 This dog's unusual head coloration is a result of what is known in the Aussie fancy as "running gold."But just what is running gold? It is generally used as a catchall phrase for copper coloration in any manifestation, whether it be through the head, on the leg, the back, wherever a main body color exists and would normally be free of other colorations. It is a color fault for the breed, as it results in less than clear coloration. |
 Here is a photo of a dog's hind leg that exhibits running gold. While from far away the copper trim and black body color seem distinct, on a close up examination of this dog, you can see how the copper really becomes interspersed with the black hairs on the left side of the photograph, muddying the colors.
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 This is a photo of the top of a dog's head. Notice that instead of copper hairs mixed with black hairs, the color shows itself in the form of a band. Some label this coloring as sable, but true sable has only two stripes of color, usually light to dark. This shows three coloration changes, black, copper, black - it is agouti! While many refer to this as running copper, it is totally different! |