Varieties

Tans

V - Black Tan (ba/t)

a^t/* B/* C/* D/* P/*

"Eyes black. The colour should be dense, lustrous black. The tan belly shall be a rich golden orange hue, as rich as possible and there should be a clear line of demarcation between top colour and tan running in a straight line along flanks, chest and jaws. There should be no brindling or guard hairs. Colour of feet should be inside tan, the remainder of foot the same as top colour. Wholly tan feet considered a greater fault than feet all same colour as top."

Breeding information below the pictures.

	shs black tan buck GrCh Williams Fudgehog b., ow. & pic: Katariina Laine (Click the pic for larger image.)
	SH black tan buck Gr Ch Noddyn Regifugium. b, ow. & pic: Satu Karhumaa (Click the pic for larger image.)
	SH black tan buck Noddyn Loki Jr. b: Satu Karhumaa, o: Anniina Tuura pic: Arttu Väisälä

Note: This article is old and waiting to be rewritten.

Quick Look

Black tan is a strikingly beautiful variety (oh yes, I breed them) with the strong contrast between top and belly colors. Black tan to black tan is the most desirable mating. Some breeders use blue tan as an outcross to give bone to black tans, I have successfully bred black tan and chocolate tan together. Being dominant over other black group tans, you will get black tans in the first generation no matter what you cross with it. However, there is reason to be careful with out crosses, as other tanned colors may bring in unwanted modifying genes, which ruin the top color. Furthermore, with other tanned varieties the common faults do not usually show well, so a good looking out cross (for example blue or chocolate tan) may bring in nasty surprises. Crossing with a self black will also give black tans in the first generation, but these are usually not very good.

Black tans (as well as other tanned varieties) can have a beautiful fiery belly with only one black and tan gene a^t (being heterozygous for a). This is possible by building up proper modifying genes.

The common faults of the tan varieties are problematic in black tans too, as odd tan hairs in the top colour and throat spot is so visible due to the contrast between the top and the belly.