Dog colors: features and types

Dogs can surprise with their colors, thereby winning the hearts of fans. However, everyone should be aware that the colors of dogs are classified into groups, each of which has its own characteristics.

Breeders have long studied the process according to which the formation of color and pattern on the coat of an animal occurs. Coloring depends on genes, including those responsible for the pigment and hair structure. If mixing occurs, the genes begin to form the color of the dog.

There are several coloring genes.

• C. It is a key component in the entire gene chain. Due to it, the body is able to synthesize all color options. The peculiarity of this component is that it has no color. If it is not in the body, the puppy may be born with an albino coat. However, even if there is no such gene, the nasal speculum and iris can still get pigmentation.
• A. Responsible for the distribution of coat color. With its help, you can get a solid color or sable.
• Q. It is a black gene that dyes hair a dark tone. A breed such as the Giant Schnauzer, the Newfoundland has it for sure. Other types of breeds may have inclusions of such a gene, which will manifest itself as tan or zonal colors.
• D. He is responsible for the saturation of the black color. If the gene is weakened, the coat will be lighter, resulting in a blue pigment in the animal. This can affect the dog's vitality. If a toy terrier or Doberman is born with a recessive gene D, he will receive a blue pigment and in most cases will not live to old age.If the gene is dominant, the coat is dark and provokes the correct shape of melanocytes (pigment cells).
• E. It harmoniously arranges the pigments of black, brown and yellow colors. With it, you can get monochromatic or tricolor colors.
• G. It is called gray because it lightens the coat as the animal begins to age. Often a dog can be born blue, evenly changing the color of the coat.
• M. This is a marble color. He gives not only the famous harlequin drawing. In a homozygous form, the gene can lead to a congenital malformation of the fetus. Often a gene can be categorized as a modified color, as it can also become lighter as it ages.

The color of the animal is divided into two broad categories. The first contains monochrome color variations. The second is divided into two subcategories: bi-color and multi-color. Such animals can be painted in colors consisting of two or more pigments.

Solid color is characterized by the presence of only one color or its complete absence. Due to eumelanin, black, chocolate colors with varying saturation are obtained. In the lightened form, this color is blue and beige.

This color appears due to the mixing of two colors and the absence of white. Depending on the presence of eumelanin with pheomelanin, there are 5 main types of colors:

• redhead, equipped with a black mask;
• redhead with blackout;
• brindle;
• black and tan;
• redhead with black and back.

A reddish color with darkening appears if there are two pigments in the coat that form a black (brown) and red pigment (it is called zonal). Due to this, the pigmentation zone can be distributed in different ways. There is a multicolored mass of options:

• if there is an alternation of pigment in the hairs, the color will be wolf;
• if the black pigment is located at the end of the hairs, the dog gets a sable coloring;
• with the formation of dark zones in the form of vertical hair on the body of the animal, a brindle color is obtained;
• black pigment located on the muzzle, the front area of ​​the head (which reaches the ears), is called a mask;
• black hair, located on the back and descending to the lateral and femoral zones, is called the black-and-back color.

Tan spots are called red spots with clear edges. They can be located on certain areas on the body of the animal. The lightened version will be accompanied by a change in shades.

Solid or mixed color can be modified due to changes in age. It manifests itself in lightening, mottling and piebald. The lightened color is adopted in different breeds. This is not related to the aging process and is characteristic of the Beglinton Terrier. A puppy of this breed is born colored and fades over time. This modification can be paired with any base color. Spotted, variegated colors are dark spots that differ in shape. They are placed on a lightened or gray background. In this category is the marbled color.

White spots are possible (characterized by the complete absence of pigment on certain parts of the animal's body), the frequency of which can be small, moderate and widespread. The formation of such spots depends on a certain process, according to which the first dots will appear in the primary places of depigmentation. The longest time the color is in the pigment center.

There are not many original pigments in total. Agouti is a series of alleles that are responsible for determining the base color of an animal. In dogs, this color is called zone gray. An allele is a different form of the same gene:

• original agouti is wolf gray;
• solid black;
• saddle cloth;
• dominant yellow or red.

Agouti is characteristic of wild dogs and many breeds, which are characterized by a zone-gray color. These include the huskies, the Norwegian Elkhund, and northern sled dogs. Due to gene mutations, two dominant agouti appeared - solid black and red, along with two recessive ones - saddle cloth and black with tan. All other colors are the result of mutation.

There are dogs of different colors.

