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NATIONAL CATTLEDOG ASSOCIATION VOLUME 7 ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 KLEM BRIAN JACOBS NATIONAL NURSERY CHAMPION 2019 Different Colors of the Border Collie (with comments about Kelpies) by Patty Koller What I thought would be a simple article explaining coat colors when registering a dog has turned into a (hopefully) simple, basic lesson of a not-so-simple subject of genes. Both the American and Canadian Border Collie Association do not have guidelines on what to call coat colors as they believe, as does NCA, that it is the working ability of the Border Collie that we want to preserve and NCA OFFICE improve and coat color doesn’t play a part in that. 15 Duquesne Road Nogales, Arizona 85621 For the Border Collie breed (each breed is different) there are four basic colors, Black, Red, Blue Phone: 970-224-2437 and Lilac. For Kelpies, some of the genes and coat colors are different, such as a lack of Merle/No [email protected] Merle, and have little, if any white, but one can still gain insight from this basic gene lesson. www.nationalcattledog.com A dog will have two sets of genes, one from each parent. Of those genes, eight of them will play a OFFICERS part in the Border Collie coat color. Of those eight genes, there are four categories of traits. Within PRESIDENT those traits, there is the capability to have dominate and recessive genes. The combination (or lack) Sonny Mahurin (2020) of those dominate and recessive genes will determine the coat color. The gene traits are: Thayer, Kansas (620) 305-8164 Dominate: Black No Tri No Dilute Merle VICE PRESIDENT Recessive: Red Tri Dilute No Merle Campbell Forsyth (2021) It takes two genes of a recessive trait, one from each parent, to show but it takes only one dominate Ethelbert, Manitoba, Canada gene to show. If a dog shows the dominate trait, it still could carry the recessive, but hidden, gene to (204) 739-2678 pass on to its pups. Knowing the genetic line of the dog helps but if that isn’t known, then a genetic TREASURER test might be needed. Steve Knipmeyer (2020) Bartlesville, Oklahoma Legend: Boldface = gene needs to be present (918) 914-1770 Strikethrough = Dominate gene needs to be absent EXECUTIVE SECRETARY Grey-out = Unknown as there could be a hidden, recessive gene due to a presence of the Carrie Pottinger Dominate gene (970) 224-2437 Black: The Black and White is the most predominate coat color of the BC BOARD OF DIRECTORS because Black, No Tri and No Dilute are the dominate genes (more on Merle later) and it only takes one dominate gene to show in the coat. WEST COAST Brian Jacobs (2021) Dominate: Black No Tri No Dilute Merle (209) 570-6107 NORTHEAST Patty Koller (2020) Recessive: Red No Tri Dilute No Merle (319) 470-5146 MIDWEST Duane Packard (2021) Red (may be called chocolate, brown or liver): A coat color that can range from rust (307) 532-6158 colored to a dark, nearly chocolate color. Some will separate the reds into lighter SO. CENTRAL Steve Knipmeyer (2020) and darker colors. Red dogs tend to have lighter colored eyes and liver colored (918) 914-1770 SOUTHEAST Randy Mooney (2019) noses. The red can become sun bleached, particularly in the summertime.The dog (870) 421-0165 must have two recessive, Red genes as if there was a dominate Black gene, then MOUNTAIN Tim Feddes (2022) the coat would be black. (406) 570-4771 Dominate: Black No Tri No Dilute Merle AT LARGE Jeff Christiansen (2019) Recessive: Red Tri Dilute No Merle (903) 821-1388 AT LARGE Sonny Mahurin (2020) (620) 305-8164 Blue: The results of a diluted black gene, the dilution gene isn’t a color but AT LARGE Campbell Forsyth (2021) rather it influences the black to be less black, or diluted. The Dilute gene (204) 739-2678 influences the whole coat, showing more like a grey in the non-white areas. For a blue coat, the dog must carry 2 recessive, Dilute genes. The parents must NEWSLETTER STAFF have been Blue or Lilac or carry the hidden recessive, Dilute gene. A true Blue Lori Herbel, Editor will have ‘blue’, or greyish, nose. Putnam, Oklahoma Dominate: Black No Tri No Dilute Merle [email protected] Recessive: Red Tri Dilute No Merle Patty Koller, Staff/Writer Donnellson, Iowa Lilac: The result of the Dilute Red gene, making the red a much lighter red. It [email protected] needs 2 of the recessive Red & Dilute genes so both parents need to carry the Red & Dilute, possibly hidden, genes. COVER PHOTO: 2019 NURSERY CHAMPION Dominate: Black No Tri No Dilute