Ranger at 6 months

[Typhoon]

Still working on getting his left ear up...

[Stosh]

The 3rd picture cracks me up! I love the tongue going one way and the ear going the other way.

[GsdLoverr729]

What a handsome boy!!!
I think I can fix that ear for ya if ya send him my way... Will only take me 13-15 yrs

[gmcwife1]

Handsome boy!!

[hoplite6]

Very nice.

[grettasmom]

He's a very handsome young dog! I love his coloring.

[Maggies Dad]

Up or down he's a Very Good Looking Boy!!
You should be proud.

[Gharrissc]

Very picturesque

[Typhoon]

Hey thanks for all the kind words. He's a great pup -- if a little headstrong and boisterous -- and we are very proud of him.

Stosh,

Yeah, I put that picture in just because it had such a silly puppy look about it. He's getting big and all and can strike some regal GSD poses, but that picture is still pretty much his personality right now.

Grettasmom,

I really like his coloring too. He's actually colored just about exactly like his mother, whose coloring I was very taken with. And in particular, I really liked the silverfish stripe down her back. I was actually hoping he'd develop it.

As you can see, he did. So happens though that I hadn't been around WGSL dogs in several years, so I'd never seen the strip before, didn't know it had a name, and sure didn't know that name was "bitch stripe."

What an unfortunate name for what I consider to be a very attractive trait.

But from watching Ranger grow and develop and reading up "some on bitch stripes" I have come to a couple opinions.

First is that it seems there's an opinion out there that this stripe is associated with neutering in males. Ranger being intact and having such a pronounced stripe, I'd tend to discount that.

Second is I've also read that this stripe is a result of fading or weakened pigmentation. From my observation, I'd tend to discount that as well. Reason being that everywhere but the stripe, Ranger's pigmentation is extremely robust. His red areas are very deep red -- actually quite a bit more than these pictures show -- his saddle is jet black everywhere but the stripe, his toenails are very dark black, and the hairs of the stripe itself are only tipped silver. They're just as black at the base as the rest of his saddle.



I'm thinking this is something of a distinct coloration that was introduced into the WGSL line in the past twenty years, and maybe even by just one dog. What I'd love to know if that's true is just who that dog might be.

Of course, I could also be completely wrong. I'd love to hear any more thoughts on the issue.

[lorihd@comcast.net]

handsome boy!!!!!