# Question abuot Sable



## Summer (May 2, 2016)

I've never had a sable poodle or known anyone who did. I always thought it was black tips that were cut off with a haircut and then gone. It doesn't make sense to me that black tips would come back.

But since I'm growing Jessy's hair out he looks so much darker. His hair had faded out to almost silver and now he looks blackish. He's still much lighter underneath. Is that how sable works? Do the black tips come back when the hair grows out or am I hallucinating? LOL! 

Thanks!


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

I have no idea, Wendy, but am curious to find out too. Could you post a photo of what he currently looks like?


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## Summer (May 2, 2016)

Sorry, spent the day at the vet then had to get dinner.

I'll post a pic asap. Thanks!


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## Summer (May 2, 2016)

Okay the first picture is when I got him. Of course he had darker puppy hair that cut right out with the first cut. The second picture is him at about 5 months and he's quite a bit lighter and basically turning silver/white.

The third picture is of him laying on the floor at the vet yesterday. It's hard to get a good picture of his color. The light has to be right and I have to get him to sit still long enough. LOL.

His hair is much darker, which I don't understand how his hair is silver when short and turns black when it grows out? Am I imagining this? Is that sable? I always thought Sable dark tips didn't come back but maybe I'm wrong?


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

Could there be some brindle going on?


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## oshagcj914 (Jun 12, 2016)

I thought he was brindle. That's not really the same thing as sable. This is from a Havanese page, but kind of helpful. How can I tell the difference between Sable and Brindle? | Havanese Fanciers of Canada


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## Summer (May 2, 2016)

Oh yes! LOL! He's difinitely brindle. But I thought he was fading out to a silver brindle and was surprised at how dark he's gotten as his hair has grown out so just wondered if that means he's sable too?

Of course it doesn't matter. I'm having the best time watching his color change so much and he's amazing whatever he is. I just find it all so interesting. 

On that doggenetics page they do mention sable brindles and it had just never occurred to me that Jess might be sable too. But just answer me this......do sables actually turn dark when their hair grows out? Makes no sense to me. LOL.


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## sidewinder (Feb 3, 2016)

My first show Scottie was a brindle. His color changed from grooming to grooming, especially when he was young. One time he would be mostly red, another time, mostly silver. As he got older, he got darker, as do all the brindle Scotties and Cairns I have been familiar with. Color depends on what color the hair is that is emerging from the body at the time you cut it off (or strip it out as terriers are groomed). Each hair is actually striped, so different colors are exposed when you trim it.


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## Summer (May 2, 2016)

sidewinder said:


> My first show Scottie was a brindle. His color changed from grooming to grooming, especially when he was young. One time he would be mostly red, another time, mostly silver. As he got older, he got darker, as do all the brindle Scotties and Cairns I have been familiar with. Color depends on what color the hair is that is emerging from the body at the time you cut it off (or strip it out as terriers are groomed). Each hair is actually striped, so different colors are exposed when you trim it.


That would be fun to watch too, but this is not that. This is- he's silverish when his hair is cut. then when it grows out those same silverish hairs appear to turn darker on the ends. I just wondered if that's how sable works. I didn't realize that the black tips could come back like that. His white hairs stay white. 

He's only 8 months old and his hair is much lighter underneath. The black will cut out I'm sure. 

I have heard of other people saying their dogs were sable brindle and I didn't know what that meant. I guess that's what's going on here. I just wanted to confirm with you guys that the dark tips on a sable would come back after they are cut off. 

Anyway, apparently I'm doing a terrible job explaining myself. Thanks anyway.


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## sidewinder (Feb 3, 2016)

That is really different! I'm very interested to hear what someone with more knowledge about the genetics of poodle color has to say. I know sable is pretty rare, so hopefully, someone knows the answer to this. 

My experience with sable is from grooming Lhasa and Shih Tzu puppies. Once you cut the black tips off that baby hair, they don't come back. It always made me sorry to give them that first haircut, I love the sable look.


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## Summer (May 2, 2016)

sidewinder said:


> My experience with sable is from grooming Lhasa and Shih Tzu puppies. Once you cut the black tips off that baby hair, they don't come back. It always made me sorry to give them that first haircut, I love the sable look.


That definately makes more sense to me. Maybe this is just some illusion that when his hair gets long the black hairs in his brindle pattern are more....prominent? LOL. 

I don't know. I'm looking forward to seeing what's underneath when I do cut his hair.  

Thank you so much for your thoughtful responses!


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## spindledreams (Aug 7, 2012)

Brindles do tend to look more solid as their coats get longer. This is why most folks keep their brindles short to show off the stripes. Also most brindles tend to loose their stripes as they get older and the stripe color fades out to blue or silver. 

As for the brindle sable thing. ALL brindles are sables but not all sables are brindle. grin in other words the brindle pattern only shows when the dog is both a Kbr- AND ay. Black and Tans can also show a brindled pattern if they are Kbr- at-


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