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German Shepherds Guide Book

Genetics of German Shepherd Coat Colors

Concerning the GSD and German Shepherd coat colors, the breed standard from the SV specifically states: “The color of the GSD is in itself not important and has no effect on the character of the dog or on its fitness for work and should be a secondary consideration for that reason. The final color of a young dog can only be ascertained when the outer coat has developed.”

Of all undesirable things to try to eliminate and to consider in a German Shepherd (aka the Alsatian), coat color should be at the bottom of the list. Good pigment should be sought after but many factors such as health and temperament, to name a few, should be much more important than coat color which should always be subordinate to structure, gait, type, and character and should never take precedence over the working ability of the dog. Eye color should be dark and nose pigment should be black as well.

Concerning the coat, the SV breed standard states the following: “The normal (stock) coated GSD should carry a thick undercoat and the outer coat should be as dense as possible, made up of straight hard close lying hairs. The hair on the head and ears, front of the legs, paws and toes is short. On the neck it is longer and thicker, on some males forming a slight ruff. The hair grows longer on the back of the legs as far down as the pastern and the stifle, and forms fairly thick trousers on the hindquarters. There is no hard or fast rule for the length of the hair, but short mole-type coats are faulty.” “No good dog is a bad color” — Max von Stephanitz (breed founder of the dog) concerning coat colors.

Ask just about anybody to describe a German Shepherd Dog and they will almost always mention the “saddle Back” markings. It is also just as possible for the GSD to be one solid color such as black (solid white is considered a conformation disqualification for showing by the AKC) or sable. Sable coat colors are easily identified by multi-colored individual hairs all over the body. Sable GSD’s may also be masked by dark or black guard hairs.

German Shepherd coat color patterns may include any of the following: black & tan, black & red, black & cream, solid black, solid white, (considered a conformation disqualification), sable (also called agouti or wolf gray, in various colorations), black & silver, liver (rare – conformation fault) and blue (rare – considered a conformation fault).

Richer pigmentation is preferred, color wise. While I won’t delve deeply into the science of genetics (feel free to do that on your own if interested), just know that the liver color comes as the result of matched recessives in the black series and the blue color happens as the result of matched recessives in the dilution series.

Coat colors and inheritance in the GSD is very complex and controlled by several series of genes. Following is a very brief description and summary of the various gene series in the GSD responsible for color based on information from “The German Shepherd Dog: A Genetic History” and “Practical Genetics for Dog Breeders”, both by Malcom Willis. Both of these books should be considered as required reading for any serious fan and even more importantly for breeders. Another suggested resource is “The German Shepherd Today” by Winifred Strickland and James “Jimmy” Moses.

THE AGOUTI SERIES

The basic body color of the GSD is controlled by the genes. The order of coat colors dominance is as follows: golden sable, gray sable, saddle marked black and tan, bi-color* black and tan (bi-color is where the dog only has tan on the legs and face, not on the body), and black.

Additionally, know that the black gene is recessive to all the other colors in GSD’s. Solid black German Shepherds bred to solid blacks German Shepherds will only produce blacks. The sable colors are dominant over the other colors and patterns in the breed.

THE BLACK SERIES

This gene controls the black pigment formation on the GSD, not the hair color. The German Shepherd coat colors order of dominance is exactly as follows: Black pigment including nose, eyerims and pads; Carrier for liver color; Liver color – brown black colors, brown nose, eye rims and pads.

Note: most GSDs are considered black pigment including nose, eyerims and pads.

THE WHITE SERIES

White coat color in the German Shepherd Dog is recessive to all other colors. In order to get a white coat color in the German Shepherd, both parents must carry the white gene (either be white themselves or be carriers.) The order of dominance is as follows: Melanin is produced. (Standard GSD’s colors have this); Partial albinism (not seen); White coat with dark eyes and nose (not albino); Yellowish coat collar (proposed).

THE COLOR SERIES

This controls the intensity of the non-black coloration. The order of dominance is as follows: Lightest tan (cream); Intermediate tan (tan); Darkest tan (red).

The intensity of the color series determines whether GSD’s with color (i.e. not all- black or all-white recessives) will be black & cream,black & tan or black & red.

Coat Lengths in GSD’s

Short-coated German Shepherd’s maintain a short coat, which lies close to the body. These dogs usually have less undercoat.

“Plush” Coated GSD’s have a medium length coat with a thin, fluffy under coat. These dogs do not have any feathering as in the long coated GSD’s.

Long coated German Shepherd’s have much longer fur around their ears, on the backs of their legs, chest and tail (feathering) than other German Shepherd’s.

