Is this normal for b & t??

[Deckersmom]

Decker was sold to me as a black & tan. His sire and dam were both black & tan, I was shown pictures (and confirmed this with the new owner of his parents). He sometimes looks chocolate in certain lights. I have had several people say "Oh what an adorable chocolate." On his head and down both sides of his neck are long, thin areas of wild boar, as I understand that color is light at the skin and dark on the ends. His under color is light tan, sometimes looks white, and his over color is black. I am wondering if this is normal for a black & tan or does this mean that he has wild boar in his bloodline. The back of his head to the tip of his tale is black except for the places I mentioned, which also includes a couple of spots on his ears and not including the usual tan spots, which I expected. Just wondering, will NOT change his status in THIS house, LOL!!! (Which as my dh says, he owns us not we own him. He is the prince of the house.) I am interested in hearing from other b & t owners about this.

[Courtknee]

I remember that when my B&T was little, it seemed like he looked chocolate in certain light too. Of course he isn't, I guess it was just the way the light hit him. I don't know anything about his pedigree though!

[Deckersmom]

Thanks, Courtknee. I was wondering about that. By the way, I only live about 2 hours east of you, near Tyler.

[Courtknee]

Cool! I used to live in Longview. I worked at the News-Journal for about a year!

[Heidismom]

Cool! I read some fictional series of books that took place in Tyler! I have only had one black and tan, 3 reds, 1 b/t dapple, and now my only longhair - a chocolate/tan. I really cannot visualize the color - can you post pictures of your king in sunlight and in electric light, and any other kind you can come up with? It might help us scope this one out! (Not to mention, you know how we are about piccies around here! :D)

[TessieMom]

It is always good to have another Texas member on the board. If you can help with rescue transports, we would be very grateful! Since Connie left Longview, we have been searching for help in east Texas.

Now, about color... Stinker looked reddish under some lights. I do not remember Tess ever having a lighter color underneath... both she and Lucy are black all the way on all hairs except the normal tan points. A chocolate would have a "liver" nose rather than a black nose. I am not a specialist, just have 2 black and tans!

[Julius_Mama_Ali]

Oh yeah, I thought the same thing when my Julius was a pupper. He and Romie are both Smooth black and tans; see below :) He really looked Chocolate in the sunlight and at certain other times. But nope, it's just a puppy fur thing. Same with Romie shes about 10 and a half weeks old right now and still has the puppy fur thing goin' on. She looks like a choco&tan at times. Hope this helps!

[Cindi]

A chocolate and tan cannot have any black genes and therefore will express no black coloration. If your kid has a black nose, he is a black and tan. Wild boars have red/tan ears (the entire ear) and the red/lighter undercoat with the agouti hairs (hairs that are not solid black are banded with 1 or more stripes). *Some* black and tan dogs can have the appearance of the wild boar coloration on their necks, the tops of their ears (not the whole ear) or down their backsides, on their hips or shoulders. I don't know why unfortunately and it doesn't have to mean there is wild boar in the background. I know of a line of smooths that has absolutely NO wire/wildboar and she occasionally gets the coloration you describe. The chocolate and/or cast could be from sunburn or it could also mean there were chocolate ancestors and the gene tried to express itself but couldn't. This cast may come and go, also, depending on what you feed :)

I just love the dogs with tan points. Gives them so much expression!!!

Cindi
House of 1 red, 1 black and tan dapple, 1 black/tan, 3 wild boars