepherds are often not as popular as other German Shepherd colors, making them more expensive than other GSDs. However, there are some species of sable that are very rare, the rarest kind among this breed being the recessive black. The dog is always entirely black and also carries sable or tan genes.
How Much Do Sable German Shepherds Cost
Sable German Shepherds are a rare breed and are therefore more expensive than other popular colors. Sable German Shepherd puppies cost anywhere between $2000 and $2500 compared to standard black and tan German Shepherd puppies, which cost between $900 and $2000.
Their rare coat color makes them stand out from other dogs and is a reason for their higher price. If this amount turns out to be out of your price range, you can always adopt them from local shelters as there might be some sable German Shepherds looking for a warm home.
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Question: What Dog Breed Looks Like A German Shepherd
The Belgian Malinois is a medium-size Belgian shepherd dog that at first glance resembles a German Shepherd Dog. Malinois are shorthaired, fawn-colored dogs with a black mask. They are one of four types of Belgian herding dogs, and have been shown in the U.S. as a separate breed since 1959.
How To Train A Sable German Shepherd
The fundamentals of training a sable German Shepherd are the same as any variety of the breed.
To train a sable German Shepherd, start young, use positive reinforcement or reward-based techniques such as treats or extra playtimes, and redirect bad behavior. Use short, effective timeouts for poor behavior, ignore demand barking, pawing, and jumping, and never yell or use physical punishment.
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Blue German Shepherd Color Genetics: What Makes A German Shepherd Blue
Dogs have two primary pigments in the body called eumelanin and pheomelanin . Through gene modification, other pigments such as blue, gray, and yellow are produced out of the two primary colors.
The gene responsible for the blue coloring of blue German Shepherds is known as the dilution gene.
This particular gene lightens up or washes out the rich and dark base colors, turning black into blue or gray and red into yellow or cream.
So technically, blue German Shepherds are black dogs whose colors are washed out or lightened up by the dilution gene.
The dilution gene is recessive. Meaning, a German Shepherd puppy must inherit two copies of it to exhibit a blue coat. This is one of the reasons why blue shepherd dogs are rare sights.
How Are Sable German Shepherds Born And What Are Agouti German Shepherds
American show lines are predominantly black and tan, whilst West German show lines are usually black and red.
We dont usually refer to those lines of German Shepherds as sable.
However, we often refer to the other bloodlines of German Shepherds as Sable German Shepherds.
These bloodlines are the East German working lines/DDR, West German working lines, and the Czech working lines.
The bloodlines could be described as follows:
The East German working line German Shepherds and West German working line German Shepherds are most likely Agouti German Shepherds with red hair modifiers
Czech German Shepherd could be shaded sable shaded sable dogs overlap with tipped sables and are red dogs with brown and black hairs.
But, they are most likely Agouti without being combined with phaeomelanin color dilution.
Phaeomelanin dilution turns the red hairs cream or grey.
Lets clear up the difference between Sable and Agouti in German Shepherds
Agouti is fur that is banded, and can be almost identical to shaded sable.
But, the pattern is like traditional tan points.
When combined with red dilution, the red hairs become cream or greyish.
Sable dogs are born when they have one sable allele on their A series.
But, the A series can only be expressed in the appearance of the dog if there is no dominant black allele on the K locus .
The agouti series is composed of the sable, agouti, tan points and recessive black alleles.
Sables can have three patterns clear , tipped or shaded .
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How Do You Tell If My German Shepherd Is A Sable
The sable color of the German Shepherd means that almost all their hairs will have a black tip to them, while the rest of the hair can be a different color. Normally this other color is tan, but there are a range of colors that the GSD can come in. These include white, parti, blue, liver, red and gold.
Nature Of The Sable Gsd
The Sable GSD is actually very similar to German Shepherds. There isnt much difference. But we are going to talk more about sable dogs and their nature. This is such a great dog that they deserve it.
The Sable GSD weighs between 75 to 95 pounds and is up to 26 inches tall. The females are a bit smaller. They weigh between 55 to 73 pounds and are no taller than 24 inches.
