Blue GSD are a naturally occurring color within the GSD gene pool.  The color is listed on the registration certificate as the GSD club within AKC recognize that this is a color that is carried by many GSD and should be acknowledged as it’s genetic coloration.  The puppies born of a blue GSD that are expressing the color blue themselves are born a very striking shade of blue. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The blue gene in the GSD is not fully understood.  It is a dilution of black however it does not breed ‘true’ meaning the puppies are born a very pretty shade of blue and many of them turn to almost like a Steele gray black as adults.  They do not stay the True color they were born.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some of the blues are born lighter and remain a little lighter as adults.  You may hear the phrase Powder Blue and Steele Blue these terms refer to the shades of blue which refers to the depth of the blue color on the dogs coat.

 

I have other adult GSD in traditional colors and white however I do not know who is carrying the blue.  The only way to know who are carriers is to breed them to blue.  If the color appears in the litter then it is safe to assume that the non dilute dog is a carrier.  However if the color does not appear it is safe to assume that the non dilute dog is not a carrier…Then again it can appear in latter litters as recessives are for-ever.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*One thing I would like to note is that for many years I did not get involved with blue as I was told that ‘blue dogs’ have ‘blue hair syndrome’.  I have to admit I was very concerned about this as a friend of mine had a long coat blue/tan Chihuahua and his tan coat was normal soft long and flowing but the blue portion was dry/brittle/ and did not feel normal/ it felt broken off at the skin.  So… I sat back and asked questions.  I did not get answers straight away and it has taken the better part of 2+ years for some to realize what blue hair syndrome is and how it can have little effect on blue dogs or it can be very painful for the dog (if they have the severe form of it). 

 

This condition now has a medical name “CDA” (Color Dilution Alopecia).  Many blue Dobermans are affected by it, as are a handful of other blues in other breeds.  None the less, I have found some blue GSD that have minor symptoms that appear to be CDA.  One was diagnosed by a vet’s visual examination, one is reported on the Merck Veterinarian site, and the other have been self diagnosed by the visual aspect of the hairloss on the backsides of the ears and the over all texture of the coat.

 

At this point I personally am calling the dogs with these symptoms CDA dogs—until another name can be put on what they have.  It may be that CDA in the GSD has a protection modifier at work that will only allow hairloss on the shortest portions of a GSD coat (backs of ears, muzzle, and lower legs/feet to have the dry, brittle, hairloss) or it could be that the symptoms are minor in a heterozygous state and be more severe when in a homozygous state. 

 

As the Scientists continue to work on the DNA of affected dogs, it will not be long before a genetic test is available for other breeds as healthgene now has a test for the Large Munsterlander but not for the GSD.  Vetgen is steadily working to see if there are more than one gene in the GSD that causes blue in the GSD.  Those results should be available soon.

The links to both of these laboratories are on my links page.

 

Finally the rationale for sharing this with you is… There are bloodlines that we know are producing hairloss on their blue colored GSD.  We encourage anyone that has hairloss on their GSD to let us know so that we can document it and to discourage people to breed dogs from hairloss parents and or hairloss dogs themselves.

 

CDA can start as early as 6-7 wks and can take up to 3 yrs to rear it’s head.  My male Navy and his half sister CorDawn Blue are from an unaffected sire; Navy will be 2 in October and has fully furred ears, neither him nor CorDawn are showing signs or symptoms of hairloss.

 

Chicory is unrelated to either of the dogs above and she is almost 18 months old she has never shown any signs of hairloss either.

 

Wisteria is unrelated to any of the dogs above, she is 2 1/2 yrs old and has never shown signs of hairloss.

 

Since the CDA is thought to be autosomal (affecting either sex) recessive, it can be carried in any blood line and not show itself until 2 dogs that are carrying it are bred together.  If you are looking for a breeding prospect or want to avoid the possibility of the blue you get be sure to ask if hairloss is in the line/pedigree and if you want to take it a step further I can put my feelers out to see what I can find out about the line as well. Just send me an email, I am easy to talk to.

The first blue GSD I saw was a puppy.  It was so obvious that this puppy was blue and it was the only one in the litter.  It was already sold and so was I.   I then met Dawn Malcolm as I was looking for a traditional colored show type stud male.  Dawn shared with me that she has a solid blue male and had a strong love for the livers and blues too.  We became good friends and Dawn found the Blue/Liver chat list and suggested I join.  I am glad I did as I have met some great people and people who are as interested in sharing in the goals I have set forth.  Which are to create at least a 4 generation blue GSD pedigree and at least a 4 generation pedigree of dilute GSD with both livers and blues.  I thought this was a good goal to set as I have a couple of white GSD that are 4+ generations of white GSD — meaning no colors on a 4 generation pedigree— only white GSD. 

 

I currently have 8 Blue GSD; click the name to go to their page

Wisteria —Blue/Red Female—Carries Long Coat

Navy — Solid Blue Male Carries Long Coat

Chicory—Blue/Tan Female Carries White

CorDawn Blue— Blue Sable Female Carries White

Stormie—Blue/Tan Female

Vinca —Blue/tan Female

Iris—Blue/Tan Long Coat Imported from the UK (page posted soon)

Orchid— Blue/Tan Long Coat born here Wisteria is her mother and Navy is her father

I have 2 known blue carriers as well: Ramsey & Glenda

 

 

The goal with our Liver GSD matings is to increase the limited gene pool, create more blue carrier GSD, work to produce Isabella and to produce the color blue itself.

 

2 Blue GSD of unknown ancestry were bred together many years ago and as it turns out both of the blue parents were carrying the liver gene as well.  The result of that litter produced blue colored puppies and Isabella colored puppies (the litter was not registered). However once the puppies were placed no further information on that litter or what they looked like as adults is known—there are no photo’s of an adult Isabella GSD.

 

If a Liver is bred to a Blue and neither carries the others color gene then all puppies will be traditional colored.  If one or both carry the others color the colors are very pastel.

Genetically like Weimaraner coloration.  We are embarking on a journey to making our own Isabella GSD, as well as expanding the liver and blue gene pool. 

 

We are looking forward to meeting like minded people that want to work with the dilutes as well.

We are open to discussing medical and color questions for anyone interested.  We can now send in DNA of any GSD to a lab and have it tested to see if it carries the ‘liver’ gene <<Vetgen>>.

 

The Isabella color is genetically the same color as a Weimaraner.  Therefore we feel this color as well as the blue and liver color is a viable color and should not be eliminated from the GSD population.  Since these genes are recessives and are in many well known pedigree’s it has been impossible to breed these colors out of the GSD breed.