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COLOR GENETICS BASICS
Credits: Alesia Dixon of Rare Bulldogs
We hope that you will appreciate us sharing our knowledge with you. We also hope that you will share with us, as we are always learning, and improving on our understanding. We want to thank the few, very kind breeders who have actually called and said THANK YOU to us for creating this section. We realize that there are many breeders who use our site, that we never hear from...so Thank you for expressing your appreciation, it means a lot to us!
Geneticists and Breeders have long been aware of several locations of chromosomes (loci), which are responsible for the color patterns we see in dogs. Each locus has 2 sides. Every puppy inherits one copy of each locus from Mom and one of each from Dad. This is true of ALL genetic traits. Each of these loci is responsible for one or more traits, either independently, or in conjunction with another locus. The simple rendition below can be applied to any single loci, such as the B loci.
LETS GET STARTED. LESSON 1A
LESSON 1B
LESSON 1C
LESSON 1D
COLOR GENETICS BASICS Lesson 2
The simple rendition below is applied to 2 single loci, D & B. You can see how complicated these scenarios can be. Imagine you are dealing with 3, 4, or more!
LESSON 2...showing only 2 of the 81 combination possibilities.
LESSON 2A
LESSON 2B
LESSON 2C
HEALTH DNA
HEALTH DNA INFO AND TESTING
OUR CONTRIBUTION
Rare Bulldogs has started its Health Testing in early 2017. This is an ongoing process that will take several years to complete. As per our Geneticists recommendations, we will not take our affected bulldogs out of our breeding programs as this would be very detrimental to the breed as a whole....our breed is already in trouble as you will see in the article referenced below, PLEASE read it!
Therefore, we will start with our keep back babies for our program, striving to keep breeders that are clear or at the very least, only carriers of the 3 disease genes mentioned here. If we ALL do this, we will bring back our breed. Our Breed is in so much trouble, that scientists are calling the English Bulldog Breed a DEAD END!
Rare Bulldogs considers it our duty to protect the Bulldog aka English Bulldog, our very special breed. Most consider the Bulldog an unhealthy breed. We do not. When ethical, knowledgeable breeders use healthy dogs in their programs, the outcome is healthier puppies overall. Our breed Standard reflects necessary qualities needed to produce healthier puppies in our breed.
As many may know, there has been a recent Study in the genetic diversity done on the Bulldog Breed that is rather alarming. We, as CBCA Rare Color Breeders are honored to say that we have made large strides in hopefully improving on this study. In the last 10 years, because of the diversity in adding the Rare Colors to our breeding programs, most Rare Color Breeders have seen a significant difference in the overall health of puppies produced, some in less than 3 years.
HEALTH IN GENETIC TESTING
Like all breeds there may be some health issues related to the Bulldog breed. Because they are a brachycephalic breed, bulldogs will often have breathing problems which are related to their elongated soft-palate blocking their airways. If this were to become a chronic problem, surgery may be an option. Other health issues reported in bulldogs are cherry eye & skin infections which can be easily treated by cleaning the skin-folds regularly. Some Bulldogs will be faced with health issues in their lives as are all dogs, but the majority of well-bred Bulldogs are healthy dogs. Work with a responsible breeder, gain the education you need about specific health concerns within the breed.
© Rare Bulldogs 2017 Author: Alesia Dixon
Read the study:
https://cgejournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40575-016-0036-y
What Science Alert had to say about the study. Personally, I bet if the study was done on our Rare Colors, the findings would be vastly different.
https://www.sciencealert.com/english-bulldogs-are-at-a-genetic-tipping-point-study-finds
Read in depth information on Bulldog Health and DNA Testing HERE.
DM...ENGLISH & FRENCH BULLDOGS
Degenerative myelopathy (DM) is a progressive disease of the spinal cord in older dogs, onset typically between 8 and 14 years of age.
It begins with a loss of coordination (ataxia) in the hind limbs. The affected dog will wobble when walking, knuckle over or drag the feet. As the disease progresses, the dog's hind legs will weaken and eventually the dog will be unable to walk at all, and can experience loss of urinary and fecal continence with eventual weakness in the front limbs. Fortunately, there is no direct pain associated with Degenerative Myelopathy.
A small percentage of dogs that have inherited two copies of the mutation will not experience symptoms at all. Thus, this disease is not completely penetrant, meaning the disease does not affect every dog that has the genotype.
Ethical breeding practices with this disorder:
No restrictions on unaffected dogs.
