The Sable GSD is technically a colour variant. The Sable colour variant is similar to the original wolf colour, with pale ground colour, covered by the mantle of hard black tipped guard coat. In a sable GSD this ground colour is usually tan, having a heavy overlay that seems to be black when viewed from distance. The muzzle is all black with a varying degree of black over the entire body.
A Sable GSD can be identified quite easily. Sable GSDs (also known as agouti or wolf grey, in various colours of comparatively paler shades) usually have multi-coloured individual hairs throughout the body. The Agouti gene determines if coat colour of the GSDs is banded agouti coat colour or a solid non-agouti coat colour.
Te colour genes order of dominance in GSD colours in the Agouti Series is as follows – golden sable, grey sable, saddle marked black-tan, bi-colour black/tan, and solid black. In a sable GSD the sable colour is dominant over all the other GSD colours and patterns. The Sable is dominant over the black/tan variation of the GSD, this means that two black/tan GSDs cannot produce a Sable. However, Sable can carry the black/tan gene and may produce black/tan offspring.
The variation of shades in sable GSDs can be categorised into rich saddle sable, black sable, faded sable. If a sable GSD is comparatively more melanistic (darker) than an average black/tan GSD, it will appear equally dark, which in turn bring forth relatively better pigmentation to a breeding than a less melanistic subject, because the dog is genetically more melanistic (darker).
Sable GSDs are known for the multi-coloured individual hairs, though they may have good dark mask or black guard coat as well. The colour different blends of colours in the individual hairs consequently leads to a range of shades of colours and patterns that may largely vary. The Sable can have many shades ranging from of silver, grey, gold or mahogany colours. Sables will have the dark mask. Agouti or Sable GSDs usually undergo few many stages of coat colours development – towards both lighter side as well as darker side, until they become fully matured at approximately three years of age.
