German Shepherds are among the most recognized dog breeds in the world, physically characterized to have bushy tails, upright ears, long black colored muzzles, black colored masks and black colored body markings over tan or reddish hued coats.
Known for their intelligence, agility, stamina and loyalty, they have somewhat become the ideal dog for just about anyone, from family households, visually impaired persons, sanctioned enforcement agencies, and police force units.
Emphasis on the breed’s popularity seems to be moot at this point, since - for sure - you know what German Shepherds are, how smart they are, and how they generally look like.
But what if someone tells you that he got a new German Shepherd, showing you a solid black colored dog that bears all the physical qualities of the breed minus its typical color pattern?
Would you tell him that he got his dog’s breed wrong since German Shepherds don’t come in solid black coats?
If by any chance you would, you’d be in the wrong since there are actually solid black colored German Shepherds in existence. In fact, there are even all-white, liver-hued, sable, and blue-hued German Shepherds.
Considered to be a rare variety, solid black German Shepherds are known to have the personality and physical attributes of the breed, only that it is all black in color.
All-black and sable-hued German Shepherds are generally accepted by most breeder and kennel standards, while not all standards accept liver-colored and blue-hued German Shepherds, being very critical about breeding faults. All-white German Shepherds are often automatically disqualified as German Shepherds by breeding/kennel standards.
The popularity of the German Shepherd comes from its innate intelligence, keen on respecting owners but wary when it comes to strangers. Originally bred to keep watch over sheep pens, the breed is so popular, yet not everyone is aware of that they come in different colors, other than the well-known black on tan/reddish coat.
So when you do meet someone showing off some black colored do which bears a lot of German Shepherd qualities, you’ll know that he isn’t pulling your leg when he says it’s a German Shepherd.
