All of the Bi-Colors I have produced have been born solid black and some of them did not get the "tell-tale" coloring around the anus until around 6-9 months old! Although most of them have shown some color (stray hairs) up their paws and legs. (the genetic/scientific definition of sable is the shafts of hair are more than one color) Judy in MN (who thinks color genetics is fascinating yet very frustrating! *grin*) ----- Original Message ----- From: Karen C. Do they have ANY tan hairs on them at all? Especially look for a ring of tan-colored hairs around or underneath the anus. Sometimes, that's the only place they'll have them. If you see any tan on them anywhere at all, then they are not solid black, but bicolor. And, just like their B&T littermate, they would be considered two-toned. On the other hand, if they are truly 100% jet black with no tan hairs on them, (and if there was no mismating), then their sire must be an extremely dark, intensive bicolor. He may appear solid black in this case. But genetically, he would be considered two-toned. I have to agree with Norma: I can't see any other way for you to have solid black and B&T pups in the same litter from this breeding. Is it possible that the babe you think is B&T is really going to be sable? I don't know... Just throwing that out. On one of those web sites I gave, they show a sable bitch with very distinct B&T patterning showing through her coat. Looking at her picture, she looks like a B&T. But they claim she is sable. Maybe that's a possibility? As for the blue color, that is inherited separately from A-locus colors like black and sable. So that's another set of genes altogether. Your blue puppies are genetically, one of the other possible GSD colors for this litter in addition to also being blue. =46MI on this, I'm attaching Salle Ackerman's excellent post. Hope this helps. PS: The parents of this litter are VERY, VERY PRETTY!!! :D Wouldn't I love to get my hot little hands on one of them? ;) Got to get away from this keyboard now. My head hurts! LOL!!! Karen C. kmc@xxxxxxxxxxxx Message follows -- "Salle Ackerman" <tekgirl@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:=20 >Like liver, a dog of any agouti pattern can be a blue. Blue is a simple >recessive with two possible alleles: > >D - not blue (this is dominant) >d - blue dilution > > >Thus, a dog can be > >D D - Dog is not a blue and does not carry for it > >D d - Dog is not a blue, but carries for it > >d d - Dog is a blue > > > >The B Series - "Black Series" > >Contrary to the name, this series does not cause black coat color. We >already saw that the A series controls that. The B series is the series = that >controls whether a dog is Liver. Liver is not just a coat color but = impacts >pigment and coat. On a liver dog, everything that is black (nose, pads, >saddle) becomes a brownish liver color. Depending on what the dog is on = the >A series, you could have a liver sable, a liver and tan or a solid = liver. > >Liver is a simple recessive, like white. The possible alleles are: > >B - dog's black pigment and coat is unaffected (this is dominant) >b - black pigment and coat are liver > > > >Thus, a dog can be > >B B - Dog is not a liver and does not carry for it. > >B b - Dog is not a liver, but carries for it > >b b - Dog is a liver ============================================================================ POST is Copyrighted 2004. All material remains the property of the original author and of GSD Communication, Inc. NO REPRODUCTIONS or FORWARDS of any kind are permitted without prior permission of the original author AND of the Showgsd-l Management. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ALL PERSONS ARE ON NOTICE THAT THE FORWARDING, REPRODUCTION OR USE IN ANY MANNER OF ANY MATERIAL WHICH APPEARS ON SHOWGSD-L WITHOUT THE EXPRESS PERMISSION OF ALL PARTIES TO THE POST AND THE LIST MANAGEMENT IS EXPRESSLY FORBIDDEN, AND IS A VIOLATION OF LAW. VIOLATORS OF THIS PROHIBITION WILL BE PROSECUTED. For assistance, please contact the List Management at admin@xxxxxxxxxxxx VISIT OUR WEBSITE - http://www.showgsd.org ============================================================================ ============================================================================ POST is Copyrighted 2004. All material remains the property of the original author and of GSD Communication, Inc. NO REPRODUCTIONS or FORWARDS of any kind are permitted without prior permission of the original author AND of the Showgsd-l Management. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ALL PERSONS ARE ON NOTICE THAT THE FORWARDING, REPRODUCTION OR USE IN ANY MANNER OF ANY MATERIAL WHICH APPEARS ON SHOWGSD-L WITHOUT THE EXPRESS PERMISSION OF ALL PARTIES TO THE POST AND THE LIST MANAGEMENT IS EXPRESSLY FORBIDDEN, AND IS A VIOLATION OF LAW. VIOLATORS OF THIS PROHIBITION WILL BE PROSECUTED. For assistance, please contact the List Management at admin@xxxxxxxxxxxx VISIT OUR WEBSITE - http://www.showgsd.org ============================================================================