Development of sable merle

Seal is a slightly mysterious colour in the dog world. It is not known how it is inherited or even just what it is. A seal dog at first glance can appear as either a solid black, or perhaps a liver dog. But unlike a liver dog, it has black pigment, so it has a black nose and dark eyes. It can also easily be mistaken with a sunburnt black, but seal is indeed its own colour. It has been found in breeds like the shar pei, italian greyhound and the boston terrier.

This photo is a bit dark, but Jordan, a crossbreed, is a seal. A close inspection will show the brownish cast to the coat.

A seal shar pei. Note the black nose despite the dark brown coat.

This shar pei fellow however should not be mistaken for a seal - he is a sunburnt black.