Acceptable Coat Colors For The C

Acceptable Coat Colors For The Conformation Ring

When evaluating a dog in terms of coat color, it is often difficult to discriminate between a pure for sable (below, left) and a black factored sable (below, right).

For the purposes of the conformation ring, either is equally acceptable. For the breeder, however, it may be important to recognize the differences, as the black factored sable is capable of producing black offspring if bred to a dog which also carries the balck gene (whether that black gene is tricolor, bicolor, or merle).

All shelties carry two genes for color. A pure for sable carries two sable genes, and as sable is the dominant color in this breed, all offspring from a pure sable will be sable. However, depending on the color of the breeding partner, that sable color might be modified by black or merle. For example, If one breeds a pure for sable to another pure for sable, all offspring will be pure for sable. If bred to a black-factored sable, half would be pure for sable and half black factored sable. If bred to a merle, half would be black factored sable and half would be sable merle.

Pure for Sable and White

Skyehaven Destiny's Child
photo courtesy Skyehaven Shelties

Skyehaven Destiny's Child
photo courtesy Skyehaven Shelties