ACCEPTABLE COAT
PATTERNS FOUND IN RAT TERRIERS
BI-COLOR - A dog of two colors and two colors only. According to the UKC Standard one of these colors must be white.
TRI-COLOR - A dog of three colors. Traditionally, the term "tri" has been used to describe a black/wht/tan Rat Terrier. With the growing popularity of rarer colors, this description has expanded to include any two colors plus white, as defined by the UKC Standard. Varying shades of tan colored point markings on the cheeks and over the eyes are typical in the tri-colored Rat Terrier.
PIEBALD - Synonym PINTO. Adapted from horse terminology and applied to dogs with irregular patches of color on a white background. Ideally, the patches of color are well defined and cover the head as well as one-third of the body.
TUXEDO - A predominately dark colored dog with some white on the chest. The darker color extends down the legs resembling a tuxedo with a white shirt front, long sleeves and pant legs. May also have a white blaze on the face and tan or rust eye spots and cheeks. Traditionally, the black/tan/wht dog with these markings is referred to as a "Black and Tan" Theoretically, there can be both bi-color and tri-color tuxedo marked dogs.
CALICO - This is a tri-color dog with random patches of any two differing colors over a white body. May or may not have the distinct tan point markings commonly seen. Redheaded calico is a term sometimes used to describe a dog who has a patch of red/tan on the top of the head, which is rarely apparent at birth, but develops as the dog matures.
SADDLEBACK / BLANKETBACK - A large patch of color across the back of the dog, where a saddle or blanket would be placed. These patches are usually separated by another color at the neck and base of the tail. The dog can be bi-colored or tri-colored. These patterns differ from the Tuxedo where the color extends down the legs.
TICKING - Flecks or speckles of dark-colored hair on a white background. May be lightly or heavily ticked. Common in many of the hound breeds. Tri-colored dogs may have both of the two darker colors show up in the ticking. The amount of ticking usually increases as the dog ages.
SABLE - Also called "sabling." A coat color pattern, not a color. Evidenced by black-tipped hairs or black hairs overlaid upon a background of another, lighter color. Sable pattern of varying density is commonly seen in German Shepherds, Collies and Shelties. In Rat Terriers, the most common example of sabling is seen in puppies born with a collection of black hairs in the area of the muzzle, eyes, ears, spine and tail. The black hairs are most plentiful at birth but usually decrease in number as the dog matures. In the Chocolate Rat Terrier, the sabling pattern may be seen as a darker shade of chocolate in the areas mentioned.
All of the above are color patterns, not colors. They are useful only for describing how the color is arranged on a dog. When you are describing your dog to other people you may use any of the terms that best creates a mental picture of your dog.
Try picturing the following dogs:
Dog #1. White/black/tan, tri-color, calico
Dog #2. Chocolate/white, bi-color, sable, saddle back Dog #4. Black/white, bi-color, heavily ticked
Dog #3. Black/tan/wht, tri-color, tuxedo Dog #5. Blue/wht, bi-color, piebald
When describing your dog for UKC registration papers, always enter the colors of the dog, starting with the predominant color. Only use the color patterns when you need them to give a more accurate description of the dog. For example, a dog may be white, tan, and black. If that dog is a traditional tri-colored dog, you can describe the dog as "white/tan/black." If, however, the dog is white and tan with black hairs overlaying the tan spots, you would describe the dog as "white/tan sable." If the dog is white with black patches, you would describe the dog as "white/black piebald." If the dog is predominantly black with a white spot on the chest, you would describe the dog as "black/white."
ACCEPTABLE COLORS IN RAT TERRIERS:
(keep in mind these colors may be exhibited in the patterns found above and in any acceptable color combinations)
BLACK/WHITE/TAN - A common color in
Rat Terriers and can vary from dark tan to very light tan. Also
includes the many shades of red from intense dark mahogany red to light
red. Tan is not a dilute color. A tan dog has a black nose and eye rims.(keep in mind these colors may be exhibited in the patterns found above and in any acceptable color combinations)
CHOCOLATE - This brown color ranges from dark to light chocolate and is the color called "liver" in many other breeds. Chocolates may also have reddish tones and be very light in color. The definitive feature of a chocolate Rat Terrier is the self-colored nose pigment. The presence of any black hairs or black pigment (nose and eye rims) means the dog is tan and not chocolate.
