I have 2 black and tan longhaired dachshunds. They are from the same
breeder, 'uncle' and 'nephew'.

The older (6yo) has always had a reddish tint/haze to the tips of his
black hair in certain light. Now I notice that the younger (4yo) has
the same quality.

It would seem to be the opposite of a sable coat, I think.

Can someone help with the proper term for this color? I enjoy reading
this group especially in regards to genetics.

Thank you!

on 2005-10-11 at 16:40 wrote:

Can someone help with the proper term for this color? I
enjoy reading this group especially in regards to genetics.

it's impossible to tell without seeing what you're talking
about, but it sounds to me like plain old black fur. black
fur often has a red cast to it, which can become more
pronounced if the hair is lightened/bleached by sun exposure.

--
shelly
http://www.cat-sidh.net
http://cat-sidh.blogspot.com/

"ichydog" wrote in
oups.com:

The older (6yo) has always had a reddish tint/haze to the tips of his
black hair in certain light. Now I notice that the younger (4yo) has
the same quality.

In horses it is called summer black or fading black. Some animals fade much
more than others, and that trait is most probably inheritable. Old, ready-
to-be-shed coat normally shows most fading. Sun affects this too: outside
dogs (and horses) normally fade more than indoor dogs (or horses covered
with blankets to prevent fading). Also nutrition and hormonal balance might
have some effect on fading. Longer coat fades more than very short one.
Black cats and sheep can fade in the similar way, black rabbits probably
too.

Black coat ares get a rusty reddish shade when they fade. Brown (bb) coat
areas just get paler brown without any red. This Finnish Lapphund is
probably the most faded brown I've ever seen:
http://www.kolumbus.fi/sarakontu/koi...004b/bbA01.jpg

Her real color can be seen on the top of her head and all the rest of the
coat is faded to more yellow than true brown. The photo is taken in late
September, and this dog spends all the summer out.

Liisa