No restrictions with an unaffected to a carrier. If your breeding dog is a carrier, it is a must to test the intended mate to be unaffected.
Restriction on breeding two carriers.
Restriction on breeding fully affected to a carrier. Intended mates to fully affected should be clear.
HUU...ENGLISH & FRENCH BULLDOGS
The Hyperuricosuria mutation is autosomal recessive. Both parents will need to be carriers of the mutation to pass it onto their offspring. Only individuals that have two copies of the mutation, have a higher risk of developing clinical signs of the disease. Carriers of only one copy of the mutation will not develop the disease.
Dogs with this genetic mutation metabolize waste products as uric acid in their urine, this condition that predisposes dogs to bladder stones that can result in urinary obstruction. The uric acid forms into hard stones in the bladder, causing pain and inflammation as the stone moves through the urinary tract.
A dog that has difficulty urinating or appears to have an inflamed bladder may have HUU. Other signs can include blood in the urine and frequent urination. If the dog is unable to pass the urate stones without medical intervention, surgery is required to remove them. If the urinary tract is blocked, the condition can be life threatening. HUU is uncomfortable and painful for the dog.
Carriers will not show any symptoms of HUU. Affected dogs may not show any signs, so it is important to test dogs for HUU prior to breeding.
Ethical breeding practices with this disorder:
No restrictions on unaffected dogs.
No restrictions with an unaffected to a carrier. If your breeding dog is a carrier, it is a must to test the intended mate to be unaffected.
Restriction on breeding two carriers.
Restriction on breeding fully affected to a carrier. Intended mates to fully affected should be clear.
CMR1...ENGLISH & FRENCH BULLDOGS
Canine Multifocal Retinopathy (CMR), a recessive eye disorder, is known to affect several breeds including the English Bulldog. This causes raised lesions that form on the retina and alters the appearance of the eye but usually does not affect sight. These lesions, looking somewhat like blisters, vary in location and size. Typically they are present in both eyes of the affected dog. Lesions may disappear, or may result in minor retinal folding. Symptoms usually appear when a puppy is only a few months old, and generally do not worsen over time.
Since CMR1 is recessive, both parents would need to be carriers of the mutation to produce an affected puppy. Breeding two unaffected or one unaffected and one carrier will not produce affected offspring. However if one parent is a carrier, a percentage of the offspring will be carriers. It is necessary to test for the presence of the CMR mutation before breeding, so as not to breed two carriers together, and unwittingly produce a fully affected puppy. Dogs have two copies of the mutation are susceptible to develop retinal deformation, although fully affected dogs do not always develop into disease.
In most cases, treatment is not required.
Ethical breeding practices with this disorder:
No restrictions on unaffected dogs.
No restrictions with an unaffected to a carrier. If your breeding dog is a carrier, it is a must to test the intended mate to be unaffected.
Restriction on breeding two carriers.
Restriction on breeding fully affected to a carrier. Intended mates to fully affected should be clear.
HC...FRENCH BULLDOGS
Cataracts are a clouding of lens of the eye caused by a breakdown of tissue in the eye. This generally results in an inability to see clearly, and can cause total blindness.
In canines, mutations that result in cataracts can be passed to offspring and is known as Hereditary Cataracts. A mutation in the HSF4 gene causes this type of cataracts in several breeds of dogs. In this case, the dog is typically affected bilaterally with both eyes affected by the disease.
They usually begin small and grow progressively, though the speed of growth is highly variable. Some cataracts will grow so slowly that the dog’s vision remains relatively clear, while others will grow such that the dog will quickly go blind. Corrective surgery is possible, though it is costly and is not always effective. One HSF4 mutation causes the recessive form of HC in Boston Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, and French Bulldogs.
Because it is recessive, a dog must have two copies of this mutation to experience this form of cataracts. Incomplete penetrance means that a dog that has this mutation will not always develop HC. It is likely that a secondary gene interaction occurs in the small percentage of dogs possessing the HC mutation but do not develop cataracts, however, this interaction is not yet known.
It is important to note that not all cataracts are hereditary. Cataracts can also be caused by old age or injury. Also, cataracts that occur in different regions of the lens can also be familial, but not necessarily attributed to this gene mutation.
Ethical breeding practices with this disorder:
No restrictions on unaffected dogs.
No restrictions with an unaffected to a carrier. If your breeding dog is a carrier, it is a must to test the intended mate to be unaffected.
Restriction on breeding two carriers.
