German Shepherd Colors: A Complete List Of All 13
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1. Black and Tan German Shepherd 1. Black and Tan German Shepherd The most common coat color of German Shepherds is definitely black and tan.
Although this is true, the black and tan coloration is actually one of the recessive genes when it comes to coloration.
The black color usually appears , they also have black printed across their face like a mask.
Tan coloration is usually located on their chest, sides, underbellies, and on their necks.
The tan color may vary in light or dark tints ; generally, the depth of the tan is based on the parents and gene inheritance.
As puppies, this coat color appears more black than tan, however as they mature (and out-grow their fluffy puppy fur) their coat lightens to more of a tan coloration.
Famous German Shepherds with this coat coloration , and is the best coat for show competitions.2. Black and Cream German Shepherd 2. Black and Cream German Shepherd
A black and cream German Shepherd is a very common color for this breed.
The black and cream German Shepherd is simply a lighter variation of the stereotypical black and tan variation.
Their back is covered in a black saddle-like pattern and they will also have a mask of black fur covering their face.
The difference is this coat has a lighter shade (almost like the color of a milk diluted cappuccino) as opposed to tan.
The black coloration against their cream fur can really accentuate their gorgeous black markings.3. Black and Red German Shepherd 3. Black and Red German Shepherd
Black and red German Shepherd coats are another beautiful variation that is recognized by the American Kennel Club too.
Unlike most of the colors in the list, this color is most suited to show bloodlines, as opposed to working GSD bloodlines.
The black and red German Shepherd strongly resembles the black and tan variation.
One difference is that the tan-colored areas are replaced with reddish-brown areas. These red areas sometimes appear to be lighter in color (e.g. a strawberry blonde).
The black color on their fur is still the same as the other variations with a black saddle-like marking and a black mask marking.4. Silver German Shepherd 4. Silver German Shepherd
The large and prominent black colored areas of the fur are still the same, with the black color appearing across their face as a mask and on their back as a “saddle”. is yet another beautiful variation of this breed.
These dogs are from working bloodlines of German Shepherds.
Lighter-colored Shepherds than those with a stronger darker appearance.
The exact science behind their silver appearance is not yet fully understood, due to their rareness however, it is assumed to be .
A silver Shepherd’s appearance is a lot like the black and tan variation; the only difference is silver replaces the extensive tan markings.5. Liver German Shepherd 5. Liver German Shepherd
Perhaps one of the rarest German Shepherd colors; the liver-colored coating of a German Shepherd is another beautiful assortment.
The liver color, , is due to recessive genes.
This means that the “liver” color is a trait which must be carried through the genetics of both the sire and the dam in order for it to appear in the puppy.
The appearance of the liver coat is just like it sounds and unlike most colors in this list, they do not have any areas of black where the mask and saddle are.
However, they still have a mask, and a saddle, however, it is usually a dark or deeper brown coloring on these areas.
This liver-coated breed is not popular among show lines due to its “diluted” genes and is considered a serious fault .6. Steel Blue German Shepherd 6. Steel Blue German Shepherd
Did you know these dogs commonly have blue eyes?
The blue German Shepherd that is extremely rare.
However, like the German Shepherd’s liver color, this color variation is unable to compete in shows as it is declared a serious fault.
Whilst being classified as a serious fault, this color is still recognized by the American Kennel Club.
The blue pigment of this coat variation is purely an aesthetic difference and is Breeding blue German Shepherd puppies requires both parents carry this recessive gene.
Finding a blue breed is extremely rare, as they are not bred for working or show lines, and are a fashion choice only.
A significant appearance difference of the blue German Shepherd is their gray nose in place of a black one.7. Sable German Shepherd 7. Sable German Shepherd
The sable Shepherd comes from working lines.
The sable coat color of the German Shepherd is the classic coloration caused by the Did you know the very first German Shepherd had a sable coat?
His name was Horand von Grafrath and he was born in 1895. This shows how deep this coloration runs in the history of German Shepherd genetics.
A sable shepherd is not as popular as the black and tan color; which is a surprise to many due to However, a lot of people favor the appearance of the black and tan breed so breeders have specifically bred this line.
