This section will help you understand why knowing history will help in predicting litters and how to identify what color genes your dog is definitely carrying. It will also briefly explain the different genes in a scientific fashion to help you apply them to your dog.

How does knowing my dogs history help me
Terms used in coat color
What are Loci and Alleles?
How do they apply to my dogs coat color?

Heritage or History does not necessarily give you all the answers and in some cases a color gene can be hidden for many generations giving rise to some surprise litters. But the good news is that from the surprise colors that may appear you will have more insight to what the dog is really carrying. For example a chocolate dog bred to another chocolate dog  produces a blue puppy. You now know that both parents carry a blue gene each even though they are chocolate. You also know that at least one parent of the chocolate dog must have carried or was the color blue and that the color blue is indeed in the lines.

    You have a black and tan mother who carries the genes blue and chocolate recessively. She also carries a white gene that creates patches of white on the coat.  You can not see this gene because the (S) non white gene that she also carries covers it over. Her genetic formula is (atatBbCCDdEESsp).

Solid Black AatBBCCDDEESsp	Black and Tan atatBBCCDDEESsp	Black and White AatBBCCDDEEspsp	Black Tri atatBBCCDDEEspsp
Solid Blue AatBBCCddEESsp	Blue and Tan atatBBCCddEESsp	Blue and White AatBBCCddEEspsp	. Blue Tri atatBBCCddEEspsp
Solid Chocolate AatbbCCDDEESsp	Chocolate and Tan atatbbCCDDEESsp	Chocolate and White AatbbCCDDEEspsp	Chocolate Tri atatbbCCDDEEspsp

     The learning process begins with the color genes (Loci and alleles) that a dog carries. This section will explain the 11 Loci and the Alleles that fall within them. It is nearly impossible to learn about an individual Loci and its Alleles without discussing one or more along with it. They all work in unison, very closely together dominating, fighting and pushing to end up with the resultant colors. 

     Each gene does need to be looked at individually to understand the action of it but it has specific functions that are partly or solely dependent upon all the others. Unfortunately, some things are not clear-cut when it comes to coat color inheritance. There are many variables, but with a little studying of the genes and knowledge of your dog's history, you can figure out exactly what they are carrying. It just takes a little time and patience. Then you can plan your breeding program with coat color in mind.

(A Series) genes:
If your dog is black and white, blue and white, chocolate (with a chocolate or red nose) or clear red and white, lemon and white, or silver and white, without any tan markings or solid (meaning no white or tan markings) in any of  these colors, he carries the (A) gene. 

If your dog is tan and white, red/tan and white, fawn and white, tan apricot and white, brindle and white, silver tan and white, without tan point markings, or solid of these colors, your dog carries the (ay) gene. 

When he carries only the (at) gene your dog's color will be black and tan, or Tri  (example black, white and tan) in any color. A dog that has the (at) gene always has tan markings provided it is carried in a double dose. If your dog is sable, meaning tan with black hairs running down its back, it carries the (ayat) gene. Blue fawn is also a sable dog but also carries a dilute gene.

(B Series):
If your dog has a black nose, regardless of its color, he carries the (B) gene. A dog that has a blue or slate colored nose also carries the (B) gene even though the nose is not black. The nose color is due to a different gene which turns it blue or slate.. If your dog is any shade of chocolate or reddish in color with a chocolate nose it carries the (b) gene. If your dog is Weimaraner Gray he also carries the (b) gene along with (d) dilute blue.

(C Series):
When your dog's color stays relatively constant through out life he carries the (C) gene. If your dog appears Crème or Silver Fawn  he may carry the (Cch) gene. The (Cch) gene considerably lightens the color of tans and yellows to a crème to almost white color starting soon after birth.  If your dog is born dark and turns white as he matures he may also be carrying the (Cch) gene. Most of the other genes at the C loci are rather rare.

D Series):
If your dog is Black, Red Tan, Tan, Sable, Chocolate, Brindle, Wheaten, Yorkie Blue, Lemon, Kerry Blue, Mustard, Pepper or Clear Red,  with or without white or tan markings, your dog carries the (D) gene. 

