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Different colors of German Shepherds?
When you think of a German Shepherd, the white German Shepherd is not the classic image that comes to mind. Rather, it would be the black and tan, or possibly the black and red: a stunning dog with a black saddle or blanket marking on its back, predominantly red or tan legs and chest, and a blend of colors on the face and ears.
But is that the only way German Shepherds come? Not at all! There are many different colors of German shepherds! This breed is versatile in every way (read more about German Shepherds here), and their options in coat color are no exception!
White German Shepherd
This color is increasing in popularity among dog owners. You have probably seen them playing at the dog park, lounging in your neighbors yard, or perhaps a family member even has one. While white German Shepherd dogs are beautiful to look at, they are not accepted as part of the breed standard and to find one, you typically have to find a breeder who specializes in producing dogs with the masking gene. This masking gene is what “covers” the color genes and makes the dog white instead.
Because they are not officially accepted in the working or show worlds, you won’t very often see a solid white German Shepherd working with police forces, in therapy jobs, or other official roles.
Sable German Shepherd
Though this color doesn’t enjoy the same popularity as the black and tan, or even the extremes such as the black or white German Shepherds, it is actually the most common! Why? Because the sable gene is dominant over all the other colors. A sable German Shepherd Dog who carries a double copy of the sable gene will only produce sable puppies, regardless of what color dog they are bred to, and if they are the male or female in the breeding.
The sable German Shepherd carries an appearance of stately impressiveness. They can often look intensely protective (more than their recessive counterparts), even though their temperament in reality doesn’t vary from those expressing different colors.
In the working world of protection and tactical work, sable German Shepherds are some of the most common to see, and they can often be confused with the Belgian Malinois breed.
Dark, or Black Sable German Shepherd
The dark sable, or sometimes called the black sable German Shepherd is a variant of the sable German Shepherd that is beautiful to behold. It is thoroughly accepted within the breed standard and is also seen regularly in working dogs. It is simply produced when a sable parent is bred to a black parent, so the results are sable with darkened pigmentation.
Silver Sable German Shepherd
These dogs are the opposite of the black sable version. Instead of having their pigmentation darkened to make them predominantly black, they receive a bit of visual dilution (not to be confused with the actual dilute gene sometimes found in Labradors) that makes their tan fur appear to be washed out. This gives them their dusty, gray appearance that has become known to some as silver.
Blue German Shepherd
As with all rare colors, including the white German Shepherd, there is debate around the blue German Shepherd. To some, it is viewed as a rarity to be honed and in which you could specialize. For others, it is seen as a serious fault in the genetics. Blue German Shepherds often appear to have a dusty gray coat.
Liver German Shepherd
The liver German Shepherd is another rare color, beloved and sought after by some and rejected as unacceptable by others. Liver German Shepherds are characterized by a soft brown color. They are not as desirable in the end because, as with the blue German Shepherd, they carry weaker genetics in the color gene pool.
All black German Shepherd
The black German Shepherd is a special color indeed! Some think that these eye-catching dogs look fierce, while others find them to appear quite approachable (more so than the old-world black and tan). In reality, though, the color of your German Shepherd does not affect its temperament. A well-bred Shepherd will demonstrate the personality of the breed, regardless of its outward appearance.
Black German Shepherd Dogs are so beautiful that we devoted an entire page to them. You can read more about solid black German Shepherds by clicking here.
Black and tan German Shepherd
By far the most well-known, the black and tan Shepherd is a dog lover’s classic. Handsome, elite, and strong depict what these stunning dogs convey, just by their amazing coloring. What more could one wish?
Black and red German Shepherd
The black and red German Shepherd! This is a slight variant on the black and tan, in that the tan fur is tinted with a definite red hue. These dogs often boast a deeper-than-usual black pigmentation in the parts that are black. All of the color is just a bit more intense with a black and red.
Black and silver German Shepherd
Still another variant of the old-world black and tan is the black and silver German Shepherd. They feature a very light colored, almost pale gray, or silver, fur where their cousin varieties are either tan or red.
Bi color German Shepherds
The bi color German Shepherd is a bit of a marvel. Though technically dominant to the solid black variety, the bi-color gene does not always act like it. It is known for being one of the more finicky-to-produce colors among breeders. On par with the black and tan in correctness, however, bi color German Shepherd is a wonderful site to behold. They are not quite as well known, and so do not enjoy the popularity that some of the other colors receive.
They sometimes will feature light brown eyes that give an almost orange appearance, which contrasts beautifully with their black fur and accents their tan or red legs. Any who are able to obtain one of these striking creatures should consider themselves happy, as far as dogs go.
German shepherd puppies SC
We are glad to offer a variety of German Shepherd puppies for sale from our family-run kennel in upstate SC. The primary colors that we have available are usually black and tan/red, black, bi-color, and sable. The rare, sometimes debatable colors, such as the white German Shepherd, do not usually appear in our litters. Not to be dismayed, however! We would love to help you obtain the dog of your dreams! Keep reading to see what colors we typically have available.
Solid Black German Shepherd puppies SC
If you are wondering about owning a solid black German Shepherd, you can contact us, as we sometimes have these uncommon but uncommonly beautiful dogs available.
Sable German Shepherd puppies SC
Sable German Shepherd puppies are some of our most frequently produced, since we breed with only working line dogs that come from strong gene pools carrying dominant genes. If you are interested in a sable (or dark sable) German Shepherd puppy, reach out to us and let us know!
Silver Sable German Shepherd puppies
As with some of the other more rare colors, we do not focus on producing silver sable German Shepherd puppies. We may have very light colored sable pups from time to time, however!
Bi-color German Shepherd puppies SC
This somewhat rare color (rare because of gene dominant/recessive qualities, rather than genetic weakness) is a favorite of ours. We hope to see many bi-color German Shepherd pups in our future breedings.
Black and tan German Shepherd puppies SC
Also a favorite of ours, this color combination will be one for which we strive in our annual productions.
White German Shepherd puppies
A favorite of some and the specialty of a few, white German Shepherd puppies can indeed be somewhat challenging to come by. We do not produce white puppies intentionally, but we are sure that you will be thrilled with one of our other beautiful color options. Choices really do abound!
Different colors of German Shepherd Puppies SC
DogSmith Purebreds is pleased to offer many different colors of German Shepherd puppies. It is interesting to note that some litters will contain a single color in all of its pups, while other litters will have as many as 3 or 4 different colors be expressed. One can never predict with certainty what colors will appear in a given litter. However, with proper genetic testing and pairing up of breeding dogs, it is possible to predict a “best guess” on what a litter will contain.
We would love to help you find the puppy you’ve been searching for. Contact us today to see what our upcoming litters are predicted to carry, and be sure to read our page about German Shepherds.
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