And one final thing.... they said they often resemble sables due to the fading... which looks to me like your last picture posted.

ok, stupid question probably, but can't blanket back black and tans have a sugar bottom too?

I want to say no... only because Blankets have tan on the backs of their legs, and the tan wouldn't stand out against the black....of course if someone can show me a not bi-color sugar bottom, then maybe.

have no idea but he sure is handsome!

He is a blanket black/tan. Not a bi-color, faded or otherwise.

Many dark black/tan pups will have tarheels and toe penciling when young, but they fade with age as the tan markings advance. Heidi had them until around 6 months when they faded away. The presence of those as a pup doesn't make them bi-colors.

Thanks everyone going with majority and will continue to say he is a blanket pattern blk/tan

Kira, no I don't mind you posting those pics. The faded bicolor description is the only thing I've found mentioning a gray undercoat so I was thinking maybe he is but his legs are too tan to me for him to be a bicolor.

I'm also going to say that while I LOVE Sage I think he's just too goofy to go by any book description. His undercoat is gray/silver but he has little undercoat to begin with as his coat is very tight. His sire was blk/tan saddle with a bitch stripe. His dam was a bicolor that was all black with tan feet, no tan points on face or body. We recently met one of Sage's littermates who was a bicolor (at least I think so) but his colors were washed out a bit too. http://germanshepherdhome.net/forum/ubbt....html#Post77155