Restriction on breeding fully affected to a carrier. Intended mates to fully affected should be clear.
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Please email us any Terms you would like added to this page
The below terms are used in connection with the Rare Color English & French Bulldog Breeds and their DNA.
AGOUTI
Recessive black. In bulldogs this would dna as atat, ayat, or ayay
ALLELE
One of two or more alternative forms or variants of a gene that arise by mutation and are found at the same place on a chromosome. EX: dilute has 2 alleles, D and d. ***see VARIANT
BARREL CHEST
A wide, rounded, deep chest that is actually looks like a barrel. Bulldogs typically have barrel chests along with a wider leg set and an overall stocky appearance.
BLACK AND TAN
Black and Tan with minimal white only on the chest. Body is solid black with tan markings on the eyebrows, cheeks, front chest, legs, and under the tail.
BLACK BASE
This would be a dog with full black at agouti, ie atat, and a full or carrier at dominant black, ie KN ro KK when the dominant black is expressed as Seal. This Black base is needed in order to produce true, vivid colors in lue of these colors in fawn or sable. In black base dogs, the genes that change color affect the coat and not just the nose, eyeliner, pad color. Note: Seal base may be muted and not vivid.
BLACK BRINDLE
Black and Fawn Stripes with or without white markings in any design. Brindle dogs carry at least one Kbr gene and are always either ayay, or ayat at agouti. Brindled bodied dogs cannot have a Kb gene nor be atat.
BLACK BRINDLE MERLE
Black Merle with or without white in any design with the added K gene being brindle. Diluted hair appears blue. Black Merles are incorrectly called Blue Merles in many instances. Patches, nose, footpads, and eyeliner is black. Note: these dogs can appear only brindle, only merle, or a combo of the two.
BLACK MERLE
Black Merle with or without white in any design. Diluted hair appears blue. Black Merles are incorrectly called Blue Merles in many instances. Patches, nose, footpads, and eyeliner is black.
BLACK MERLE TRI
Black, Tan, and white in any pattern with random diluted patches. Body is black merle and white with tan markings on the eyebrows, cheeks, front chest, legs, and under the tail. Patches, nose, footpads, and eyeliner is black. Note: The black merle or tan will not show where the dog is white but will be black merle tri genetically.
BLACK PLATINUM
A white dog with little(10% or less) or no patches of black on the fur. This dog will DNA atat or K, with K being SEAL (see Dominant Black). White is not a color, but is lack of pigment. ****see definition of WHITE and PLATINUM.
BLACK SEAL
Black or Black and White in any Design. This dog will DNA as K, with the K being SEAL.
BLACK TRI
Black, Tan, and white in any pattern. Body is black and white with tan markings on the eyebrows, cheeks, front chest, legs, and under the tail. Note: The black or tan will not show where the dog is white but will be black tri genetically.
BLACK TRINDLE
Black, Trindle, and white in any pattern. The tan portions on the dog will be brindled, thus called Trindle. Body is black and white with tan markings on the eyebrows, cheeks, front chest, legs, and under the tail. Note: The black or tan will not show where the dog is white but will be black trindle genetically.
BROWN
Brown hair color on a dog, called chocolate and sometimes liver.
BLUE AND TAN
Blue and Tan with minimal white only on the chest. Body is solid blue with tan markings on the eyebrows, cheeks, front chest, legs, and under the tail.
BLUE BRINDLE
Blue and Fawn Stripes with or without white markings in any design. Brindle dogs carry at least one Kbr gene and are always either ayay, or ayat at agouti. Brindled bodied dogs cannot have a Kb gene nor be atat.
BLUE BRINDLE MERLE
Blue Merle with or without white in any design with the added K gene being brindle. Diluted hair appears lighter blue. Patches, nose, footpads, and eyeliner is blue. Note: these dogs can appear only brindle, only merle, or a combo of the two.
BLUE FAWN
Fawn color fur with nose, eyeliner, & foot pads being blue or gray with light to dark tonal value.
BLUE GHOST MERLE
Fawn/Sable color fur with nose, eyeliner, & foot pads being blue or gray with light to dark tonal value, and visible faint merle patches when young. These merle patches fade into the fawn/sable coat and are not visible at adulthood in most instances.
BLUE MERLE
Blue Merle with or without white in any design. Diluted hair appears lighter blue. Patches, nose, footpads, and eyeliner is blue.
