"Blue" Swissies and "Red" Swissies do indeed exist. While they are rare and considered not acceptable colors by the AKC, they are just as beautiful as the Black, Red & White swissies and can be just as desirable to some and still wonderful dogs.
Not much is known about the color variations. There is a great amount of speculation as to how these coat colors occur,
but the actual facts remain a mystery and will remain so until more genetic research is completed. However, it is my very humble personal opinion that unless these coat colors create some form of genetic defect or illness, time for research on the breed would be better spent identifying DNA markers for serious health concerns like epilepsy, cancer, OCD, and the many other health issues that exist in the dog. Unless you intend to show the dog, the coat color and markings are fair less important than the overall health, temperament and preservation of the breed.
We have never produced a "Red" swissy here at PatiMac so unfortunately, I can't tell you much about them. I don't even have any pictures of one. Back in March of 2003 and again in August of 2004, one of our dogs "Dixie" delivered a couple of great litters of pups. In each of these litters, one of these pups was a "blue" swissy. The coloration of the blue dog is gorgeous! Not really blue, but more gray, with beautiful blue eyes. Where there would be red or rust on a black swissy, the blue swissy has a nice tan color. Each of these pups have all the same white markings as a normal swissy, although the absence of white, or an abundance of white, can be possible in the blues just as in a normal swissy.
As the blue swissy grows, typically, the eyes will turn to an amazing hazel/green color and the blue (gray) coat gets much darker. As a young pup, the diffence in color is obvious. As the pup gets older, and the coat darkens, the color differences become much less obvious.
Below are some pictures of our first blue pup "Casey" from a few days old to just recently at 17 months old. Pictures of our most recent blue pup are also shown below.
"Casey" at about 10 weeks old
"Casey" at about 10 weeks old playing with "Shilo"
"Casey" at about 17 month old playing with "Harley"
(right)
"Casey" at about 17 months old playing with "Shilo"
(above)
Dixe with her August 26, 2004 litter - with blue pup (left and right)