• Black. They may have a small white spot in the chest area. It is so small that it can be as small as a few hairs. The extreme degree of saddle-cloth or tiger coloring is allowed. The animal must have a black nose, lips and eyes of a dark brown color.
• Brown. These include liver, coffee (chocolate) colors. They are considered quite difficult when it comes to breeding. This color manifests itself in the event that the dog does not have a black gene. This affects not only the hair, but also the eyes and nose. Among the disadvantages of brown color can be attributed to the fading of the coat under the influence of sunlight.
• Red. These include rich reds and light red tones. The main component of the color is red. The most fashionable color is mahogany, which is distinguished by the brightness and richness of red. The Irish Setter is an example of this. Dog breeders consider the coloring to be independent, but in the pedigree it is prescribed as red. The second name for the red color is red. The name is not entirely correct, since the red color combines deer, red. And red, in contrast to the deer color, does not have transitions and lightened zones.
• Apricot. This is an intermediate color, located between red and cream. It is rarely seen in official records, although some dog breeds described in the pedigree as cream and red can be described as apricot. The difference from red is with a certain degree of whiteness and the presence of blotches in the form of light-colored wool.
• Blue. This includes silver or gray color. Zone gray colors along with brightened brindle can also appear blue if the cch gene combination is present. The coloring has a mousey, ash light or dark, wet asphalt, blue tone.
• White. True white dogs have this color at birth. The nose or lips can be black or brown in color. If an animal carries the cch gene, it is red or fawn at birth. They become lighter with age.
• Pale yellow. This is a lightened red color. She, too, can have different shades. The area of ​​the chest, limbs and lower part of the tail is almost white in color, and the mask can be dark or black. Depending on the B allele in the fawn color, the color of the nose may differ. Provides pink, brown or black pigment.

The two-tone colors are available in the following variations.

The main pigment is red. Different shades of this color are allowed: bright red, light fawn. Also, a black, gray saddlecloth acts as the main tone, which will be located on the upper part of the animal's body: head, bridge of the nose, forehead, neck, ears, back, shoulders, hips and upper half of the tail.Lower Torso - The lower jaw, lower head, cheeks, throat, ribcage, belly, and underside of the tail may have light pigment.

The saddlecloth can vary in size and tone. It starts from the neck, and the head can be light. There are individuals in which the saddlecloth covers only the top of the shoulders and hips or descends to the limbs. The saddlecloth can be gray, black, brown. There are clear outlines of light or dark coat, or the color evenly merges with the overall tone. Fully saddlecloth manifests itself after the puppy coat is replaced.

Black, brown, gray can act as the main pigment. The tan marks will be light. When compared with the main color, it acts as a mark that has a permanent pattern.

The tan sharply borders on the main color. It is located in two spots on the body: on the eyebrows, muzzle (excluding the bridge of the nose), chest (manifested as two triangle spots, the tops of which look at each other), cheekbones and throat. The tan can be located on the forelegs and hind legs, covering only the front. The inner sides of all paws are also tanned, which creates spots around the anus and the underside of the tail.

Murugiy is an auburn color that can range to a mahogany tone. The tips of the fur are black or dark pigmented. Deer color has a second name - hazel. Can range from golden to sandy. Redness is not inherent in this color.

The coat has a reddish color, the tips of which are dyed black.

• Roan. The peculiarity of this color is that between certain colored hairs there are white hairs. This results in a weakened, silvery color.
• The marbled dogs are called "Harlequin". The base is white, blue-gray or light. On it are measuredly scattered spots with ragged edges of black or brown-gray.
• Piebald. This is a two-color color, which is created by large spots of white, located on a red background. The background may have other pigments as well.

There are rare colors that are inherent in some breeds. Blenheim is a deep chestnut blotch. They are arranged on a pearl white base. Coloration is found only in the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. A white rhombus should be present on the parietal part, a chestnut-colored spot will be present in the central part.

Merle is an uneven coloration of the coat. It appears in dark or light tones of the same color. This color is found in pit bulls.

It is possible to understand in advance whether the dog will change its color. Breeders use special methods to determine the possible color change. If a puppy is born brown, the color may darken over time. This fact can be determined using the color of the nose: if the nose mirror of a light brown individual is dark, the coat will also acquire a dark color as it grows.

Black dogs can acquire a golden pigment. Undercoat tone can help predict the event.

Most often, you can encounter overcoloration of the following dog breeds.

• Spitz. Recoloration is characteristic of individuals whose ancestors were carriers of non-standard colors.
• Yorkshire Terrier. These animals will change their color for up to 12 months. This characteristic is spelled out in the breed standard.
• Rottweiler. In these individuals, tanning can acquire brightness, and there are also cases of black blotches.
• German Shepherd. It is often possible to encounter a situation where three-month-old babies born tan became black and brown.
• Kerry blue terrier. Representatives of this breed are black at birth. After some time, the coat acquires a silvery pigment.
• Dalmatian. Most puppies are born with white hair. On the 14th day of their life, spots appear. The process of manifestation of black spots lasts up to two months.
• Bobtail. Juveniles are often monochrome. After some time, the black marks turn blue.

In the next video you will find an interesting lecture on the genetics of dog color from Pedigree.