BLUE MERLE TRI
Blue, Tan, and white in any pattern with random diluted patches. Body is blue merle and white with tan markings on the eyebrows, cheeks, front chest, legs, and under the tail. Diluted hair appears lighter blue. Patches, nose, footpads, and eyeliner is blue. Note: The blue merle or tan will not show where the dog is white but will be blue merle tri genetically.
BLUE PLATINUM
A white dog with little(10% or less) or no patches of blue on the fur. This dog will DNA dd. White is not a color, but is a lack of pigment. ****see definition of WHITE and PLATINUM.
BLUE SABLE
A dog with Fawn colored hair, sometimes with blue tips. Blue etching is often seen around the eyes, throughout the coat, on the tail, and feet. The pigment on the nose, pads, and eyeliner will be blue. Some of these dogs will show tan points. It is not known why the tan points bleed through on some Sables and not others.
BLUE SEAL
Blue or Blue and White in any Design. This dog will DNA as dd K, with the K being SEAL.
BLUE TRI
Blue, Tan, and white in any pattern. Body is blue and white with tan markings on the eyebrows, cheeks, front chest, legs, and under the tail. Note: The blue or tan will not show where the dog is white but will be blue tri genetically.
BLUE TRINDLE
Blue, Trindle, and white in any pattern. The tan portions on the dog will be brindled, thus called Trindle. Body is blue and white with tan markings on the eyebrows, cheeks, front chest, legs, and under the tail. Note: The blue or tan will not show where the dog is white but will be blue trindle genetically.
BROKEN ROPE
The protruding wrinkle of skin over the nose of a Bulldog, from side muzzle to side muzzle, that is broken in the center, right above the nose.
BULLDOG
An AKC registered purebred breed, in most instances referred to as an "English Bulldog".
CARRIER
Every gene has 2 sides. When one side is positive and one side is negative, then the dog is considered a carrier of that trait, whether it be color, pattern, disease, etc. A carrier dog will pass on the carrier gene at a rate of 50% on each individual puppy born.
CHOCOLATE AND TAN
Chocolate and Tan with minimal white only on the chest. Body is solid chocolate with tan markings on the eyebrows, cheeks, front chest, legs, and under the tail.
CHOCOLATE BRINDLE
Chocolate and Fawn Stripes with or without white markings in any design. Brindle dogs carry at least one Kbr gene and are always either ayay, or ayat at agouti. Brindled bodied dogs cannot have a Kb gene nor be atat.
CHOCOLATE BRINDLE MERLE
Chocolate Merle with or without white in any design with the added K gene being brindle. Diluted hair appears lighter chocolate. Patches, nose, footpads, and eyeliner is chocolate. Note: these dogs can appear only brindle, only merle, or a combo of the two.
CHOCOLATE FAWN
Fawn color fur with nose, eyeliner, & foot pads being chocolate with light to dark tonal value.
CHOCOLATE GHOST MERLE
Fawn/Sable color fur with nose, eyeliner, & foot pads being chocolate with light to dark tonal value, and visible faint merle patches when young. These merle patches fade into the fawn/sable coat and are not visible at adulthood in most instances.
CHOCOLATE MERLE
Chocolate Merle with or without white in any design. Diluted hair appears lighter chocolate. Patches, nose, footpads, and eyeliner is chocolate.
CHOCOLATE MERLE TRI
Chocolate, Tan, and white in any pattern with random diluted patches. Body is chocolate merle and white with tan markings on the eyebrows, cheeks, front chest, legs, and under the tail. Patches, nose, footpads, and eyeliner is chocolate. Note: The chocolate merle or tan will not show where the dog is white but will be chocolate merle tri genetically.
CHOCOLATE PLATINUM
A white dog with little(10% or less) or no patches of chocolate on the fur. This dog will DNA bb. White is not a color, but is a lack of pigment. ****see definition of WHITE and PLATINUM.
CHOCOLATE SABLE
A dog with Fawn colored hair, sometimes with chocolate tips. Chocolate etching is often seen around the eyes, throughout the coat, on the tail, and feet. The pigment on the nose, pads, and eyeliner will be chocolate. Some of these dogs will show tan points. It is not known why the tan points bleed through on some Sables and not others.
CHOCOLATE SEAL
Chocolate or Chocolate and White in any Design. This dog will DNA as bb K, with the K being SEAL.
CHOCOLATE TRI
Chocolate, Tan, and white in any pattern. Body is chocolate and white with tan markings on the eyebrows, cheeks, front chest, legs, and under the tail. Note: The chocolate or tan will not show where the dog is white but will be chocolate tri genetically.
