Here's our first pair of lappies that look pretty similar in an adult photo. Finn is a dark cream. Skipper is a light sable. But as puppies the differences were more obvious. Finn was always a warm cream colour right from birth. Skipper had plenty of dark black hairs as a puppy and was quite a dark brown colour overall.
Finn
Grateful Thanks to H Skipsey, L Valentine and Ukkonen Kennels in Western Australia for photos of Finn
Skipper
Grateful Thanks to S Taylor, S Chouffot and Caleebra Kennels in Victoria for photos of Skipper
Wolfsable
Benni
Tanpoint
Tortik
These gorgeous puppies are littermates from Armahani Kennels' 2014 Heliodor litter. They have both grown up to be spectacular show dogs. As brothers they have quite a few similarities and are a good example of the difference between wolfsable and tanpoint in two otherwise very similar lads.
Tortik
Tortik is tanpoint. Dark pigment covers the face of most newborn puppies. The amount of Dark pigment is controlled by whatever is at the E locus, and to some extent what ELSE is at the A locus. Sometimes it can take a day or two to tell tanpoint and wolfsable apart after birth. We usually talk about the bright tanpoints APPEARING but a better way to describe what's going on genetically is that the black pigment DISAPPEARS or is SWITCHED OFF
Benni
Benni is wolfsable. Wolfsable puppies go through an extended (and sometimes very comical) teenage phase where their puppy coats can have funny splurts of phaeomelanin colour in all sorts of weird places. Adult Benni is far too handsome for me to show you his teenage photos. I may do a 'wolfsable teenager' page one day if I get enough photos of cute wolfsable teenagers.
Grateful Thanks to J Lincoln, Armahani Kennels Vic, and R Holloway, Zuleika Kennels Tas for photos of Benni and Tortik