I think my Tucker is dark too, though not as dark as your gus. He's about to be 6 months. I love it! For me, the darker the better, even though it may not be the standard. Like the other pp said, I think the longer they take for their coat to break the darker they will be. But I don't think Gus's coat will stay as dark as he is now forever. Here is a picture of my Tucker |