CHOCOLATE TRINDLE
Chocolate, Trindle, and white in any pattern. The tan portions on the dog will be brindled, thus called Trindle. Body is chocolate and white with tan markings on the eyebrows, cheeks, front chest, legs, and under the tail. Note: The chocolate or tan will not show where the dog is white but will be chocolate trindle genetically.
CLEAR SABLE
A Sable dog with no dark hairs in its coat. Clear sables are almost indistinguishable from recessive reds.
NOTE: Clear sable can hide merle as effectively as recessive red, although this is not the case 100% of the time.
COCOA
A newly discovered brown/chocolate gene rendered coco or Nco and is associated with French Bulldogs. Cocoa was formerly called non-testable chocolate.
CRYPTIC MERLE
Cryptic Merle is a scientific term used for the Merle Gene with a shorter poly-a tail. This term is incorrectly used to define a Phantom or Ghost Merle, which usually has the longer poly-a tail, but does not present on the dog for lack of black base. The term Cryptic Merle should only be used when the Merle dog has been DNA'd with a positive Mc gene.
DILUTE
A gene that dilutes black coat color in dogs to gray or blue. Dilute dogs will DNA as dd.
DOMINANT BLACK
A gene that can produce black seal or brindle. The Seal or Brindle has to be determined visually.
DOUBLE MERLE
A dog with full Merle (MM). Double merles are predominantly white. The merle patches tend to be on the upper body. They may or may not have the spotting gene. Sometimes double merles are 100% white.
ENGLISH BULLDOG
Improper, but common term for an AKC registered purebred Bulldog. Correctly stated as simply, Bulldog. Most people know the AKC Bulldog as an English or British Bulldog, therefore most breeders use the term English Bulldog.
FAWN
A dog with fawn colored hair that can vary from almost white to darker shades of fawn, red, orange, etc.
FRENCH BULLDOG ISABELLA
A dog that is both double Chocolate + double Blue genes...bb dd
FRENCH BULLDOG LILAC
A dog that is lilac from the Cocoa + Blue genes...coco dd
FRENCH BULLDOG NEW SHADE
A dog that has both double Cocoa + double Chocolate...bb coco
EX: New Shade Chocolate dna is bb coco, while New Shade Lilac Isabella dna is bb coco dd.
FRENCH BULLDOG ROJO (chocolate)
A chocolate French Bulldog that is Chocolate from the original chocolate gene. Rojo was formerly called Testable Chocolate...bb
FULL
Every gene has 2 sides. When both sides are positive, the dog is considered a Full or Double for that trait, whether it be color, pattern, disease, etc. A Full Trait dog will pass on one copy of that trait to every puppy born.
FULL BODY SUIT
Any Color and Tan with minimal white ONLY on the head and chest.
FULL ROPE
The protruding wrinkle of skin over the nose of a Bulldog, from side muzzle to side muzzle. A continuous, smooth wrinkle with no breaks.
FULL SUIT
Any Color and Tan with no white or minimal white ONLY on the chest.
GENOTYPE
A dogs genotype is its complete heritable genetic identity. However, the word genotype can also refer just to a particular gene or set of genes carried by an individual dog.
GHOST MERLE
Synonymous with the term Phantom Merle. A Merle dog without a black base, that is not visibly merle. The Merle gene only visibly affects a black based dog, thus the term Ghost Merle.
*This is not to be confused with Cryptic Merle, which is a scientific term used for the Merle Gene with a shorter poly-a tail.
LETHAL WHITE
Double merles are often referred to as "lethal whites". This is totally incorrect term as Lethal white is a completely separate gene that does not occur in dogs, but in horses. The merle gene is not lethal, however it can be problematic and cause vision and hearing problems if doubled in some breeds, and is therefore NOT recommended.
LILAC AND TAN
Lilac and Tan with minimal white only on the chest. Body is solid lilac with tan markings on the eyebrows, cheeks, front chest, legs, and under the tail.
LILAC BRINDLE
Lilac and Fawn Stripes with or without white markings in any design. Brindle dogs carry at least one Kbr gene and are always either ayay, or ayat at agouti. Brindled bodied dogs cannot have a Kb gene nor be atat.
LILAC BRINDLE MERLE
Lilac Merle with or without white in any design with the added K gene being brindle. Diluted hair appears Lilac or almost white. Patches, nose, footpads, and eyeliner is lilac. Note: these dogs can appear only brindle, only merle, or a combo of the two.
