SHEPHERD COLORS
Black and sable and bi, oh my! Naturally, German Shepherds have a fairly wide range of colors. Most of these are within standard, meaning they are recognized and acceptable to show in any given show ring, but some are considered faulty, and one is even outright disallowed. Then, there are the "rare" colors that some unscrupulous breeders will claim to have, which have no basis within the breed's history or have long since been bred out. So, how do you know what's natural and what isn't?
RECOGNIZED
Black & Red/TanBlack and Red, or Black and Tan, is perhaps the most iconic color within the breed. When you ask someone to picture a German Shepherd, they are probably picturing an almost entirely tan dog, with a distinct and classic "saddle" of black draped across his back and a black mask. Generally speaking, this color is predominantly found within pedigrees that are heavy with show line influence, be it American or German, though it is still occasionally found in working line pedigrees.
VA Dingo vom Haus Gero SchH3. Arguably one of the most famous German Shepherds, Dingo was considered the "perfect" example of movement within the breed for decades.
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Bi-ColorBi-Color is, genetically speaking, the basis for Black and Red/Tan. This is the color most people will immediately associate with Rottweilers and Dobermann- the distinct red or tan markings on the feet and chest of an otherwise all black dog, complete with two striking red or tan eyebrows. It is the gene that is responsible for creeping tan that allows for this color to become Black and Red/Tan. This color seems to be evenly distributed across the breed, popping up in show lines and working lines alike.
EGRCH Berenike Von Der Dreist CA CGCA CGCU SPOT TKN RUNN HIC RATI CD DJ DN UWP RN NHD BCAT TC. Noko is a beautiful example of an American show line and working line cross.
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BlackCurrently, two kinds of black exist within the breed: recessive (aa) and dominant (KB). Historically speaking, recessive is the older of the two, and considered by some to be the "correct" form of black, as dominant black (otherwise known as seal) did not start to appear until the late 1980s from a very specific line out of the USSR, and only recently gained popularity. Recessive black is an entirely black dog, devoid of any tan save the occasional bleed through between the toes and on the backs of the pasterns, and is seen commonly in every line. Dominant black often results in a dog who has phantom tan markings on his legs and feet, as it acts as a "mask" over whatever pattern exists on the a locus and is seen almost exclusively within German show lines.
SG Namasté z Gargamellu IGP3. A powerful, full-bodied working line female who showcases the striking recessive black.
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SableSable is, perhaps, the most prevalent color seen in working lines today. Each individual hair on the dog is banded, with alternating strips of light and dark color to produce a unique appearance. Very specifically, the type of sable seen in German Shepherds is agouti, or "wolf sable," and to this day, the SV records these dogs in their database as "gray." Max v. Stephanitz, the founder of the breed, had a very specific interest in this color, and seemed to prefer it to almost all others.
V UCH HAM Hustle vom Haus Tyson AD, IGP 2, TC, CD, RN, RATS, DM, DS, CGCA, CGCU, TKI. The foundation of vom Rabenauge, Akira is a classic example of the sable gene.
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FAULTED
While these colors are naturally occurring within the breed, they are faulted, meaning that they are undesirable. In the case of both of the below-listed colors, they are not explicitly disallowed, but due to the nature of dilution, they are disqualified on the basis that their noses cannot be black.
LiverLiver is a dilution of black on the D locus, which turns black brown. It is the main genetic component that makes Chocolate Labrador Retrievers, well... chocolate! It is a color that still occasionally appears in working line pedigrees, more so than in show line pedigrees. It is also, unfortunately, rampant within the backyard breeder community, where it is often bred solely for its uncommon appearance.
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BlueBlue is another form of dilution of black, although this one exists on the B locus, and turns black hair silver, as is seen in the Weimaraner. The most unfortunate aspect of this color, particularly, is that it can be prone to Color Dilution Alopecia, a condition in which the hair thins and may even fall out completely in patches across the body. While it is not impossible to find the gene in working line pedigrees, it seems to be more heavily found in American show line pedigrees, and is yet another color that has found a foothold in backyard breeder communities.
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DISALLOWED
White
White in German Shepherds is genetically recessive red. It acts as a masking gene over all other colors, preventing any other patterns from showing. Max viewed the color to be a sign of "degeneration," though he was also adamant that no color should be placed higher than working ability within the breed, such that even if a dog had a less-than-ideal coat color, he should not be dismissed if he has a good work ethic and sound nerves. However, the unfortunate fact of the matter is that Max was creating a breed during the rise of the Nazi regime, and its vast membership base meant that it could exert ever-increasing power over the SV, to the point that Max was forced out. They quickly began to attribute any and all faults, from deafness and blindness, to a loss of vigor and sterility, to the white coat. Even after World War II, these pervasive ideas prompted both the SV and the GSDCA to disallow the color entirely. As a result, white enthusiasts split off to create their own breed, the White Swiss Shepherd, which is now FCI-recognized.