Kerstone Shepherds - GSD Patterns

PATTERNS

Solid

Patchworks Black Sabbath of Kerstone ~ Photo courtesy of Alicia Lips, Kerstone Shepherds
Solid is mostly known as a recessive gene in German Shepherds (at the 'a locus') - both parents have to carry it to produce it.
True solids come in black, blue, liver, and isabella.
If BOTH parents of a litter are recessive solids then all resulting puppies will also be solid patterned - NO saddles, bi-colors, sables, etc.
However, these recessive solid blacks CAN have visible tan hairs on the feet & lower legs.

Loujuan's I Love Lucy of Kerstone ~ Photo courtesy of Alicia Lips, Kerstone Shepherds
There are however some documented "dominant" solids within the German Shepherd breed (at the "K locus").
It seems these "dominant black German Shepherds" can also have a silvery undercoat, usually seen at the backs of the thighs and behind the elbows & shoulder blades.
Giving the impression of an extremely DARK sable or a "smoke" appearance.
Dominant solids can also come in black, liver, blue, and isabella.
The dog above was confirmed via DNA to be a dominant black at the K locus.

Kerstone's Cheif Cocoa ~ Photo courtesy of Peggy Grohman
This pup seems to be a dominant solid liver. She is pictured in the photo above at a couple of weeks old with her littermates.
As she aged she developed the "smoke" undercoat that seems to be common in dominant solids.

Sable

Kerstone's Jenna of Loujuan ~ Photo courtesy of Alicia Lips, Kerstone Shepherds
Jenna is a typical "aw" traditional sable. Pictured at 6 weeks old, then again as an adult.

Kerstone's Jethro ~ Photo courtesy of Alicia Lips, Kerstone Shepherds
Jethro is a less common "ay" sable, also called FAWN. These dogs loose the black on their body, but keep a black mask.
He is a long-coat.

Saddle

Regalwise RPMs ~ Photo courtesy of Alicia Lips, Kerstone Shepherds
This is the MOST COMMON pattern found in German Shepherds.
Most "saddle" patterned dogs have solid black saddles. Most also have tan "ticking" (tips of fur shaft is not black) coming through on the shoulders and back.
Many call the tan hairs down the top line a "bitch stripe".

Kerstone's Ridin' The Storm Out ~ Photo courtesy of Susan Gebur, Loujuan Shepherds
However, some sables have the "saddle" pattern as well. If the dog is a dark sable it can be hard to tell whether
the saddle is black with lots of ticking or if it is actually sable (shafts of fur will have 3 color bands).

Bi-Color

Black & Tan Bi-color
Beiko vom Raeuberwald ~ Photo courtesy of Andreas Mueller, Zauberberg K9 Academy, Inc.

"Panda Shepherds"

Tri-Color

Lewcinkas Franka vom Phenom and 2 of her puppies ~ Photos courtesy of Cindy McCann, Lewcinkas Kennels
Frankie & her pups are rare "Panda Shepherds". Franka's sire is black & tan saddle patterned and her dam is solid black.
Franka has been DNA-tested and is an AKC registered GSD.

Black & White

Phenom N Furrari's Flash ~ Photos courtesy of Marion Lopizzo, Furrari Shepherds
Dam is a tri-color Panda (Frankie, pictured above) and sire is a champion white.

Sable

Lewcinka's Artemus von Phenom ~ Photo courtesy of Cindy McCann, Phenom Shepherds
This puppy is a third generation "Panda Shepherd". Dam is a tri-colored Panda and sire is a champion white.

Brindle German Shepherd
"The Lost Color"

See photos of brindle German Shepherds from the early 1900's:
www.eastgermanshepherd.com/ds1.jpg, www.eastgermanshepherd.com/ds2.jpg, www.atlantic.net/~vcristel/images/brshep.jpg

See also another breed: DUTCH SHEPHERDS

Photos of DUTCH SHEPHERDS:
From: http://www.vonfalconer.com/dutchshepherd.html

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