Blk/Red Male & Light Grey Sable Female Will Get ? - Page 2

Any combination is possible. Knew one litter like except is was a darker gray sablle and all six pups were black sables.

You can expect sables, (dominant) normally med. to dark, and black & browns, normally a lot of black with brown markings. If the black & red parent carries the black recessive gene you could get a couple of black pups, too, as most sables can produce black. Do NOT expect "washed out" black and tans or fading saddles. DO check Margit von Dorrsen's writings on Gray dogs and why me need them in our breeding programs. Shelley

So basically "anything's possible". I got it. Oh well, will have to wait and see....:) Merry Christmas, all. I hope I get what 4pack got, tho....

OK!! I waited and have seen!!!! 4 pups - 1 sable and 3 black/reds!!!!! :))) GORGEOUS!!!!!

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I bred two similar litters. Male was very dark, Sable female was very light. The litters produced 3 sable and 3 black and red. The sable color in the pups was improved over the mother once their sable color was established. The black and reds initially were very light up until they were a year old in the first litter. Then their pigment settled in and they were acceptable about 50% of the father's pigment which made them better than 60% (in my estimation) of the black and reds around. Second litter the father is not quite as dark and the mother a little darker. Results so far are similar as the pups are about 7 months old. My females are Champ and Timo daughters. My expierience has been a good black and red richly pigmented male will improve the sable. The black and reds are not improved over the father's color.

The belief that sable improves pigment is completely false. It is merely a different pattern. Such a litter could have considerable variety as the dominant sable gene masks whatever recessives are there. The depth of pigment could have an impact as pigmentation is generally considered to be polygenic. I would use a well pigmented mate for a light sable. The actual proportions of sables to b/r depends on the genotype of both animals. Best Wishes, Jonah

So Jonah, what improves pigment?