BLUE - Blue is a dilute color, where hair that is genetically black is diluted to a blue-gray appearance. As with other dilutes, the nose is self-colored, usually dark gray.
BLUE FAWN - Also a dilute. This description is used to describe a dog whose coat color appears to be a mixture of blue and chocolate. These dogs may appear a milky chocolate or the colors seen in Weimaraners.
APRICOT - Apricot dogs are born white and develop color patches within the first few weeks that deepen in color. Occasionally, the faint color patches are visible at birth. Color patches range from orange to faded looking yellow. Nose pigment is black.
LEMON - This is the dilute version of the apricot colors. The only difference between lemon and apricot is that lemon-colored dogs have self-colored nose pigment. Either may be varying shades of orange to lemon.
FAULTED COLORS:
(Keep in mind that many of the very light colors are hard to distinguish from each other by name, but it is best to avoid all extremely diluted or faded out colors in the Rat Terrier)
(Keep in mind that many of the very light colors are hard to distinguish from each other by name, but it is best to avoid all extremely diluted or faded out colors in the Rat Terrier)
FAWN - An extremely pale yellowish/tan color with self-colored nose, therefore a dilute. Fawn represents the extreme paling of the more desirable Rat Terrier colors.
CREAM - Pale yellow to off-white.
FALLOW WITH BLACK MASK - Very light yellowish tan. The color of a fallow deer without their characteristic white spots. The black mask is a dense collection of black hairs that encircles most or all of the dog's muzzle.
SILVER - The extreme dilution of blue. This appears as the color of an aluminum tin can or silver coin.
DISQUALIFIED COLORS AND PATTERNS:
Brindle and merle are disqualified color patterns. Albino is a disqualified genetic disorder that expresses itself by the absence of pigment in the hair, eyes, and skin. A solid color dog is also disqualified unless the solid color is white.
Brindle and merle are disqualified color patterns. Albino is a disqualified genetic disorder that expresses itself by the absence of pigment in the hair, eyes, and skin. A solid color dog is also disqualified unless the solid color is white.
BRINDLE - A color pattern produced by the presence of darker hairs forming bands and giving a striped effect on a background of tan, brown or yellow. Brindle occurs in many breeds, e.g., Great Dane, Boston Terrier, Irish Wolfhound, Scottish Terrier, etc. The extent of brindling may vary greatly, according to the intensity of individual hair pigmentation as well as with the extent of stripe distribution. Some brindle specimens, Bostons, for example, might appear almost black at first sight, whereas in others, brindling may be of rather light intensity, as in the Irish Wolfhound or Cairn Terrier.
MERLE - Also called "merling." Distinguished by the presence of irregular, dark blotches against a lighter background of the same general basic pigment. Called "merle" in long-coated dogs, such as the Collie, and more often referred to as "dapple" in short-coated dogs, such as the Dachshund. The most common type of merle is the "blue merle" (black patches or streaks on a blue-gray background), but there is also liver merle, also called red merle.
ALBINISM - Rare in dogs. Albinism is characterized by the absence or reduction of pigment in the hair, eyes, and skin. Albino dogs are white or cream in color with pink pigment and pink or blue eye color.
© American Rat Terrier Association May 16, 2001
NO PORTION OF THIS DOCUMENT MAY BE COPIED
WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION AND/OR WITHOUT CREDITING THE
AMERICAN RAT TERRIER ASSOCIATION AS THE AUTHOR.
* * * * * * *A
WORD FROM THE ARTA BOARD OF DIRECTORS* * * * * * *
THIS COLOR GUIDE IS A WORK IN PROGRESS. IT WAS DEVELOPED TO BE USED IN
CONJUNCTION WITH THE ARTA PHOTO GUIDE UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF UKC, TO
BRING CONSISTENCY TO THE COLOR AND PATTERN TERMINOLOGY OF OUR BREED.
VERY IMPORTANT UPDATE:
AS OF AUGUST 24, 2005 UKC APPROVED THE USE OF ANY COLOR AND PATTERN
TERM (EXCEPT DQ'S) FOR RAT TERRIERS.
OTHER REVISIONS ARE UNDERWAY AND, PER UKC, ALL APPROVED REVISIONS WILL
BE REFLECTED IN THE COLOR SECTION OF OUR BREED STANDARD. PLEASE BE
PATIENT AS THESE IMPORTANT CHANGES UNFOLD AND THIS PAGE IS UPDATED
ACCORDINGLY