The sable coloring of a German Shepherd is not a solid color and a single hair can actually be a mixture of light to dark pigmentation; this creates an ombre effect.
Some of the sable hairs often turn black towards the tip of the fur.8. Gray German Shepherd 8. Gray German Shepherd The Gray German Shepherd is often confused with a silver, black, or even blue GSD. However, this color is actually a distinct color variation recognized by the American Kennel Club.
These puppies As they mature, their eyes turn into a honey color or light brown.
The German Shepherd color of gray is produced by a dominant gene (just like sable).
Gray pigmentation comes from the dilution of darker pigment genes, making this color variation of German Shepherd appear more .9. Red Sable German Shepherd 9. Red Sable German Shepherd
Red sable puppies are easy to come by as they are very popular.
The red sable German Shepherd color is another variation on their sable coat which is due to the dominant agouti gene.
These genes however are not diluted like in the gray Shepherd, in this coat, a deep reddish-brown replaces the usual tan in the sable pattern.
This coat coloration has intermingling of red and black over most areas of their body.10. Bi-color German Shepherd 10. Bi-color German Shepherd
This coloration comes from the strong working bloodlines of the breed.
A variation of the classic black and tan coat of the German Shepherd is the bi-colored color variety.
The bi-colored coat consists of both black and tan with the difference being this breed has more black than tan in their appearance.
The black color in their coat may be as dominant as a 9:1 black to tan ratio.
Frequently bi-color Shepherds are mistaken with pure black German Shepherds.
However, if a German Shepherd shows any sign (no matter how small) of color through their black fur, then they are in fact classified as bi-color.
The bi-color German Shepherd was made famous by living in .
John F Kennedy and his family were the proud owners of a bi-colored Shepherd The bi-colored German Shepherd is becoming increasingly popular due to its striking appearance.11. Panda German Shepherd 11. Panda German Shepherd
One of the most uncommon German Shepherd colors is known as “Panda”
The Panda’s appearance is exactly like its name; they closely resemble the coat of a Panda.
Where does the Panda German Shepherd come from and why is it so rare?
The Panda Shepherd is bred from a purebred German Shepherd; so they are .
This little puppy comes from working bloodlines of GSDs: Her mother has pure black fur
Her father has the stereotypical black and tan color The reason why they are so rare, and why they look quite different from usual breeds, is because This mutation is so rare that it is only carried through a single German Shepherd bloodline.
The Panda still has the usual black and tan color, however, their genetic mutation causes white spotting.
In fact, around 35-40% of their body is white.
Surprisingly, they have no white German Shepherds in their ancestry and this dog’s appearance is due to their genetic anomaly.12. White German Shepherd 12. White German Shepherd The white German Shepherd is one of the more extraordinary German Shepherd colors.
It is a popular belief that this coat variation of German Shepherd is albino, however, this is incorrect.
The white German Shepherd is which is characterized by a lower rate of melanin production.
This white coat is simply attributed to genetics.
Due to its rarity, the white color is a recessive trait. This means that both parents need to carry this gene for the development of a healthy, The simplest way to ensure white puppies is to mate a white sire and a white dam.
A white GSD was first thought to have been bred through working lines, however, it was seen as a weak characteristic for a strong, working dog and therefore the abolishment of this color began.
Today this color is not yet recognized in any competitions and they are quickly disqualified by the American Kennel Club.13. Black German Shepherd 13. Black German Shepherd Commonly , the black color variation is definitely striking.
Just like the classic GSD, this breed may exhibit either a medium length or a long length coat.
The coloration of this German Shepherd is solid black.
If a dog has any other colors located in their fur, then they are a bi-colored German Shepherd.
It is common belief that the black German Shepherd has a straighter back than their standard color siblings, however this is yet to be scientifically proven.
You may be surprised to know that the black trait is not a dominant gene. In fact, this black pigment trait So a black puppy is normally the result of the breeding of two black parents, however, a black and tan parent can also produce a pure black puppy.
As long as both parents carry the recessive black gene; then this can be expressed in their litter.
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