FUN FACT
The Sable German Shepherd actually has Agouti genes, and thats also the proper term for these dogs.
The Sable German Shepherd puppy has a double coat, which means they have a dense outer layer with a softer undercoat. Their double coat protects them from cold and hot weather.
Temperament
Did you know that the color of a dog can affect its temperament? Even health? For example, some colors of English Cocker Spaniels are more aggressive. Also, some shades of Labrador Retriever appear to have longer lifespans than others.
But, this is not the final rule. Science has not proven the correlation between coat color and temperament.
When it comes to the Sable GSD, there isnt a known difference to the GSD. At least nothing documented.
So, the Sable GSD has the same traits as regular German Shepherds. Which is great! It means they are good dogs.
The Sable GSD is loyal and smart. They love their family and would do anything for them.
They are working dogs. So they do best if they have a task! They hate being without a job. So always find something for your GSD to do!
Health and grooming
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Buy A Sable German Shepherd From A Responsible Breeder
If you are wanting to buy a sable German Shepherd puppy, remember that you wont know the real color of your German Shepherd until it turns 3 years old.
A sable German Shepherd pup will most likely be tan, and any breeder should be able to explain the parent dogs genetic make up in order to guesstimate the puppys potential colors in the future.
Before buying a pup, ask your breeder certain questions such as the history of the puppy, its parents, and its current condition.
Ask for a referral for a vet that you can trust, and ask for a tour of the breeders facilities to ensure that you are dealing with a legitimate and responsible breeder.
Are Sable German Shepherds Born Black
They can be sable**, in which case the hairs are banded with black and tan/brown/grey. These pups do not look mostly black when they are born, in general, though the color may appear to lighten or darken as they age. GSDs that are born mostly black and then change color are mostly the saddle pattern dogs.
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What Is Sable German Shepherds Breeding History And Where Does Sable German Shepherd Come From
The credit of bringing a German Shepherd dog or a Sable German Shepherd dog goes to General Max Von Stephanitz. Initially, German Shepherds were raised by Shepherds to keep an eye on their sheep. Thus, the German Shepherd was not typical of a pet dog breed or a military dog.
But, Max Von Stephanitz, a German General, gets attracted to this super adorable dog breed. He started crossbreeding a Hector named German Sh.
In his first year, Hector, after crossbreeding it with another dog breed, become the father of 84 mix-breed puppies. And this, way we get to know not only about German Shepherd but also German Shepherd mix-breed dogs.
Sable German Shepherd, on the other hand, has genes similar to that of Wolfs Ancestor. Thus, they are one of the pure German Shepherd breeds. Sable color signifies one of the true identities of the German Shepherds.
Sable Gsds Gets Darker/lighter With Age
As previously mentioned, the sable German shepherds color has a lot to do with the pigment cells. This means that as the dog grows and the sable German shepherds coat continues to become longer, the cells of the pigment will change. This will eventually lead to the pigments current type to transition to another.
Darkening Some sable German shepherds develop their color from light to dark as they age. In such cases, the part mainly affected is their back. This is mainly seen in dark sable German shepherds.
Lightening However, in the case of dark color getting lighter, it happens across the sides. As you probably guessed, this happens mostly on silver sable German shepherds.
Both Gold, mahogany, and red sable German shepherd are some of the cases where its difficult to figure out if their coat color will darken or become lighter.
So unlike any other German shepherd breed, you wont know about the eventual color unless they have fully matured.
Thats why even if youre not planning on breeding them in a show line, sable working line German shepherds can still be qualified in shows.
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Dog Breeds Similar To German Shepherds
The most popular breeds in the park where I walk my dog Kola are Cavoodles, Labradors, Pitbulls and German Shepherds. But I sometimes wonder when I look at these German Shepherds are they true German Shepherds or breeds similar to German Shepherds?
I have found 19 dog breeds similar to German Shepherds from around the world. Some share the same traits and look similar to a German Shepherd others just share looks and belong to the herding dog category.
What are these 19 dog breeds really like? In this article we explore many facets of each of the 19 dog breeds. So if youre looking for a breed similar to the German Shepherd, just read this article.
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