What colour is undercoat?

[Caro]

This is probably a dumb question, but I have only ever owned sables.

What colour undercoat do the different colours of sheltie have? I know mine have a pale white undercoat, do blacks have a black undercoat and merles have a merle undercoat? Does it change the colour of their coats in winter - like in winter my two have lighter coats?

 

[Smudge]

Fluffy's undercoat is black - assuming that is what she is currently shedding! I can't comment on if the color changes any though. She came home around the middle of December, and she is only 11 and a half months old.

 

[Sheri]

Fiona (tri) is so furry I can't tell what is what When she blows her coat though all the white comes out and her black fur seems to stay intact, so I'm guessing it's white? This is making me a terrible fur mom isn't it....

 

[Emmasmom]

Noah, a blue merle, had an undercoat to match his top coat - gray where gray, black where black, white where white, and tan where tan.

 

[Justicemom]

Ember's is very light gray and white or black depending on location. I brush the mane and it is white. The body undercoat has a slight silver cast. You can only tell the difference when it is side by side otherwise it all looks white.

Diva's is black but a dull flat black not glossy like the outercoat. When it falls out it is blackish gray.

Justice's looks white until you put it in a ball with the other dogs fur and then you notice it is actually very light tan.

 

[Smudge]

Diva's is black but a dull flat black not glossy like the outercoat. When it falls out it is blackish gray.

Ok it is undercoat I am brushing out then. Good.

 

[Emmasmom]

You can also tell by the texture. I find the undercoat very soft, the outer coat harsher.

 

[Fergusmom]

Baxter's (sable) undercoat is a golden tan color and Fergus'(tri) is a very dark gray.

 

[Samantha]

Saidy's white has white undercoat and in her black is kind of a duller black almost grey sometimes, and when she sheds it it's brown or very grey.

 

[BarbV]

Indy's undercoat is light grey. Bacca's undercoat is a creamy white.

I know I'm line brushing properly when I look at the brush and I'm only seeing Indy's grey and Bacca's creamy white.

The only difference is the ruff, which is pure white on both of them. So when brushing the ruff, the texture of what is coming out is key. If it's soft and fluffy, you are getting undercoat. If it is straight, then you are pulling out the guard hair.

It's all in technique.