If your dog is Blue, Weimaraner Gray, Chocolate Silver, Silver, Tan Apricot or Charcoal, with or without white or tan markings he has the (d) gene and the coat always has the appearance of being flat or dull in color. 

If your dog is Weimaraner Gray/Pearl he also carries the (b) chocolate. An Apricot dog may carry either a (D) or (d) and seems to be a breed specific color.

(E Series):
If your dog has a black mask he carries the (Em) gene. Dogs that are Blacks, Blues, Tans, Chocolates, Silver, Charcoals, Merle, Sable, Kerry Blue, Mustard, Pepper or Yorkie Blue with or without white or tan markings carry the (E) gene. 

A dog that carries  the (ebr) gene is Brindle (Tiger striped pattern). A brindle pattern shows up best when the base color of the dog is tan or sable.

If your dog is Lemon, Clear Red, Wheaten, Creme, or Apricot  it carries the (e) gene. You will not see any black or dark hairs on the dog's coat that has the (e) gene.

(G Series): (G) dominate graying, and (g) non-graying. As the dog grows older, a very distinct graying pattern starts to show up on the dog's coat. Much like the way humans start to gray. It will progress until the coat has become altogether gray. When the dog carries the (g) recessive, non-graying gene, the coat color will not turn gray. It is a straightforward gene in that either it is present or it’s not and will be very obvious to the eye.  It needs to only be present in single dose in order for it to visibly show. This gene is not to be confused with natural gray hairs that may form, typically around the dog's face, at a much later stage in life. Dog breeds that typically carry this gene are the Bedlington, Kerry Blue Terriers and Poodles.

(M Series):(M) is dominant merle and is visibly seen whether it is in a Homozygous or Heterozygous state. It also frequently produces blue, green, gold and brown eyes that can be seen in any combination. Merle is a dangerous gene when seen as a double dose. It can produce deafness, blindness and birth defects. Two dogs with a double dose of merle should never be bred together for obvious reasons. Exquisite patterns of black, gray, white and tan are seen in endless combinations and patterns all over the dog's coat. There can be large patches or uneven mottling, more or less white or none at all.

     When the Merle gene is in combination with an (A) or (at) gene the most striking patterns appear. The darker colors show more patterns. While seen with the (ay) tan gene the effect is lessened or not seen at all. It is usually visible at birth and seen as darker or lighter red or tan areas but can sometimes also bring up almost black areas. It fades as the puppy grows older.  When it is mixed with (ebr) brindle, the patterns are not only patched, mottled and broken up but also striped. If the dog also carries a double (b) chocolate allele the colors are also very striking except they are in hues of browns instead of blacks. When the Merle gene combines in dominant double dose (MM), that is the Homozygous state, it can be lethal or cause blindness in the offspring.

(m) is the non-merle gene and does not effect the coat in anyway.

(R Series):
   Roaning and ticking probably run hand in hand with one another. It can be extremely hard to confidently distinguish between a ticked dog and a Roaned dog. The only thing that can be said confidently about the Roan gene is that if it is present in dominant form it will show visibly on the dog's coat.
 

(S Series):
If your dog is any solid color or black and tan, or Tan pointed in any color (without any white color) on the coat he carries the (S) gene. 

When white markings only appear in any or all of the following areas: chest, collar, blaze, boots or toes and tip of tail, the dog carries the (si) gene. The (si) gene does not appear as patches of white and will not cut up the legs to the back of the dog. It is commonly called Tuxedo or Irish Spotting.

The (sp) gene produces patches of color or blankets of color on the dog's coat and is commonly called Piebald.

A dog with the (sw) gene will be solid white or may have color only on its head or base of tail. Sometimes called Extreme White. For more info.

(T Series):
A dog that has "freckles" on its coat or skin carries the (T) gene called Ticking. They may not appear at birth but slowly start to appear as the dog gets older. It can appear as a large amount almost covering the dog or very little appearing only in certain areas. A dog that does not have ticking carries the (t) gene. For more info.