Merle Brian Jacobs and Klem Recessive: Red Tri Dilute No Merle Photo by XP Ranch Photography (Continued on page 2) (Continued from page 1 ) Black Tri Color: Having 3 colors, black, white and tan (the Tri gene) with the tan usually in the areas around the face, upper parts of the front leg or lower parts of the back legs. All Tri Colors will show some tan under their tail, even as a pup. Dominate: Black No Tri No Dilute Merle Recessive: Red Tri Dilute No Merle Red Tri Color: Replace the black with red and you have a Red Tri Color. Again, need two of the Recessive Red & Tri genes to be a Red Tri. Dominate: Black No Tri No Dilute Merle Recessive: Red Tri Dilute No Merle Blue Tri Color: This one has the Blue as the base color. Carries 2 of the Recessive Dilute & Tri genes. Dominate: Black No Tri No Dilute Merle Recessive: Red Tri Dilute No Merle Lilac Tri Color: All genes must be recessive, otherwise the dominate gene would show through. Dominate: Black No Tri No Dilute Merle Recessive: Red Tri Dilute No Merle Merle: A word of caution with the Merle. Do not breed two Merles, no matter what the base color is or if with a combination of Tri, as that creates a Double Merle for the offspring which has a high percentage of serious health problems, mainly hearing and eyesight. With Merle being a dominate gene it will always show if present, there are no excuses for two Merles to be bred. Merle is not a color but rather randomly reduces areas of the strength of the coat color, instead of diluting the whole coat like the Dilute gene does. It is not a Merle if the spots are only on the white. Most breeds, including Kelpies, are unable to be Merle as they do not have the Merle/ No Merle gene. Blue Merle: This one is a bit confusing. Your mind says this should be a Black Merle but it’s called a Blue Merle. The Blue Merle has the Black and Merle gene along with the dominate No Dilute gene (it’s the Merle that is diluting areasof the coat), while a Slate Merle is the Black with the Merle and recessive Dilute gene. Dominate: Black No Tri No Dilute Merle * Recessive: Red Tri Dilute No Merle* Red Merle: Dominate: Black No Tri No Dilute Merle* Blue Merle Red Merle Recessive: Red Tri Dilute No Merle* Slate Merle: Dominate: Black No Tri No Dilute Merle * Recessive: Red Tri Dilute No Merle* Lilac Merle: Dominate: Black No Tri No Dilute Merle* Recessive: Red Tri Dilute No Merle* Slate Merle Lilac Merle Merle & Tri Color: This is a combination of the Tri and Merle gene. Again, avoid breeding two Merles of any type/color as that means the offspring will have the Double Merle gene. Blue Merle & Tri Color: Dominate: Black No Tri No Dilute Merle* Recessive: Red Tri Dilute No Merle* Red Merle & Tri Color: Dominate: Black No Tri No Dilute Merle* Recessive: Red Tri Dilute No Merle Blue Merle Tri Color Slate Merle Tri Color Slate Merle & Tri Color: Dominate: Black No Tri No Dilute Merle* Recessive: Red Tri Dilute No Merle* Lilac Merle & Tri Color: Dominate: Black No Tri No Dilute Merle* Red Merle Tri Color Lilac Merle Tri Color Recessive: Red Tri Dilute No Merle* (Continued on page 3) (Continued from page 2) *Remember you do not want both genes to be Merle, which will happen when 2 Merles are bred, otherwise offspring will have hearing and eyesight problems and possibly birth defects. Others: Sable – not a color but more of a pattern of the color. A Sable hair will have two colors, one at the tip (such as black/red) and another at the base (such as tan). White – Not a color but rather an absence of color. The standard in show conformation says that white should not be the predominate color but show conformation has nothing to do with the working dogs. Kelpies: For Kelpies, there is very little, if any white and the Merle/No Merle gene is not present and instead of Tri, they will use Tan (hard to have a Tri when there isn’t any white!). This website http://www.kelpiesinc.com/HNR_color (I had trouble accessing this website but worth the trouble if you are wanting to know more about Kelpie coloring) gives a detailed explanation for the different colors. Some color breedings are discouraged due to health problems of the offspring (similar to breeding 2 BC Merles). The color options for the North American Australian Kelpie Registry (NAAKR) options are: Black, Blue, Cream, Red, Fawn, Black/Tan, Blue/Tan, Red/Tan & Fawn/Tan and will require you to indicate where, if any, the white markings are as well as send in 2 photos, one side view and one front view of the dog you are registering.