German Shepherd Coat Colors: Are They Born Black?

If you saw a litter of German Shepherd puppies you might be confused about what color their fur will end up being. Are German Shepherds born black? We’ll answer that question and let you know what fur colors to expect your German Shepherd puppy to have when they’re older.

It is quite common to see other breeds of dogs give birth to puppies with different colors and remain that way their whole lives. This doesn’t happen with German Shepherds.

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Are German Shepherds born black? 

The answer is no! Not all German Shepherd puppies are born black. German Shepherds are a unique species. At birth, most German Shepherd puppies are either black, white, or gray. Their colors change as they grow older. Their true colors are usually determined at about eight weeks of age.

German Shepherd puppy colors

At birth, most German Shepherd puppies are born either black, gray, or white, But there are exceptional cases where:

• The puppies carry the recessive genes of their parents.
• The puppy was reproduced through crossbreeding.
• The puppies are sick.
• Environmental and climate factors affect its color.

As a German Shepherd puppy approaches adulthood, it is expected to change to one of the below mentioned colors:

• Black
• Tan
• Red
• Black and red
• Black and tan
• Black and cream
• Black and silver

Along with their color, German Shepherds have two different types of coats. The first is a medium coat, and the other is a long coat. Despite the length, the coats are always double and have a denser guard layer with a softer coat underneath.

Do German Shepherd puppies change color?

Black German Shepherds are usually purebred – they are not a separate breed. Most purebred German Shepherds are solid black as puppies and tend to have a three-mix color at the later stages of their lives.

There are many ways to test if your German Shepherd puppies are purebred. Some of them are:

1. DNA test

This is the best and most accurate way to determine if your dog is purebred. The first step is purchasing a kit. You can get one from Amazon. It may be quite expensive, but it’s definitely worth its cost.

With it, you can identify your dog’s breed and determine potential genetic diseases.

2. Examining the dog’s coat

German Shepherds can have three different varieties of coats: double coats, plush coats, and long-haired coats. The breed standard is the double coat, which consists of dense, straight, short hair that lies close to the body.

The long-haired coat is also quite common among German Shepherds that are family pets.

3. Behavioral characteristics

German Shepherds are usually associated with aggressiveness. German Shepherds don’t easily make friends, but once they do, they become very clingy and surprisingly loyal.  

They are very calm, obedient, and friendly to their family. Most interestingly, whenever their family becomes threatened, they become protective. This makes them perfect for watchdogs.

4. Asking questions

Make sure you ask enough questions about your German Shepherd from your breeder. Also, ensure your questions are directed to a breeder with lots of experience in the field.

Another essential tip is to request relevant proof about your German Shepherd before you adopt one.

Rare German Shepherd colors

The Blue German Shepherd had been recorded as the rarest color of its species. A Blue German Shepherd is one of the different colors of the German Shepherd breed. They have blue/gray colored coats which makes them unique. They also have blue eyes.

The Blue German Shepherd comes in three different variations. They are; blue and tan, blue and sable, or blue and black. The difference in color doesn’t really matter, they are all the same breed.

The blue German Shepherds are relatively very rare and a puppy could cost a bit more than average GSDs. You might even get placed on a waiting list. 

The fawn color is another extremely rare color of German Shepherd. Although they were noticed a long time ago, they are still relatively very rare.

Sometimes, they don’t come in a full-blown fawn color. Instead, they come in a mixture, especially when a  white German Shepherd is bred with another color. This occurrence is due to a genetic mutation.

The fawn color is classified as stable color. Members of the stable colors are basically several reds (though a little lighter).

A way you can see it is something close to the color of the fur of a deer. The fawn color goes very well with other colors to form the signature German Shepherd pattern.

Other rare colors of the German Shepherd include:

• Liver
• Deep red
• White
• Panda pattern
• Black and tan