| Over the past weeks, we have been looking at the | | | | due to the aesthetic preference, as sable coats are |
| differences in the many coat colourings seen in | | | | perhaps the least visually pleasing of all coat |
| German Shepherds and the problems that arise when | | | | colourings. The term "sable" refers to the colour |
| German Shepherd breeders focus on colour and | | | | banding of individual hairs in the coat. The hairs in a |
| appearance rather than working ability. We have also | | | | sable coat are often tan with black tips, but they can |
| talked a lot about the difference between recessive | | | | vary greatly from dog to dog. In fact, it is common |
| and dominant genes. Every dog has two sets of | | | | for a sable German Shepherd's coat to change |
| genes, and in a dog with two different gene | | | | greatly as the dog ages from puppy to adult. |
| variations telling it to have two different coats, the | | | | As a working dog, the sable colouring is well suited to |
| dominant gene will override the recessive gene. | | | | hunting or guarding live-stock, where camouflage |
| Uncommon colourings such as solid black, or solid | | | | could aid in the dog's role. As a guard dog, security |
| white are recessive to the common black and tan | | | | dog, or personal protection dog, the colour of a dog's |
| saddle-back coat. However, while saddle-back coats | | | | coat offers no real benefit, but a well trained, |
| are perhaps the most common and the most | | | | well-bred sable German Shepherd will be every bit as |
| well-recognized, the saddle-back gene is recessive to | | | | intelligent, strong and loyal as its saddle-back |
| one coat type: sable. | | | | counterpart. As we've said before, the colour of your |
| Sable German Shepherds are by no means | | | | dog's coat is not important in true protection work. |
| uncommon, but they are less recognized by the | | | | What is important is that the dog has the nerves and |
| general public than the classic saddle-black coats for | | | | genetics of a true working line German Shepherd. |
| which the breed is well known. This may simply be | | | | |