Rat Terrier Colors and Markings

Black Tri

The black tri is black and white with copper points and a black nose. The
black gene is dominant over chocolate.

Red Sable

The sable is an red to tan color with black tipped hair and a black nose.

Chocolate Sable

The chocolate sable is a caramel-orange color and
may have chocolate tipped hair. They have chocolate
noses. The chocolate sable is a red or red sable dog
with the recessive chocolate gene.

Pearl/Silver

The pearl aka silver is a lavender color with a lavender nose,
and hazel-green or pale copper eyes. If the dog has tan, it is called
a pearl and tan or a pearl tri. A pearl is a chocolate
dog with the recessive blue dilution gene.

Seal

Seal is a rare color in dogs, they are black, chocolate, blue, or pearl dogs that have a reddish hue coming up from the legs and sides. it is caused by sable "leaking through" in a dog that has only one copy of the dominant black gene.

A black seal dog with the merle pattern with dilute to a reddish tan color instead of the usual blue.

Pearl Merle

The pearl merle is a pearl dog with the merle pattern.

Blanket Back Coat Pattern

The color covers the back of the dog. White with any rat terrier color.

Piebald Coat Pattern

Basically a spotted dog. White with any rat terrier color.

Bi Color

The Bi color is a black and white or chocolate and white, blue and white, or pearl and white. but with no copper points. In other words just 2 colors.

Calico Pattern

Red Headed Calico. The base color can be black, chocolate, blue, or pearl, with a red head and often red creeping up the legs.

Blue

The blue is a steel grey color with a blue nose. If
the dog has tan it is called a blue and tan or blue
tri. Often have blue-grey eyes. The blue color is a
black dog with a recessive dilution gene.

Dilute Chocolate Sable or Lilac

This is a color that is often over-looked because most
people simply dismiss it as a blue fawn. A lilac is a
rich caramel color with pearl or lavender tipped hair and a pearl or lavender nose. The lilac is a chocolate sable dog with the recessive blue dilution gene.

Chocolate Merle

There are different colors of merle, the merle pattern shows up as different
shades of the base color in splotches. Merles can also have blue eyes.

"True" Blue Merle

The true blue merle is a blue dog with the merle pattern. It can be distinguished from the black merle by its blue colored nose.

Tuxedo Coat Pattern

Solid color with a white chest and paws. Any rat terrier color.

White Coat Pattern

Extreme piebald, white covers the entire coat. Nose should be black, blue, or red depending on what the white is covering up.

Red or Tan

The red is a red to tan color
with a black nose.

Chocolate

The chocolate is a liver color with a chocolate nose, and usually have hazel or amber colored eyes. If the dog has tan it
is called a chocolate and tan or a chocolate tri. In genetics, a "chocolate" would technically be called a "brown," but we will
call it a chocolate to avoid confusion with the other colors. The chocolate color is caused by a recessive gene.

Blue Fawn

The blue fawn is a light tan with blue tipped hair
and a blue nose. A blue fawn is a red, or red
sable dog with the recessive blue dilution gene.

Lemon/Apricot

The lemon or apricot is a light caramel to yellow color and are
usually white when born. The Lemon color is
caused by a recessive gene that blocks black pigment in the hair from developing. the nose is usually black and may look faded, but can be any color.

Black Merle

Also known as a blue merle because of the blue diluting effect the merle pattern has on the black coat. It can be distinguished from the true  blue merle by its black colored nose. Merles may have light blue or partially blue eyes if the merle pattern occurs over the eyes.

the merle pattern is caused by an incomplete dominant gene.

Red or Sable Merle

The red merle is a red or red sable dog with
the merle pattern. This merle color can be
hard to see because the merle pattern doesn't
effect the red color, only the black tips of the
hair.

Solid Coat Pattern

Solid color with very little white to no white. If the dog has tan it is called a
"_____ and tan," ex."black and tan."

Ticking

Ticking is speckling that appears in the white of a piebald dog. Usually the ticking will be most concentrated in the feet and legs. There can be just a few specks or the ticking can be so extreme that it completely covers all the white, this is called excessive ticking.