A photo diary of a Blue puppy's growth

Renegade is a Blue colored German Shepherd Dog Born on 2/13/99

I have created these pages for the enjoyment and education of the public. Before owning Renegade I had never heard of a Blue German Shepherd. Now I am trying to learn as much as I can, and share what I learn. The following is a photo record of the growth and development of a Blue colored GSD starting at 9 weeks with added commentary. I hope you enjoy your stay and leave with all of your questions answered.

Here is Renegade the second day home at 9 weeks old. Relaxed and composed this puppy's mellow personality stood out from the rest of the litter as did his color. After spending an hour or so with the litter I knew I would be leaving with this special little guy.

Renegade at 9.5 weeks. Just settling in at home. Although the top picture seems darker, scanner settings may be the cause. The picture below is much more indicative of his actual color at the time these pictures were taken.

This is called a "Diluted Color" and is considered a serious fault according to the AKC breed standard. His nose is also not black in color but rather grey with a pink tinge at the end at different times. In the AKC rules the nose must be black. Any other colors are grounds for disqualification. His lack of pigment is a result of this recessive Blue gene. There is another dilute color which is a chocolate brown and is referred to as "Liver". If I can come across some good pictures of a Liver colored dog that I can use with permission I will put them up. If you have any or know of some one that does, please E-Mail me.

Notice his unusual eye color. This is not uncommon for Blues. When I purchased him they were a stunning blue-green. Quite breathtaking. This is another fault as a German Shepherds eyes are preferred to be dark in color. In fact, the darker the better. Black or Brown is admissable, Blue-Green is not. No matter how gorgeous *I* think they are, he is not the breed standard and therefore Renegade cannot be shown in Conformation.

Renegade at 11.5 weeks. We've got ignition! There's one ear! Going through this awkward stage his coat and eye color look nothing like most Shepherds. His huge ears spoke volumes for him though!

This pic taken same day as the pic above after romping around out back. The lighting was affected and he looks much darker in this pic. Of course, there are those eyes. Quite unique. Even though they started as a Blue-Green color, they changed rapidly from week to week. However at around 4.5 months they kept a yellow-green color and have stayed that way ever since.

Renegade on 5/7/99 trying to get those ears up at the same time!

Wow!! Both ears! Look at me mom!! Pic taken 5/9/99 12 weeks old. Here his eyes have changed to a light brown and green tint.

Go to Renegades puppy pics page 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6