LILAC FAWN
Fawn color fur with nose, eyeliner, & foot pads being lilac or gray with light to dark tonal value.
LILAC GHOST MERLE
Fawn/Sable color fur with nose, eyeliner, & foot pads being lilac or gray with light to dark tonal value, and visible faint merle patches when young. These merle patches fade into the fawn/sable coat and are not visible at adulthood in most instances.
LILAC MERLE
Lilac Merle with or without white in any design. Diluted hair appears lighter Lilac. Patches, nose, footpads, and eyeliner is lilac.
LILAC MERLE TRI
Lilac, Tan, and white in any pattern with random diluted patches. Body is lilac merle and white with tan markings on the eyebrows, cheeks, front chest, legs, and under the tail. Patches, nose, footpads, and eyeliner is lilac. Note: The lilac merle or tan will not show where the dog is white but will be lilac merle tri genetically.
LILAC PLATINUM
A white dog with little(10% or less) or no patches of lilac on the fur. This dog will DNA bb dd. White is not a color, but is a lack of pigment. ****see definition of WHITE and PLATINUM.
LILAC SABLE
A dog with Fawn colored hair, sometimes with lilac tips. Lilac etching is often seen around the eyes, throughout the coat, on the tail, and feet. The pigment on the nose, pads, and eyeliner will be lilac. Some of these dogs will show tan points. It is not known why the tan points bleed through on some Sables and not others.
LILAC SEAL
Lilac or Lilac and White in any Design. This dog will DNA as bb dd K, with the K being SEAL.
LILAC TRI
Lilac, Tan, and white in any pattern. Body is lilac and white with tan markings on the eyebrows, cheeks, front chest, legs, and under the tail. Note: The lilac or tan will not show where the dog is white but will be lilac tri genetically.
LILAC TRINDLE
Lilac, Trindle, and white in any pattern. The tan portions on the dog will be brindled, thus called Trindle. Body is lilac and white with tan markings on the eyebrows, cheeks, front chest, legs, and under the tail. Note: The lilac or tan will not show where the dog is white but will be lilac trindle genetically.
LOCI (from Latin Locus)
A position/location on the DNA, to some extent interchangeable with the term Gene. Locus is less specific than Gene as it doesn't imply the location codes for the Entire Gene.
MEATMOUTH
A heavier muzzle with lots of fleshy padding. Some refer to this as a Hippopotamus mouth.
MERLE
This gene produces dogs with irregularly shaped patches of diluted pigment and solid color in the fur. The patches can have jagged edges and can be small dots to very large patches of fur. The diluted parts of the fur are a lighter version of the original fur color.
NON-CARRIER
Every gene has 2 sides. When both sides are negative, the dog is considered a non carrier for that trait, whether it be color, pattern, disease, etc. A non-carrier dog will never pass on that trait to any puppy born.
NOSE BUMP
An extra nose wrinkle that is in addition to, and much smaller than the nose rope. It is typically only as wide as the nose, right above the nose, and below the Rope.
PATCHWORK MERLE
A Merle dog with different color spots in the coat. Typically 2 or 3 different color spots in the coat of the same dog. The merle gene is unstable and can sometimes partially dilute some of the patches in the coat, which would be somewhere between the base coat color and the patch color. They may sometimes appear brownish. This term is synonymous with the term "Tweed Merle".
PHANTOM MERLE
Synonymous with the term Ghost Merle. A Merle dog without a black base, that is not visibly merle. The Merle gene only visibly affects a black based dog, thus the term Phantom Merle.
This is not to be confused with Cryptic Merle, which is a scientific term used for the Merle Gene with a shorter poly-a tail.
PIEBALD
A white spotting pattern that does not have a uniform genetic basis. Some white patterns are symmetrical, some are not, and some dogs are all white. ***see WHITE
PLATINUM
A white dog with little(10% or less) or no patches of color on the fur. White is not a color, but is lack of pigment. ****see definition of WHITE.
POLY-A-TAIL
A part of the Merle SINE mutation (gene) which consists of 3 parts, a head, a body and a tail aka poly-A tail. The Poly-A-Tail can be many different lengths, which influences the way, and how much, the Merle gene dilutes the coat.
QUAD
QUAD means 4. As there are 4 main Rare Colors in English Bulldogs, a dog designated QUAD means that this dog can produce all 4 rare colors bred with a like mate.