THE DILUTION SERIES

This controls how intense the black pigment will appear on your German Shepherd. The order of dominance is as follows: Dense pigment; blue dilution.

Black pigment combined with blue dilution will produce a blue coated German Shepherd which looks as though it has a dusty or flour sheen.

THE MASK SERIES

This controls whether or not a mask appear on your German Shepherd.The order of dominance is as follows: a black mask on the face; dark coat with no mask; Brindle (rare, will be seen as striping on the legs); clear tan.

All these genes put together determine your own German Shepherd’s coat colors.

German Shepherds are really incredible dogs. But they’re not for everyone – and if you’re thinking of getting one I highly encourage you to do all the research you can about them ahead of time.

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Golden Retriever breeder

So, you have done the research and decided that the golden retriever is the right kind of dog for you.  You have wisely decided to bypass the poor quality goldens available at many pet stores and go with a reputable breeder.  But, how do you find one?  With golden retrievers being one of the countries favorite dogs, there are bound to be more then a few shady breeders out there that are in it for the love of the money and not the love of the breed.  Finding a knowledgeable breeder with high quality dogs can be challenging.  But, being able to live the next 15 years of your life with a dog with a healthy personality and body is worth the effort.

The best way to find a quality golden retriever is to become an educated buyer.  Learn all that you can about the breed especially when it comes to its health and its temperament.  Although goldens are a great breed of dog, that does not mean that they are free of problems.  Actually many goldens have health problems like bad hips known as hip dysplasia resulting from bad breeding.  When you are looking to buy a golden puppy, it is of the utmost importance to find a breeder that has had the parents of the puppy checked by the OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) for signs of this disease.  This is an X-ray based diagnostic protocol that a reputable breeder is aware of.  There should be no excuses as to why a breeding pair would not be checked regardless of what a shady breeder might say.  A reputable breeder would be willing to show you any of the papers to verify that their dogs are in good health.  Other health concerns for golden retrievers include cataracts.  A breeding pair should also be checked to ensure they are not passing along the genes that cause this kind of hardship for the dog later on in life.

Typically a Golden Retrievers Breeder loves to take about their breed of dog.  They would not mind discussing their breeding pair with you or what sort of competitions or ribbons they have won.  They will not shy away from allowing you to spend time with their breeding pair to get a feel for the personality traits that your puppy will inherit.  A key to understanding if you have found a quality breeder is to find out what they are looking for as far as a home for the puppies they have for sale.  If their top priority is to find their puppies a good loving home, you know that you have found a good breeder.  They should also be willing to take the puppy back without a reimbursement if for some reason you can no longer take care of your puppy.

Finding a good Golden Retriever Information is not as hard as it seems.  By putting the work into finding a proper breeder, you can ensure that the puppy you buy will be a life long and faithful companion.

yorkshire terrier

Yorkshire Terrier Colors: Black Tan, Blue Gold, Blue Tan, Black Gold

General Information

Life span: 10-15 years

Size: Sometimes called a Yorkie is a toy sized dog that you will find in sizes from 6 to 12 inches tall. Some will be as little as 2 1/2 Lbs up to 12-14 Lbs. The standard for a Yorkie is not more then 7 Lbs and not over 7 inches tall for shows.

Coat: Main body has darker colors such as black or blue with head and chest lighter tan or gold colors. Hair is long, straight, and glossy with silky texture. The coat when cared for can be as as long as to drag the ground. But most of the time it’s kept in what is called a puppy cut about 1 to 1 1/2 inches long.

Appearance: Compact body, small erect V shaped ears. Medium dark eyes, tails are usually docked. Head is small with short muzzle. Being a true terrier that was bred to fight rats its hard to believe they could look so beautiful when groomed for shows.

Temperment: Active, tough, ready to romp whenever possible. A Yorkshire Terrier is a verry affectionate and loveing friend. They will run and play with children all day or sit on your lap for hours. They are also a good guard dog despite their size. Yorkies are easy to potty train and quick to learn.

The four most important congenital health problems are

Tracheal collapse, Patellar luxation, Retinal dysplasis, Portosystemic shunt (Liver Shunt) Yorkie breed. These four disorders are somewhat common in them and can seriously affect the health of your yorkie pet and may require medical or surgical attention.

