well she's definitely not sable, or anything that resembles a sable. If the dam is black and the sire is black/red then there is no possible way for her to be sable.

The picture doesn't show what needs to be seen so at her age, I would say black and tan as the black in her coat hasn't finished receding. She may end up a blanket back or she may indeed be a bi-color.

Get an Embark test for health and traits and you'll know for sure.

 

What is Melanistic?

 

Just means having more black than a typical blanket back was my understanding

 

I’ve gotta ask - WHO said this dog is sable? Sable where!? 🧐

 

lol someone on Reddit of course .

 

She looks very close to what my boy is very nearly a bi-color. She has a tinge of tan on sides of face, under neck & looks like a hint in the ears. Technically a true bi-color is all black on & around the face & head with just tan on legs with tar heals and usually black penciling on the front toes. Though most people will call her a bi-color, the same way most call my boy a bi-color.

Who the heck said sable? Not in any way shape or form. Pretty girl, I'm a bit biased though, love those bi-colors or nearly ones.

If the dam was solid black there is no carried sable. Sable is dominant in a GSD so it would be sable dog even with just 1 sable color gene. You can have a sable carry black, but not the other way around. Black is recessive so she would have 2 black color genes. Unless this is one of those Russian black showlines which is a whole other thing.

 

Thank you for the info on sables. The dams sister was a sable so I thought there was some possibility . I do love the dark color on her she had the pencil marks on her toes but faded out about 4 months old. Always had a bit of tan on ears , cheek area and strip on her chest. Your boy is beautiful!

 

My guy had very strong penciling on the toes when younger, still has a bit, but most of it faded. He's just over 1 year now so his color is pretty much set. Your girl will still change some. Do you have a photo of her standing so we can see her full body? Does she have any tan behind her ears or is it black?

 

Definitely a Black and Tan. Not a Bi-Color, as there are no Pencil Toes on front or back feet. What black she does have on the legs will continue to recede. Could possibly be a Blanket Back Black and Tan, or could recede enough to be a Saddle Back Black and Tan. You won't know which one until closer to a year old, but is categorized as Black and Tan.

Absolutely not a Sable.

 

Black and Tan Blanket Back

Bi Color

Bi Color's have Pencil Toes and Tar Heels.

 

Dragon is definitely a true bi-color. Kayman's brother Bullet has the penciled toes, but has tan on the sides of the face too so not technically a bi-color, yet hardly a blanket black/tan either.

 

 

This is her from the side trying to get her to sit still was nearly impossible. Has the Tar Heels and no tan behind her ears . Had pencil marks but they faded out .

 

Still hard to say at her age. If she had more tan on the sides of face when younger & it went more to black that could be a sign of the bi-color modifier. On a black/tan blanket the tan usually spreads as they get older. The small bit of tan on the sides of my boy's face & under his neck almost all went away & turned black accept for the minor small amounts you still see.

 

Nina’s AKC paperwork had bicolor checked off, but her pencil toes have faded. She still has her tar heels and she has some tan behind her ears and “eyebrows”

 

This is not a bicolor. All bicolor are black and tan, but not all black and tans are bicolor. You can use genetic testing for the answers. The tan on her face says black and tan.