Gallery 19 - Before and After

MASKED BEAUTY - Red Sable or Brindle ?

Prominent black marbling on a deep red coat, black face mask, dark dorsal stripe, and a black tail.... What is it? Did you guess Red Brindle?
That's is how Sadie is identified. At only four and a half months old, it's still too soon to know how Sadie will turn out.
Regardless of her colour changes, Sadie is a joy and delight to her family. Stay tuned for an adult picture as Sadie grows up.

WHAT COLOUR IS IT? - Tobacco or Red Sable or Brindle?

This is Quinn, identified as a red tobacco Havanese puppy from Germany now living in the UK. The kennel club in the UK has a restricted list of colours
that are allowed, and Quinn's colour is none of them! Quinn is an example of the colour conumdrum that can happen when registering between countires.
Some registries are limited while others are expansive. It is a most unusual colour. Quinn has red undercoat beneath the dark overlay, as well as
extensive red on his legs and head. In Germany where he was born, Quinn was registered as tobacco. His UK owner would call him a red sable.I would
also consider Red Brindle as a possibility because of the heavy amount of dark in the coat and the streaky/marbled appearance. What do you think he is?

COLOUR INTRIGUE - Classic Tricolour? Silver Sable? Saddle Tan? Silver Tricolour?

Meet Gulliver. At first glance, this newborn baby looked like a typical Triclolour with a black body coat, extensive tan points including bright golden
spots inside the elbows and on the ears, and white trim on chin, chest and feet with a little white tail tip. The coat had brownish highlights.
By 10 weeks, Gulliver's coat had changed significantly, with a bloom of silver coming throughout the dark coat, especially on the head. Now he looks
more like a Silver Sable, though the colour is not developping quite as expected. It may be a case of black turning silver. With the extensive
lightening in the front, I wonder about the possibility of a Silver Saddle Tan. That will depend on how far the face and front clears but it's too
soon to tell. My current guess is Charcoal or Dark Silver Triclolour, butthere is likely much more change to come. What's your guess?

TRI TEASER - Classic Tricolour? or not?

So similar to Gulliver above as a newborn, that you might think Lancaster's Kahlua and Cream (Kali) is a littermate, but not so. Kali was also born typical Triclolour with a black body coat, strong tan points, highlighted by white trim. Very early on, it was noticeable that Kali's body coat was not jet black, but rather a soft brownish/black colour. At this time, some of the tan is turning more golden but the tan around the muzzle has remained bright rust red.
DNA testing showed normal black (non-dominant), Black/tan patterning, as well as white colour spotting. In bright sunlight, Kali's coat looks streaky black/brown, but her DNA did not reveal any Brindle. Maybe Havana? We'll have to wait and see what other genes may be affecting the colour.

MYSTERY BOY - Black Pied? Tobacco? Charcoal?

When my young boy Zorro was born, he was distinctly brownish next to his jet black brother. In the shade, Zorro appears black but in the
bright sun, he has reddish mahogany highlights with a darker head and tail. We thought he might be a very dark Sable or a charcoal or
Havana Brown, but turns out to be none of these. At almost 3 years old, Zorro is still dark soft black. A close look however, reveals a
peppering of grey hairs all over, with more concentration in his rump and flank. Finally we know. Like his mother, Zorro is an example
of the Greying Gene which is essentially premature greying. Grey hairs mix with the black, giving a soft off-black appearance.

BLACK AND TAN with WHITE TRIM (Greyed)

Cute as a Button, this pretty girl was born very markedly Black and Tan with tiny touches of white on the toes of her back feet. Button
was registered as Black and Tan with white markings as matched her appearance. As she matured, Button's tan turned to white/off white
and some of her black turned to silvery grey with individual white hairs interspersed throughout her black coat. Button's adult coloring, quite
different than her puppy days, is courtesy of the effects of the chinchilla gene softening the tan, and the graying gene peppering her dark coat.

DARK SABLE with WHITE TRIM

This is Pompom z Vinného domu bred by Anna Jarcova of the Czech Republic. Isn't he handsome? His 2.5 month photo might lead you to think
that he is Black/Tan with white trim but look a little further. At 9 months old, lighter undercoat shows through all over, perhaps a Sable?
Colour clearing in a sable usually starts in the face and legs which can give the appearance of an indistinct point pattern. As an adult,
Pompom shows his true colours, a Sable that has kept a significant amount of tipping. You might call him a Dark or Shaded Sable (with white).

RED SABLE (white trim) with mask

Look who's peeking in to say Hi. Coco is a lovely Red Sable. If you look closely, you can see her dark mask on her face and head.
Coco's coat started to lighten quickly, exposing her red undercoat, and by 4 months of age she already looked quite different
than she did as a puppy. By one year, much of her body coat is light colored creamy red, covered with a dusky overlay. As is
typical, the darkened area of the melanistic mask remains strong, most noticeable when Coco is sporting a shorter clipped coat.

CHOCOLATE and TAN (silvered)

Seeing Milo as a puppy, with his rich chocolate coat and distinct light tan points, few would have guessed what colour he would mature to.
A peek beneath the dark coloured coat revealed a surprise. Milo was already silvering in the undercoat/roots when he joined his family.
At first glance, he did not look overly different at 3-4 months old, but when Milo had his first haircut around 6 months old he was completely
silver underneath. Milo's pale tan points blend into the silvered chocolate. If you did not know, it would be hard to believe it is the same dog.

BEFORE AND AFTER - MORE COLOUR CHANGES