From trying to work on Barbet colors,and how one may be trying to eradicate "VIEUX Barbet" colors and replace them with Barbet Moderne colors, which are not the same; I have come across a very interesting color that you can have a read about.
Dilution of pigmentation. Grayish blue.Slate color.
There are many examples around. Here's one, below. It starts with a black dog that progressively turns gray with age( legs, ears, body).The coats is very curly and frizzy.The coat must be kept fairly short. I am sure it sounds familiar.Look at the words in the text and you will recognize the info. Especially those who claim to be real breeders as opposed to us, only
amateurs.
A male this color will be 59 or more generally 60 to 66 cms tall, and kept with a very short coat, ears included.
This site has lovely photos, one of which is of a dog with very gray legs, typical of the info mentionned above.
http://www.mellowmerit.com/wordpress/2010/09/barbet-clubdag-3/?nggpage=2A "VIEUX Barbet" will never arbour this color above.It is not in the genes.* The size of a "VIEUX barbet being 54 to 56 cms for a male.The coat is easier to groom and is silkier.The black hairs stay black and are mixed with white hairs.This is the color that corresponds to the 1894 standard which says: black-gray which is not black; gray...as you can see for yourself.
You can hardly compare the colors and the textures.
Then, finally when you want to change or modify colors in a breed, in order to eventually eradicate a color or a line,or breeders, it certainly is important to study the repercussions it entails.
Hard work, but someone has to do it when our elected representative is useless.
You ought to be able to see an entire brochette of these dogs in Austria coming up shortly. Remember you saw it here, first.
* of course there can be an exception, since with genes, one never knows.BUT, it is quite rare.
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