Tracheal Collapse

Tracheal collapse is a narrowing of the inner diameter of the trachea, that fluctuates with the stage of the respiratory cycle. When the yorkshire terrier breathes it causing a harsh cough. Made of cartilage the rings of the trachea lose their ability to maintain their shape, and collapse. Most often this disorder is seen in middle-aged toy and miniature breeds. Chronic respiratory infection, obesity, and heart disease can all contribute to the development of the condition, but it appears that there is also a congenital deficiency (yorkie is born with it) in the make-up of the trachea itself.

Patellar Luxation

The knee cap (patella) normally fits into a groove in the thigh bone (femur). The patella slides up and down in this groove as the leg bends and straightens. Patellar luxation means that the knee cap has slipped out of the groove. Your yorkie will be lame when the patella is out of place. There are several reasons why this happens, including malformation of the groove. Luxation may happen only occasionally, or may happen continuously. The knee cap may pop back into the groove on its own, or your veterinarian may need to push it back into place. Over time your yorkshire terrier may develop other degenerative joint changes, such as osteoarthritis.

Retinal Dysplasis

The normal retina lines the back of the eye. The retinal cells receive light from the external environment and transmit the information to the brain where it is interpreted to become vision. In retinal dysplasia, there is abnormal development of the retina, present at birth. The disorder can be inherited, or it can be acquired as a result of a viral infection or some other event before the yorkie pups were born.

There are 3 forms of retinal dysplasia

1. Folding of 1 or more area(s) of the retina. This is the mildest form, and the significance to the dog’s vision is unknown.

2. Geographic – areas of thinning, folding and disorganization of the retina.

3. Detached – severe disorganization associated with separation (detachment) of the retina. The geographic and detached forms cause some degree of visual impairment, or blindness.

Portosystemic Shunt (Liver Shunt)

Portosystemic shunts may be acquired secondary to another disease, or they may be congenital – that is the yorkshire terrier is born with a shunt. A congenital shunt usually occurs as a single abnormal blood vessel that is a remnant of normal embryonic development. These shunts are defined as intra-hepatic or extra-hepatic depending on the location of the blood vessel in relation to the liver. In a yorkie with a portosystemic shunt (PSS) there is abnormal blood flow in the liver. In a portosystemic shunt, as the name implies, portal blood by-passes the liver and goes directly to the systemic venous circulation (caudal vena cava). Blood should flow from the digestive tract to the liver via the portal system into the blood vessels of the liver, and then to the caudal vena cava which is the large blood vessel carrying blood back to the heart One important function of the liver is to clear toxins, many of which are by-products of protein digestion, from the blood. In PSS, these toxins are not cleared, and circulate in the body. This causes the clinical signs associated with PSS, many of which are neurological. The complex of neurological and behavioural signs caused by liver dysfunction is called hepatic encephalopathy. Most yorkshire terriers with congenital portosystemic shunts show clinical signs before 6 months of age. Where signs are subtle, the condition may not be diagnosed until much later.

siberian husky

Siberian Huskies are strong, compact, working sled dogs. The medium sized head is in proportion to the body, with a muzzle that is equal in length to the skull, with a well defined stop. The color of the nose depends upon the color of the dog’s coat. It is black in gray, tan or black dogs, liver in copper dogs and flesh-colored in pure white dogs. The medium sized, oval shaped eyes are moderately spaced and come in blue, brown, amber, or any combination thereof. Eyes can be half blue and half brown, (parti-eyed) or can have one blue eye and one brown eye (bi-eyed). The erect ears are triangular in shape, set high up on the head. The teeth meet in a scissors bite. The tail is carried over the back in a sickle curve, not curved to either side when the dog is excited. The large “snow shoe” feet have hair between the toes to help keep them warm and for gripping on ice. Dewclaws are sometimes removed. The medium length, double coat is thick and can withstand temperatures as low as -58 degrees to -76 degrees F ( -50 degrees to -60 degrees C). Coat colors include all from black to pure white, with or without markings on the head. The face mask and underbody are usually white, and the remaining coat any color. Examples of common colors are black and white, red and white, brown, gray and white, silver, wolf -gray, sable and white, red-orange with black tips, dark gray and white. Pie-bald is a very common coat pattern.

