Different Colours on two Sheepdog Coats
I haven't given this much thought up to now, but when I was out walking the other day with my OES, Kenzie, and my friend and his OES, Theo. The two dogs were walking along side by side, and I could see quite a noticable difference in their colours, or rather the shade of their colour. I've always thought of Kenzie as "black-turning-grey" with white. However, Theo's black/grey definitely had a clean, blue tinge to it whilst Kenzie's black/grey had a slight brown tinge! It was only when you could compare one against the other, side by side, that you could notice this difference. Kenzie was one year old last weekend, and Theo is four week's older. Granted Theo had been bathed at the end of last week, and it's a few weeks since Kenzie had one, and Kenzie is walked off the lead a few times every day, and gets fairly "grubby" regularly. I would appreciate it if anyone could provide any information on the different colours or rather shades of colour that are out there with OES's? Will these change as they get older? Thanks Nik |
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| If it has any bearing, another difference is that Theo's hair was cut fairly aggressively about six months ago, whilst Kenzie's has never been cut. Nik  |
| They all change at different rates and to different colors - even related dogs. However, what you are seeing sounds like a difference in a dead, fading, sunbleached puppy coat, vs one that may be changing at a faster rate and for sure just had all the dead ends (faded, etc) trimmed off. Puppy coats especially get a brownish cast to them when old and exposed to sun. Adult coats do too, but much less. It's just sun bleaching of the hairs. |
| Funny this should come up. Mulligan's coat used to have a clear blue tinge to it but is now ever so slightly brownish. I'm wondering if his food isn't all that it's cracked up to be. We do add two fish oil capsules per day to Wellness Super 5 Mix Lamb. |
| The brown tinge is usually from the sun. Much more noticeable on a darker coat. |
| Luna and Tonks are half sisters, and are 5 days apart in age. Tonks has a clean grey blue coat, and Luna's has a dingy brownish yellow cast to it. Luna like to roll in the dirt alot, and I wish I could say that is it. But even the day the get trimmed, and come home from the groomer, I can see the difference, even though its very slight. I call Luna my "not up to standard" sheepie. Her body is stocky but not fat, her coat is slightly off color, her face is more pointed and her head doesn't have the desirable boxy shape. Tonks is her opposite; nice boxy head, square face, gray coat and leaner but solid body shape. I adore both, but know that in the ring Luna would never win a thing (unless there was a prize for being a cutie). Coat colors can vary, and my understanding is that a brownish tinge is considered "undesirable". But if you've never cut your dogs hair, then its very likely that the brownish tinge you are seeing is what everyone else says; the black hair becoming sun-bleached. Why not consider a summer puppy cut? It will get rid of that old, dead puppy hair, and make way for some new adult coat to come in! |
| We had littermates. One had white fur the colour of liquid paper. His brother had slightly off white. The grey in one was dark and consistent. His brother (who was also slightly off white, and we were asked to let the breeder show him when he was younger) had a lighter grey with bluish tint to him. As he aged, the hair right on the front of his knees tended toward a hint of brown. I think all sheepies are slightly different. Right now Hudson is darker in shade, and Rudy is lighter grey (despite being younger). However, Hudson has a super thick, crazy coat that mats when you look at it, even if he's not moving. Rudy has a very thin coat, much easier to maintain (and to shave)! They're all just a little different. |
| Hank had his first hair cut about 3 weeks ago, and just yesterday I noticed his front "armpits" are a brownish color. (It's his grey hair thats brownish-red, not the white hair.) Is this normal? He's a mixed breed, but looks just like a mini-sheepie. |
| Wendel is 4 1/2. I got him last year, but his coat is very different from Asterisks'. Wendel has a deep bluish-grey coat and bright whites. He also has very curly hair and it's very coarse. Asterisk's fur went from her puppy black and white to a very light silvery grey and very white whites. Her whites are downy soft still, but her greys are getting coarse. Her hair is very straight, so when she gets the brush, she has a beautiful 'fro! |
MollyinPDX wrote: Hank had his first hair cut about 3 weeks ago, and just yesterday I noticed his front "armpits" are a brownish color. (It's his grey hair thats brownish-red, not the white hair.) Is this normal? He's a mixed breed, but looks just like a mini-sheepie. Luna has brownish spots on her front elbows, and even a small spot that is bare of fur. Our vet told me it was from wear; if they sit on that spot and it contacts the floor often, it can discolor and even be made bald. I only notice it when she's shaved, in her long coat its never visible. |
MollyinPDX wrote: Hank had his first hair cut about 3 weeks ago, and just yesterday I noticed his front "armpits" are a brownish color. (It's his grey hair thats brownish-red, not the white hair.) Is this normal? He's a mixed breed, but looks just like a mini-sheepie. As Darth Snuggle said...wear is the most likely reason, but if Hank tends to chew or itch that area, be sure to check with a vet, as a yeast infection can turn the hair brownish-pink as well. My boy Bert is prone to this in his back leg "armpits". |
They all change differently here is a photo of litter brother and sister and you can see by this the vast different in coat colours. Even though they are from the same litter one changed faster then the other and two different coat types from them even now at 2 years of age. Now browning, or tinging of bronze at the ends, sunburn, or even dead puppy/junior coat ends can cause a browninsh tinge to the jacket at that stage. Again sometimes you can get it when changing from the Junior coat to the adult coat, two transitions happen in the coats till maturity, puppy to junior then again when the fully mature adult coat is blooming through at this stage when all the mature adult coat is through, no browning should be on the jacket at all. The standard calls for no brown in the coat but it is forgiven if in the showring still young and just transitioning coats. If you part the coat and the brown was all the way down to the skin then incorrect coat colouring if you see grey and not brown underneath then either sun burn on the ends or dead coat from the transition.  |
| Simon is all through with coat changes...I hope. As a pup he was the usual black, from one to two he turned silver...really light. He's now four and has more gray and dark hairs mixed in. I'll have to dig and see if I can find the silver pictures. |
| Found the pic's, in the picture section. |
| Thanks for all your comments. I think probably that he still hasn't got his full, mature coat as yet, and this may be the cause. In addition, he is out being walked a fair bit, and therefore the sun may have a part to play in it too, although it's still only reaching about 10 - 12 degrees here! Thanks again for your thoughts. Cheers, Nik |
| I have also noticed that. My 2nd oldest has i think what is called a grizzle color. When i had him shaved it was marks like brindle or something, I was starting to question his true breed haha. I have papers for him but i know that is not a for sure proof. He is also alot smaller than the others and his hair when grown out is a much thinner more flowing type coat. I'm thinking he may be a Polish Lowland |
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