coloring

Question
Just bought a female standard.  Sold as "red" but looks like a cream to me.  How do I tell the coloring.  She is 8wks old.  mather is definite black told faher is 'apricot" but if he is, he's very light.  

I read blacks and apricots should not mate.

why did a black mother have such light pups (whole litter was 'apricot' and 'red'  

Also, although I brush daily, when should I start grooming(clipping) and is this somehting I do initially myself while she is still a puppy?

Answer
Hello Janyce,
Your dog is most likely a light Apricot or Cream.  Colors have gotten so mixed up compaired to the True White (which is Solid White, going back and line breeding White to White) and True Black (same as White, with no other color bred in, just Black to Black) from long ago.  As it is now, you can never really tell what is "Pure Color" anymore unless you get a Color Pedigree with your dog, and even then that can be falsified.  
Cream dogs can be as light as a White dog with cream points (ears, topline, head and tail) and I have even heard of those dogs being called "White".  Apricot is an Apricot colored dog with Darker ears, Tail, Head and possibly down the back.  True Red is a Dark (almost Irish Setter Red) color with no highlights, because the whole dog is the same color.  You can also see Red/Apricot but that is usually a very dark Apricot that some breeders will call Red.

The Black mother must have had some Red or Apricot color in her to throw all Apricots and Reds.  A Red or Apricot color comes from 2 submissive Red genes so the female had to contribute one [Red gene] and the male had to contribute one [Red gene].  
Color genetics take almost a college degree to understand, and I have just touched the surface because what I know about it could fill a thimble, but there you go.
Feel free to send me a Picture of her and I will give you a better idea of what color I think she is now and what color she will become as she ages.  MsTopkdog@yahoo.com

As to grooming her, feel free to start now, if nothing else to get her used to having it done to her.  We would always shave our puppies faces, feet and tails at 5 weeks old and it is said that if you shave them down when they are very young, you can skip the matting coat change they will go through at 9 months of age (this is when they start getting their adult hair in, and when it happens can cause mats on a large scale if they haven't been shaved prior to this time) Feel free to start scissoring on her now, and when that coat gets too long, you can go ahead and shave it shorter or off.  Take it slowly to get her used to it, and praise her when she will set still.  Brushing her is good for her, but you might want to spray the coat with a coat conditioner or even water, to reduce coat breakage. I would also get her used to being combed out, because as her coat grows longer, a comb will be useful to get down to her skin where a brush will glide over the coat and not get down to where the mats form.  You should also start getting her used to having her ears messed with, and start pulling little bits of hair out of them now.  Puppies don't like to have their ears messed with, but it is necessary for hair removal when they are older.  If you don't start now, you will have an angry little girl on your hands when you go to do it later.  You can get a powder that you put in the ears to help you grab the hairs to pluck them out.  Most Pet Shops have them or you can get some from local Groomers in the area.  

Try this exercise with her called the "Puppy Exam" Position, as it will help her get used to you working with her head, feet, backside and body.  

Puppy Exam Position:
Start with your puppy on her back in your lap (with her head towards your belly).  You will notice that when you first lay your dog in your lap, her feet may be straight up in the air and she will be tense.  You will want to rub her belly and cause her to relax.  Praise her when she relaxes.  Next, start to examine her head area.  Look in her eyes, in her mouth and at her teeth, check the outside of the ears and play inside the ears, and on her topknot.  Work with her until she is comfortable with having this done.  Move down to her legs.  Feel down the joints and bones, and also check in the leg hair.  Move on to her feet.  Dogs really dislike having their feet messed with, so do this until she accepts it without fussing or moving around.  Play with the toes, tap her nails with your fingernails so she hears a little "click", give a gentle pinch of the toenails (mimics toenails being clipped) and tickle on the insides of the pads.  This helps alot when taking your dog to be groomed or if doing it yourself, because you or the groomer will need to shave in-between the feet and toes.  Lastly, check the rear area of your dog.  Go down the tail and the belly area.  Finish by rubbing her belly until she is calm (because you don't want to let her up unless she is laying quietly in your lap) then release her and praise.  You can do this in the evenings while watching tv or during your quiet time.  Make this fun for her and she will want it to be done.  When my Poodles, who were raised having the Puppy Exam done, see me sit on the floor with an open lap, they will make a beeline for me and will sit in front of me and fall back in my lap to have the P.E. done.  They absoutely love it.  
So give these things a try and if you have other questions, please feel free to contact me.

Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim