06/08/2024
SOME SIMPLE COLOR GENETICS
(By Emily Tucker)
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Ps. This post is not to help you predict colours! So please don’t send in your dogs with the question what they will produce together!
I’m gonna break it down for y’all one time. Just the simple stuff.
ALL DOGS ARE EITHER BLACK OR CHOCOLATE. Seriously. All other genes modify the black or chocolate base.
Black/Chocolate (B or b)
•B = Black
•b = Chocolate
•Black cannot be “carried”, it’s dominant. Either they are black or they’re chocolate. They’re not chocolate “carries black”.
•Chocolate is recessive. Meaning you have to have two “b”s for the dog to appear chocolate. Chocolate CAN be carried.
•BB = Black not carrying chocolate
•Bb = Black carrying chocolate
•bb = Chocolate
Recessive Red (E or e)
•Only in some breeds.
•This is what makes a black or chocolate dog appear “yellow”, “cream”, “white”, “platinum”. Yellow/white/fox red labs and cream/white frenchies for example. All the same gene just different intensities of the shades.
•This gene takes away the ability to produce other colors/patterns. No tan points, no brindle.
•Also a recessive gene that you must have two copies of “e” for it to show on the coat.
•Can be carried.
•Where the masked gene lies but I’m not going to get into that here.
•What causes your “Cryptic Merle’s”
•EE = Normal extension (no effect on the dog, color/patterns underneath will show)
•Ee = Normal extension but carries recessive red
•ee = expresses recessive red coat/ no other colors (black, lover, blue, lilac) or patterns (sable, tri, brindle, masks) visible.
Dilute(D or d)
•This is what makes a black, chocolate, recessive red dogs look blue, lilac, or champagne.
•Also a recessive gene, you need two copies of “d” for the dogs coat to express dilution.
•It’s almost impossible to tell a recessive red dog that is dilute from a non dilute apart so I’m not going to go into that.
•DD = non dilute, coat is not lightened. Black coats are still black and chocolate coats are still chocolate.
•Dd = Coat color still doesn’t change, but carried for dilute.
•dd = full dilute. Coat is now lightened turning into what we call “blue” or “lilac”
Sable or Fawn (Ay)
•Sable is dominate. Can be clear or tipped. Usually have masks.
• Means it can’t be carried, they are sable or they’re not.
•Sable dogs can carry for other colors/patterns though.
•Ay/Ay = Dog will be fawn/sable
•Ay/n = Dog will be fawn/sable can carry a trait
Tan Points aka Tricolor (At)
•Another recessive gene you have to have two of (unless we get into recessive black coats and we are not here, staying simple) for them to be expressed.
•It can be carried as well.
•To be expressed dogs must be EE or Ee.
•It can be expressed with any other colors including black, chocolate, lilac, or blue. Or other patterns such as brindle (where your trindles come from), white spotting, merle, ect.
•Ay/At = Dog is not tan points but carries the gene
•At/At = Dog is tan pointed
In closing:
•You can check offspring color/pattern possibilities relatively easy if you know the genes behind the parents.
•Two lilac dogs will only have lilac puppies.
•Two dilute dogs will only have dilute puppies.
•Two tri color dogs will only have tri color puppies.
•Don’t forget if a dog is white/cream/yellow/recessive red they can be another color underneath.
I’m still learning new stuff ALL the time about color genetics and getting deeper and deeper into them. But these are just some simple things to remember. I see so many people getting terms confused and thinking they will breed two certain dogs together and get colors that they won’t get.
If y’all breed two lilac dogs together and get a chocolate puppy. Get you a DNA test.
