Liver German Shepherd

     Liver Coat Colour Genetic's Simplified
Many genes are involved in determining what colour a dog will be,below i have tried to explain very simply the difference between a dominant and a recessive gene.
The Liver colour gene is usually recessive,i say this because the liver colour is amongst one of the rarer colours found in the German Shepherd,when you get a liver puppy from 2 black/tan parents you can say the parents are recessive carriers of the liver gene.

If you see a liver coloured dog you can say that dog is dominant for liver because it is liver.

The genetic term "loosely"for liver is "bb",
it is in fact a gene which block's black from forming,it is also a naturally occuring colour in the GSD not a mutation as some would like to think,it does not dilute black pigment in the hair it blocks it from forming.The liver colour comes in different shades too,recently i have seen a very dark shade of liver which was like Plain chocolate.

A liver dog will have a brown nose,eyerims,lip's and pad's
 However these will be pink at birth and darken as the pup matures.
The dog will have Brown looking hair no black at all.
: pre january 2010 by the kennel club as Liver.
Apparently this colour has not been registered often enough over the past 10year's with the KC,so they have decided to omit it from the choice of colours,hopefully in the future we will see more German Shepherd Dog's of this colour,which has been re-classified to be registered as (any other colour)for the time being.
Which in my opinion is a contradiction in itself,pre Jan 2010,did NOT see any German Shepherd's over the last 10years registered as ANY OTHER COLOUR.Whereas Liver German Shepherds had been seen in the Breed records registered as Liver.
I can only hope that the KC overturn their decision.

  GOOD NEWS SEPTEMBER 2010
The colour Liver has now been re-instated on the list of colours accepted under registration with the KC.
IMO though it would be helpful if breeders could register the pups by pattern also, eg Liver/Tan Sable,Liver and Tan Bi colour,Liver/Tan Saddle,Solid Liver,and the various shades of Tan,from cream, Tan to red/gold.
It is very refeshing to find the KC no longer discriminate on the liver colour.Perhaps in the future the KC will concentrate on pattern also,
it would help with identification and help breeders who are looking to breed for a certain pattern. Liver German Shepherds can do anything a black/tan German Shepherd can do,colour has nothing to do with learning capability in the breed.

Colour discrimination is againgst the law in Human's,
so should it be in animal's.
If Galaxy was a Human her colour would be classed as Ginger, red head, strawberry blonde,Medium Brown,and numerous other names.