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Sable
Sable is a rare
color found in Cocker Spaniels. This color is most often seen in the herding breeds, such the Collie
and Sheltie. In Cocker Spaniels, the lighter hair is laced with black. In Collies and the Shetland Sheepdogs, the color
is brown and ranges from very light golden to deepest mahogany. The sable cocker appearance
is much like a ASCOB cocker with darker hair overlaying the lighter color. The hairs appear to have black tips,
however, the black hairs are dispersed throughout the coat. The hair is actually solid if followed
to the root, not dappled. The hair on the sables ears, muzzle and around the eyes is typically darker. In
order to get a sable cocker you need to breed a sable to a tan pointed dog or another sable.
However rare the sable coloring, it is an original Cocker color. The sable comes
in many shades and colorings, from the grayish to the red. The shaft of the hair is banded in such a way that the tips
of the hairs on the coat are normally much darker. In order for a dog to arrive as a sable, the conditions have to perfect.
This why this color is so rare.
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Roan
Roans,another rare and sought after color are classified as parti-colors and includes the
usual roaning patterns. The roaning pattern/color occurs in the white areas, gradually darkening as the puppy matures typical
beginning at 2-3 weeks of age. "Roan - a blue-gray or iron-gray, this color is the fine mixing of colored hairs with
white hairs." Roans can also include tan points. There are blue roans,
chocolate roans (either color also with tan points), lemon roans & orange roans. For example, a blue
roan is a coat comprised of black and white hairs. The color Roan has been a part
of the American Cocker Spaniel since the beginning, and can be traced to all true roans back Philsworth.
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Another rare color found in cockers is the Merle. This color/pattern is most often seen
in the herding breeds. The color/pattern, is quite often confused with the Roan and registered as such. A
merle is born merle and has marbled patterning in the coat, areas of the coat which looked "bleached". The merle cocker
pattern can be found in any color of cocker, however, a sable cocker often masks the merle color/pattern. In most cases,
but not all, a merle cocker has blue eyes or blue specks in the eyes. The merle may or may not have pink on the nose.
A merle cocker can be bred to any color except another Merle. A merle to merle breeding can cause birth defects, such
as blind or deaf puppies, stillborn pups and sudden death shortly after birth. Merles are very rare and unusal in color
and caution should be taken when breeding.
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