*Rare Bulldogs created a cute little logo with the Chocolate Q, Blue U, Lilac A, and Black D to represent those 4 colors. The QUAD logo is not meant to represent the DNA, but rather the production possibilities of the dog.
QUAD PRODUCER
A dog that has the capability to produce all 4 rare colors in English Bulldogs. For a dog to be a QUAD Producer, it must carry at least one b, one d, one at, and be matched with a mate that is a QUAD.
SABLE
A dog with Fawn colored hair, sometime with black tips. Black etching is often seen around the eyes, throughout the coat, on the tail, and feet. Some of these dogs will show tan points. It is not known why the tan points bleed through on some Sables and not others.
TAN POINT
Doberman/Rottweiler type tan markings that appear on the eyebrows, sides of cheeks, lower legs, front chest, and under the tail. If the dog is white in these areas, or is a SEAL, the tan points will not show, but will be hidden. The terms Tan Point and Tri are interchangeable .
TREE TRUNK LEGS
Meant to denote that a dog has "Thick Bone" in its legs, particularly the Front legs.
TRI
Indicating the Tan Points on an EB or FB. The dog must carry 2 copies of [atat] to be a Tri. Depicts that a dog has tan points or markings. Also indicates the dog would DNA [atat] at agouti, even if the tan points are hidden.
**This term was originally meant to indicate 3 colors on a dog, but so many people use the term to indicate the tan markings-Doberman type-on the EB, that to hold down confusion, this is the official way we use it now.
TRIPLE CARRIER
A person could argue that any dog is a triple carrier since there are upwards of 13 color genes and modifiers. For the purpose of this chart for AKC Bulldogs, the term Triple Carrier denotes the dna of the dog, specifically a dog that carries at least one (d), one (b), & one (at), no matter what the color of the dog.
TWEED MERLE
A Merle dog with different color spots in the coat. The merle gene is unstable and can sometimes partially dilute some of the patches in the coat, which would be somewhere between the base coat color and the patch color. They may sometimes appear brownish. This term is synonymous with the term "Tweed Merle".
VARIANTS
One of two or more alternative forms of a gene that arise by mutation and are found at the same place on a chromosome.
EX: dilute has 2 alleles, D and d. ***see ALLELE
WHITE
Not a color, but rather, lack of pigment. White will extract any color or pattern from the dogs fur wherever it appears. This dog will still dna for its appropriate color and/or pattern, whatever that may be, and is capable of producing that color in addition to white. ***see PIEBALD
TESTING CENTERS
TESTING CENTERS
Reading DNA Results
We have used UC Davis for many years and recommend them above all other labs for color testing. The Results Chart below uses UC Davis' letter system. Other labs have different lettering systems, which is very important to differentiate. CREDITS: The reading and results in the chart, are predominantly excerpts from the UCDavis Website.
Agouti
Other genes restrict agouti expression such as the dominant black gene. There are 4 known alleles of agouti which are: fawn/ sable (ay), wild sable (aw), black-and-tan (at), recessive black (a). The agouti test is also useful to help determine the color of dogs that have white patterns that may obscure the distribution of the colored pigment.
ay ay: Full fawn/sable
ay aw: Fawn, carries wild sable
ay at: Fawn, carries black and tan
ay a: Fawn, carries recessive black
aw aw: Full wild sable
aw at: Wild sable, carries black and tan
aw a: Wild sable, carries recessive black
at at: Full black and tan
at a: Black and tan, carries recessive black
a a: Full Recessive Black
Brown/Chocolate/Liver
There are two alleles, the dominant full color (B) and the recessive brown (b). Two copies of brown are needed to dilute black pigment to brown. For red or yellow dogs, the brown allele does not dilute the hair color, but will change the color of nose and foot pads from black to brown if two brown alleles are present.
B B: Full Color, no brown gene present
B b: Carrier, 1 copy of brown present
b b: Full brown. Black pigment, if present, is diluted to brown, red/yellow dogs will have brown noses and foot pads.
Dilute/Blue
There are two alleles, the dominant full color (D) and the recessive dilute (d). Two copies of dilute are needed to lighten black pigment to grey, which we call blue, and red pigment to cream.
D D: Full color, no dilute gene present
D d: Carrier, 1 copy of dilute present
d d: Full Dilute. Black pigment, if present, is diluted to blue, red/yellow dogs will have blue noses and foot pads.
Dominant Black
This gene produces dominant black vs. brindle vs. fawn/sable colors.
K K: Full Dominant Black. This could present as Brindle or Seal and is confirmed visually.
