Colors of your Breed?

Yep, but it seems like few GSPs show in UKC. AKC doesn't allow it because GSPCA doesn't.. members continue to vote against it for the stupidest reasons.

Yeah. Sometimes breed clubs can be a PITA, huh?

Black GSPs can be shown in performance events in the AKC, just not the breed ring. A lady where we train has had black GSPs for about 13 years now.
Sydney, her first (and the first black GSP I'd ever seen)
Top Dog - Individual Student's Dog Page

And Price, Sydney's son:
Top Dog - Individual Student's Dog Page

I have collies. They come in sable, tri, blue merle, sable merle, and white (with sable, blue, tri, or sable merle markings. they can be tri or white factored as well. Sables have a varierty of color differences too. I will attach my rainbow of puppies. Sable merle does not exist in the show world.

Color and Markings


Black Variety-Solid color black to include black with tan points. The black should be jet; shadings of brown or liver in the coat are not desirable. A small amount of white on the chest and/or throat is allowed; white in any other location shall disqualify.
Any Solid Color Other than Black (ASCOB)-Any solid color other than black, ranging from lightest cream to darkest red, including brown and brown with tan points. The color shall be of a uniform shade, but lighter color of the feathering is permissible. A small amount of white on the chest and/or throat is allowed; white in any other location shall disqualify.
Parti-Color Variety-Two or more solid, well broken colors, one of which must be white; black and white, red and white (the red may range from lightest cream to darkest red), brown and white, and roans, to include any such color combination with tan points. It is preferable that the tan markings be located in the same pattern as for the tan points in the Black and ASCOB varieties. Roans are classified as parti-colors and may be of any of the usual roaning patterns. Primary color which is ninety percent (90%) or more shall disqualify. Tan Points-The color of the tan may be from the lightest cream to the darkest red and is restricted to ten percent (10%) or less of the color of the specimen; tan markings in excess of that amount shall disqualify. In the case of tan points in the Black or ASCOB variety, the markings shall be located as follows:

On the sides of the muzzle and on the cheeks;
On the underside of the ears;
On all feet and/or
A clear tan spot over each eye;
legs;
Under the tail;
On the chest, optional; presence or absence shall not be penalized.
Tan markings which are not readily visible or which amount only to traces, shall be penalized. Tan on the muzzle which extends upward, over and joins shall also be penalized. The absence of tan markings in the Black or ASCOB variety in any of the specified locations in any otherwise tan-pointed dog shall disqualify.

4D3C - he's a saddle back...Lacey is a blanket, if you look at her pictures the black comes all the way forward to her shoulders and partially down her back legs. When she was younger she didn't have all the lighter hair on the back legs and was black completely to her hocks.

He is a saddle.

Merle, parti, tan points, and ticking, too.
What's especially unusual is that there is both black ticking and tan ticking. How unusual!

Just to add for the Collies because I can't resist ...

In the US, we have 4 accepted colors (by the standard) - tricolor, blue merle, sable, and white (with a colored head of either sable, tri or blue). The tricolor, sable, and blue will all have some sort of white markings (often called the 'Irish pattern'). You will also have the sable merle color, and they are quite common, but the color is not listed as an acceptable color in the standard(s). Also, in Europe, white is NOT an acceptable color.



Currywood, I'm not trying to be difficult, but I do want to clarify this. Actually, sable merles do exist in the show world, they are just shown in the sable and white class for Roughs. (Smooths are not separated by color, so they're there too along with everyone else). And yes there are some lovely ones who have done some big winning too!

Adding the sable merle to the standard is a hot topic right now in the Collie world, with people on both sides of the fence. Personally, I think it should be added - the color is not related to any health problems, and you would only have to be careful with how you bred them just like a blue merle.

And some stats I've seen in several different places ...

According to CCA & AKC statistics over 200 sable merles have finished their AKC championships since 1990 when AKC added sable merle to the color selection on registration papers.

Ohhh, colliewog, THANK YOU. I am reading Dogged Pursuit right now and Dusty is apparently a cryptic merle. I'd actually never heard the term before so I was wondering what exactly that meant (and just haven't gotten around to looking about online yet.)

Cryptic (Phantom) Merles

Just to throw out a rarity: Collies (also seen in Shelties, Aussies, Corgis ... just to name a few) have 'cryptic merles' (also known as 'phantom merles'). Basically, it's a dog that is genetically a merle (blue or sable), but the expression is hidden and the dog appears to be a tricolor or sable, lacking the typical merle pattern. Although there is usually a merled spot somewhere (some showing more than others), to the untrained eye, the dog is labeled as a tricolor or a sable, yet is really a blue merle or a sable merle.

Is that only for cardis?

I've never heard of any merle pemmie, but there was a time when the two breeds were likely bred to each other, so merle could be way back and pop up occasionally, but I tend to think not. I haven't kept up on all of pemmie genetics, so feel free to correct me.