Brown and rust vs Black and rust - Page 3

v320 · 07-01-2008, 01:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by melbrod

I am under the impression that the incidence of thinning hair, dandruff, skin problems is higher in reds?? At least my red boy has some coat difficulties; my two blacks did not.
But he a goofy boy.

Thank you for the info. I have also heard that if their collars are kept on constantly (especially in the sun), one can see some fading compared to the rest of them. I still think they are beautiful! Perhaps I will get one of each, lol.

v320 · 07-01-2008, 01:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Megs

I have a black male. One day, far, far down the road, I would like a red female

Just what I was thinking... perhaps one of each eventually.
I've only had black/rusts.

**talentdobe** · 07-01-2008, 02:07 AM

I believe you should have both! LOL 2 of each here, but the tie breaker is coming soon....

Zombie · 07-01-2008, 03:18 AM

Oh goodness... I think Alaskan Malamutes aren't ones to deal with when it comes to shedding... Like a mattress exploded I tell ya...

I would have to go with B/R... because that's what I'm getting! They are so sleek looking although I will admit, the reds are rather pretty too! After I get my little guy I'm thinking of talking my boyfriend into getting a red female down the road as well..

Nicola · 07-01-2008, 07:40 AM

I love my red dobie Bruce... he has natural ears and I do think that to others they can look softer than black/rust. I love both though - if possible I think I'd get one of each! I get the weimerana thing a lot, and people also ask me if he is a pointer, like a german short haired or something. It doesn't bother me though, i'm quite passionate about people's stupid misconceptions about the breed and so it probably helps avoid anger inducing conversations!

Nicola · 07-01-2008, 07:42 AM

oh, and re the shedding thing... yes mine sheds a lot but nothing in comparison to my lab x dalmation... it's incredble he has any fur left on him!!

**ellenm** · 07-01-2008, 07:57 AM

I have 2 black/rust and prefer that color. I've owned two red Dobies over the years. I realized that I just like the black color better. They tend to not have as many coat issues as the other colors, also.

**RedFawnRising** · 07-01-2008, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nicola

I love my red dobie Bruce... he has natural ears and I do think that to others they can look softer than black/rust. I love both though - if possible I think I'd get one of each! I get the weimerana thing a lot, and people also ask me if he is a pointer, like a german short haired or something. It doesn't bother me though, i'm quite passionate about people's stupid misconceptions about the breed and so it probably helps avoid anger inducing conversations!

Oh, just remembered--I get greyhound a lot too. I love your greyhound!

It helps me with the anger-inducing conversations, too. And gives me a nice segue to tell the folks that sweet dog they're loving on and enjoying so much is one of those viscious Dobermans.

Q734 · 07-01-2008, 10:31 PM

Ha, I can't tell you how many times we've been asked what kind of dog we have...our Nina is red w/flop ears.

Otoh I still prefer B/R

MaryAndDobes · 07-03-2008, 12:54 AM

There are a lot of people that swear that there are behavioral differences between the colours.

I was reading an article last night on this very topic, only not relating to Dobermans per se. The topic was about coat colour being tied to specific behavioural traits. There have been studies done on certain animals linking the two. One was on rats, and to make a long story short, the finding was that agouti rats are more prone to biting / being spooky and/or upset with being handled. They apparently will, as a rule, bite more quickly and more intensely.

The article talked about melanocyte stimulating hormone and how it affects colour/pigment as well as its presence in the brain where it affects serotonin which ties into mood, anxiety and aggression.

Apparently, the agouti rats also were found to have larger adrenal glands which may also affect colour and behaviour.

Another example was silver foxes. When they were bred specifically for the trait of tameness, white spots started appearing on their coats to a greater and greater degree. (This wasn't mentioned in the article but I think it was silver foxes that also lost their prick ears over time as they were bred for tameness.) They went on to duplicate the results of that study in rats.

There has also been some study into cocker spaniels and coat colour on which are more aggressive, more docile, more dominant, etc in particular contexts.

The article mentions other studies on minks, gerbils and cows that suggest links between coat colour and behaviour.

The article also points out that environment and socialization plays a big part.