K N: Carrier, 1 copy of Dominant Black present.
N N: Does not carry Dominant Black.
Merle
Merle is governed by a SINE insertion in SILV gene. Merle only dilutes black pigment, so dogs with an MC1R ee genotype have no black pigment and thus do not express merle visibly. However, they can produce merle offspring. The 3 alleles for merle are, merle (M), SINE with longer poly-A tail, cryptic merle (Mc), SINE with shorter poly-A tail, and non-merle (N). Dogs with Mc typically display little to no merling. Inheritance of merle is genetically unstable for both M and Mc alleles. During DNA replication and cell division, M may occasionally undergo poly-A tail reduction to produce Mc, while Mc may undergo expansion and revert to M.
M M: Full Merle. 2 copies of Merle present.
M Mc: Full Carrier. 1 copy of both Merle genes present.
M N: Carrier. 1 Copy of Merle present.
Mc Mc: Full Carrier. 2 copies of Cryptic Merle present.
Mc N: Carrier. 1 copy of Cryptic Merle present.
N N: Non-Merle. No copies of Merle or Cryptic Merle.
Piebald/Parti/Randon White Spotting
A DNA variant has been found in the MITF gene that is associated with piebald spotting. A dog with one copy of the MITF variant has some white pattern expression, while a dog with 2 copies of the variant display more extreme white. Additional mutations in MITF or other white spotting genes appear to be present in some breeds that affect the amount of white being expressed. In other breeds, piebald behaves as a recessive trait, that is 2 copies of piebald are needed to produce white spotting. White/Piebald can be either recessive or dominant according to the breed, and in some breeds also behaves as a dosage dependent trait.
N N: Non Piebald/White. No copies of piebald/white present.
N S: Carrier. 1 copy of piebald/white present.
S S: Full Piebald/White. 2 copies present.
RED EYE GLOW
THE FRENCH BULLDOG AND RED EYE GLOW
The red eye glow has a simple Scientific explanation. Many FB breeders will not agree with these findings, because they show that red eye glow does not prove the dog is truly a Lilac, since Chocolate and Blue dogs, can and do, have the red eye glow. Red eye Glow simply put is, a lack of pigment (color) in the back of the dogs eye.
All the information below is excerpts from scientists and doctors. This is not my opinion, but scientific fact.
Science don't lie!
Red Eye Glow Explained There’s a simple scientific explanation for why flash photography often results in eye glow, it’s all about the construction of your dog’s eye.
In dogs and many other animals, the retina has a reflective layer behind it called the tapetum lucidum, which acts like a mirror, reflecting light at the back of the eyes. The reflective layer is what helps dogs see better at night. Light is reflected outward, giving the dog's retina a second chance to absorb the rays. Light that is not absorbed exits the eye, appearing as the eye glow.
This is what takes place when you snap a flash picture of your pet. Individual dogs have different colored tapetum, which is why some dogs’ eyes take on a green glow, others a yellow glow, and others red and so on.
Eye Glow occurs in a wide variety of colors including white, blue, green, yellow, pink, andred. Some dogs lack pigment in their tapetum lucidum. In these individuals their eye glow is red, as it is in humans. These dogs could be any color, although it is seen more in the dilute colors.
The color of this tapetal layer varies to some extent with an animal's coat color. A black Labrador retriever, for example, will usually have a green tapetal reflection. A buff Cocker spaniel will generally show a yellow tapetal reflection. Most young puppies and kittens have a blue tapetal reflection until the structures in the back of the eye fully mature at six to eight months of age.
Color dilute dogs such as chocolate, blue, and lilac, may have no tapetal pigment, and may therefore exhibit a red reflex just like human beings. Note that this includes all dilute colors in dogs, not just lilac. If your dog consistently has red-eye in photos, he might not have pigment in the tapetum. This means the red is coming from blood vessels at the back of the eyeball.
Credits:
https://www.canidae.com/blog/2013/03/why-do-my-dogs-eyes-glow-in-dark/
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-do-dogs-get-blue-not/
https://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2015/01/09/dog-eyes.aspx
Dr. Becker
https://www.petplace.com/article/dogs/pet-behavior-training/why-do-dogs-eyes-shine-in-photographs/
DNA Q & A
Use these links to get answers that you do not find here on our site.
Face Book EMBARK:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1049060571845745/
Face Book COAT COLOR AND GENETICS:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/295684027143185/
DOG GENETICS: http://www.doggenetics.co.uk/
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