Alice White
A dog of the German Shepherd breed, regardless of color, is a friendly, very obedient, and owner-oriented animal, well amenable to training. These pets are very intelligent and can make independent decisions in the most unexpected situations. Today there are several colors of the “German”, which are included in the standard description of the breed. And also there are non-standard colors that do not detract from the qualities of the pet.
German Shepherd: Multi-Colored Coat Color
The multicolored color is now included in the breed standard, many breeders of dogs with pronounced working qualities prefer this very color of their dogs. It is believed that the original wild dogs, from which the current pets appeared, had just this color.
Its peculiarity consists of mixing light and dark shades over the entire surface of the coat. Each hair has a light, almost white base, then continues in gray, then yellowish, and at the ends – black. This results in an unusual coloration.
Important! These dogs are believed to be more active and perform better.
In the wild, this color of the animal helped it to camouflage itself unhindered in its natural environment. Also, the coloring was good for hunting wild dogs and wolves. By the way, the second name of the multicolored color is “wolf”.
Defect or Breed?
The multi-color coat is included in the standard description of the German Shepherd breed, although there are few representatives of this color at exhibitions. However, breeders cannot completely refuse to participate in breeding dogs of this color, as it increases pigmentation in puppies.
Experienced breeders note that such dogs are more active, they are tuned in to work and easily obey the commands of the owner, they are easy-going. This has not been scientifically proven, but in comparison with pets of the usual color, these characteristics are very pronounced.
Other Coat Colors of German Shepherds
To date, about a dozen different colors of dogs of this breed are known. The standard includes only four of them. However, the standard description is intended only for dogs with a show career, the shades do not affect the working qualities.
Standard Coat Colors
In the standard description of German Shepherds, there are only 4 acceptable colors: black and back, as the most common, black and tan, completely black and zoned (multi-colored). These representatives of the breed have the opportunity to build an exhibition career and participate in further breeding.
Non-standard Coat Colors
All non-standard colors of shepherd dogs are extremely rare. Usually, it is white, red, gray, golden, spotted, roan. All of them are excellent representatives of the breed, carry out their functions well, but cannot participate in breeding and exhibitions.
The German Shepherd Dog, regardless of color, is a very intelligent, beautiful, reliable animal. It will become an excellent guard and companion for any family, even with small children. In addition, German Shepherds are excellent shepherds and good pets.
