Yeah to me Hans, Mikko, and the ones Lisa posted (coming from Lord), and my Coke are what I picture when someone says "reverse mask", though it's really just a lack of a mask, not reverse anything. But you are right because it's not really a color pattern anyway, it's just lack of a mask. However I guess I would say to use the term the color is pretty much set once the dog is 12-18 months or so, I wouldn't use that term to describe normal fading of color over the dog's lifetime. Like I don't think an older dog that gets faded in the face is a "reverse mask" (for example my 11 year old foster dog Ruger had very little mask left but did when he was younger). A dog with little black on the muzzle will see it mentioned in a show critique but an older dog that is faded white probably will not, if that makes sense.
Actually, from what I understand, the mask pattern that Lord has is a result of fading and that many of his descendents with dark muzzles will end up with a reverse mask as mature adults. Maybe that's why they retain the black masking around the lips as opposed to not having the muzzle-mask at all, as you see in, say, Rotties or Dobes.
Ok, I see some good examples on that page with the dark masking on the forehead, but Murphy appears to have the same "pattern" only he has less pigment? also Ranger the dog in my avatar was said to have a reverse mask, his mask is not as dark as some on that page, yet his tongue has blue spots which I thought was an indicator of good pigment? or is this something different altogether?
^ pigment can show itself in multiple ways - the richness of the dogs color, the skin leather (nose, lips, around the eyes), the eyes themselves or as you mentioned misplaced pigment in the form of spotted tongues. strong pigment in all areas is desirable but may not be the case.
^ any coat/color/pattern description is (or should be) based on adults. it's the nature of our breed to change dramatically as they grow up. for example a near black puppy that ends up being a saddle back is always a saddle back (genetically). you wouldn't say you have a bi color that became a blanket back that became a saddle back.
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