My Steel Blue Bitch Gypsy and my Powder Blue Male Rebel whelped an unplanned litter on Feb. 10, 2001 This litter consisted of 6 pups. Three Blues and Three Fawns. The Fawn pups are genetically "Diluted Livers". Since they were born from two Blue parents they naturally are Blues, but each parent was also a carrier of the Liver recessive color gene and 3 of the pups received a copy of this from each parent as well. Visit the Genetic Information page for a more detailed but simplified explanation of the genetic activity involved in Canine color genetics.
Here is the litter only hours old. 5 males and 1 female. The Fawns coat color could only be described as looking "frosted" somehow.
The only female in the litter. A Powder Blue who was named "Blue Sapphire's Bella Blue Star". (Bella) Powder Blues often keep the light frosting or sheen all Blues are born with on the tips of their fur often throughout adulthood. However by then it is usually only limited to facial hairs. Especially on the muzzle.
One of the two Steel Blue Males, who was named "Blue Sapphire's Turbo Blast" (Blaster)
The second Steel Blue Male, named "Blue Sapphire's The Q" (Q) after the omnipotent being in the Star Trek The Next Generation series. He was later renamed "Blue". Which is about as original as naming a Chow Chow, Bear..... LOL
One of 3 Fawn Pups born in the litter. At birth and for several days afterwards they were so identical that even upon close inspection it was next to impossible to tell them apart. Their coats had a silvery sheen to them. They were quite remarkable in regards to coat color at birth.
The litter is shown at 4 days old here. Bella, the only Female as well as the only Powder Blue can clearly be seen between her Steel Blue brothers. Her lighter frosted tipped coat color is vastly different in color than the 2 Steel Males and is actually closer to the Fawns at this point in terms of hue.
3 days old. Q can clearly be seen here as he lays on his side. He had the most white markings out of all the pups in the litter. Gypsy carried and expressed the White Spotting Gene and in turn passed it onto all of her offspring.