Temperament

Siberian Huskies are loving, gentle, playful, happy-go-lucky dogs who are fond of their families. Keen, docile, social, relaxed and rather casual. This is a high energy dog, especially when young. Good with children and friendly with strangers, they are not watchdogs, for they bark little and love everyone. Huskies are very intelligent and trainable, but they will only obey a command if they see the human is stronger minded than themselves. If the handler does not display leadership, they will not see the point in obeying. Training takes patience, consistency and an understanding of the Arctic dog character. If you are not this dogs 100% firm, confident, consistent pack leader, he will take advantage, becoming willful and mischievous. Huskies make an excellent jogging companion, as long as it is not too hot. Huskies may be difficult to housebreak. This breed likes to howl and gets bored easily. Does not do well if left alone for a long period of time without a great deal of exercise before hand. A lonely Husky, or a Husky who does not get enough mental and physical exercise can be very destructive. Remember that the Husky is a sled dog in heart and soul. They are good with other pets if they are raised with them from puppyhood. Huskies are thrifty eaters and need less food than you might expect. This breed likes to roam. Siberian Huskies can make wonderful companions for people who are aware of what to expect from these beautiful and intelligent animals and are willing to put the time and energy into them.

Height, Weight

Height: Dogs 21-23½ inches (53-60cm.) Bitches 20-22 inches (51-56cm.)

Weight: Dogs 45-60 pounds (20½-27kg.) Bitches 35-50 pounds (16-22½kg.)

Health Problems

Prone to hip dysplasia, ectopy (displacement of the urethra), eye issues such as juvenile cataracts, PRA (primarily in male dogs), corneal dystrophy and crystalline corneal opacities. Breeders can get hip screenings from the OFA and eye screenings yearly from a canine opthamologist (AVCO) and register the exam through CERF and SHOR). Also prone to a skin issue known as zinc responsive dermatitis, which improves by giving a zinc supplements.

Living Conditions

They are not usually recommended for apartments, however they can live in apartments if well trained and properly exercised. Siberian Huskies are very active indoors and do best with a fenced-in large yard. Because of their heavy coats, these dogs prefer cool climates. One has to use common sense with respect to maintaining them in the heat by providing adequate shade and air conditioning. This breed prefers to live in packs.

Exercise

Siberian Huskies need a fair amount of exercise, including a daily walk or jog, but should not be excessively exercised in warm weather. They need a large yard with a high fence, but bury the wire at the base of the fence because they are likely to dig their way out and go off hunting.

Life Expectancy

About 12-15 years.

Grooming

The coat sheds heavily twice a year. During that time they need to be brushed and combed daily.

Origin

Siberian Huskies were used for centuries by the Chukchi Tribe, off the eastern Siberian peninsula to pull sleds, herd reindeer and as a watch dog. They were perfect working dogs for the harsh Siberian conditions: hardy, able to integrate into small packs, and quite happy to work for hours on end. The dogs have great stamina and are light weight. Native to Siberia, the Husky was brought to Alaska by fur traders in Malamute for arctic races because of their great speed. In 1908 Siberian Huskies were used for the first All-Alaskan Sweepstakes, an event where mushers take their dogs on a 408 mile long dogsled race. The dogs gained popularity in 1925 when there was a diphtheria epidemic in Nome, Alaska. Siberian Huskies were used to bring in the much needed medicine to the people. In the late early to mid 1900s Admiral Byrd used the dogs in his Antarctic Expeditions. During World War II the dogs served on the Army’s Arctic Search and Rescue Unit. The Siberian Huskies talents are sledding, carting and racing. The Siberian Husky was recognized by the AKC in 1930.

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K9 training

You ask, “What is a working dog?” “Is it a dog that does more than hang out at the house all day and bark at the mailman?” “Is it a dog that gets in the car like Mom and Dad and goes to the office?” Well, sort of ….

Working dogs are amazing animals specially trained to protect people and to make life easier for them. Some working dogs act as eyes for blind people, ears for the hearing impaired, and helpers for the physically challenged. They also protect sheep from wolves, and they can help a police officer catch criminals. These special dogs can find victims of disasters under lots of rubble, and they can find people lost in the woods. They are awesome.

The FBI has some very special working dogs. Power is the newest addition to the group of Working Dogs at FBI Headquarters. His job as a Chemical Explosives Dog is to sniff out bombs, explosion debris, firearms, and ammunition. Other FBI Working Dogs find drugs, money, and people. Just how do they do it?

Dogs instinctively know how to find things. A Handler, the dog’s human partner, teaches the dog what to search for. A dog can use all of his/her senses, like hearing, seeing, and smelling to find a specific person or thing. To do this, though, requires a lot of training. They are always practicing, but the dogs love it because it is what they were born to do.

At the FBI, the Handler is usually a FBI Special Agent or an FBI Police Officer. The Agent or Police Officer and his or her dog work together as a team. The Handler teaches the dog to find very specific things in all kinds of weird places like in a tree, in the woods or a field, in a suitcase, in a car, on a street, in a closet, under rubble, or in the water or under snow.

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