Glossary
Sable
A coat colour in which each hair is banded or tipped with black over a lighter base, giving a shaded look as in many Collies and German Shepherds.
Also called: sable coat, sable colour, sable color, agouti
Sable describes a coat in which individual hairs are lighter at the root and darker at the tip, so the dog looks shaded, often fawn, gold or red with a black overlay. The darker tipping is heaviest along the back and face. It is common in the Collie, the German Shepherd Dog, the Pembroke Welsh Corgi, the Shetland Sheepdog and the Pomeranian.
Sable puppies often change as they grow, and the shading can look quite different in the adult coat. Standards often name several allowed shades, such as sable, tri-colour and blue merle, in the same breed.
Sable differs from brindle, where dark stripes sit on top of a base colour, and from merle, which dilutes colour in patches. It is a colour description only, and says nothing about health or temperament.
Last reviewed November 8, 2026