Lovely puppies!

 I can't stop posting pictures! I like them so much. Their mother reminds me of Zeke <3 And the blue color is so eye catching. It is debated in diffrent GSD forums if the blue gene brings health issues to the dog. There is however no evidence that suggests that blue colored dogs are more likely to have health issues due to the color itself. I read a lot of information so that I can get a clearer vision on the subject and try to avoid supporting unhealthy dogs. The breeding of dogs is already in so many ways disturbing.. I will post some information below about the blue gene or "Dilution gene"!

The Dilution Gene

The D locus controls the intensity of eumelanin in the coat (and also the eyes/nose/etc). 

The dilution gene occurs on the D locus. It is recessive, so d is dilute and D is non-dilute, and in order for a dog to be dilute it must have the genotype dd. A dog that is Dd or DD will have normal (non-dilute) pigment.

The dilution gene affects eumelanin (black and liver), although phaeomelanin (red) may be lightened as well. When a dog has two copies of the d allele, a black dog will become blue (aka slate) and a liver (chocolate) dog becomes isabella (aka lilac). A blue or isabella can have any coat pattern, but whatever they have, any black or liver in the coat will be turned to blue or isabella. It is genetically impossible for a blue dog to have any black in its coat, or for an isabella to have liver.

The main giveaway that a dog is a dilute is generally its nose colour. The coat may be entirely sable or recessive red for example, but if the dog has a blue nose, it is genetically blue-pigmented.

Blue nose and black nose

Dilution and Health

It's often claimed that dilute dogs are less healthy than those with normal pigment. This misconception has most likely come from the prevalence in some breeds of a condition known as Colour Dilution Alopecia (CDA). Colour Dilution Alopecia is in fact the result of a faulty version of the d allele, known as d^l. Not all breeds carry this faulty allele, and the majority of blues and isabellas are completely healthy. See the Health Problems page for more information on CDA. (Source)

So with this said, I don't see anything wrong with the blue dogs. I can however say that I will never support the "pure breed" gsds that have a sloping back. The pure breeders (most of them) themself do NOT approve of blue, white or liver colored shepherds and many are actually put down only cause of this. It is not a color in line with the "breeding standards" and so the animal is not wanted. They argue that most dogs without papers are bred from breeders that doesn't know what they are doing. And I can agree on some level that breeders not always now what they are doing, but that is not depending on whater or not the breeders breed pure or not. That is just from human stupidity! I think responsible breeding isn't performed enough in purebreeds for it to be considered "the better choice".

You can argue that the same greed that charecterizes breeders of pure dogs are seen in my search of a blue gsd. Well, it is an aesthetic question. I like the color - therefore want the dog. To my deffense! I'd like to say that I find gsds very active and functional dogs. At least the working dog. It has in some ways many similaritys of their ancestor, the wolf which I think at least gives the dog both functional advantages as well as aestethical. The wolf is one of the most beautiful creatures and all dogs derives from it. So in my opinion a dog that resembles the wolf feels more natural even though it actually is bred from humans.

And then again, I am not totally against pure breeding. I am against to let animals suffer. It is not necessary for dogs to suffer just so we can get a dog that LOOK a certain way. If a blue german shepherd would have health issues I would've never wanted it.

My beautiful Zeke is a black gsd and he is not pure bred. I have no paper and yet he has a damage on his shoulder (some might even argue that he has this condition due to not being pure), so I am aware that the risk of a damage and illness can never be completely avoided. Many pure breeds are very healthy! I can't argue with that. But to remove perfectly healthy puppies simply cause they don't fit the standards disgusts me. And the fact that some breeds can't breed, walk, eat or live normal! It is sad. As an example just look at the picture of the blue nose above. Look how tight the nostrils are? Imagine breathing through that.