Agouti(Alocus):This is likely the most tricky allele to understand as there is more variety available within it. Cocoa coat color is known to be inherited in an Autosomal Recessive manner in dogs meaning that dogs need to inherit two copies of the co Allele to have a cocoa colored coat. Merle(M gene):Merle is not a new gene or a rare pattern inFrench Bulldogs. Interpretation: Black coat, nose and foot pads (does not carry cocoa). AW genein Frenchies this is the "wild sable" gene and is not a common gene. Lilac: This is a term for a "double dilute" in both Dilute and Cocowhen they work together. Now, it has resurfaced with careful breeding and entered the world of Frenchies once more! I have never seen a dog have 2 copies of the "Dominant Black/brindle" gene. There may be other causes of this condition in dogs and a normal result does not exclude a different mutation in this gene or any other gene that may result in a similar genetic disease or trait. This dog carries two copies of the co (cocoa) mutation and has a Co Locus genotype of co/co. As it is a recessive allele, a dog must carry 2 copies of "e" to be truly cream/white. D/D: dog does not carry "dilute" gene to make blue, D/d: dog carries 1 copy of "dilute" gene and can reproduce "blue" color, d/d: dog has 2 copies of "dilute" gene and is visually "blue" in color. Reliable genetic testing is important for determining breeding practices. Disease Association Note: Mutation of the HPS3 gene in humans is associated with Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome type 3, a bleeding disorder that is also associated with visual impairments. Breeders must be aware of the problems associated with breeding a merle male to a merle female, therefore responsiblebreeders will never breed a merle to a merle. Kiener S, Kehl A, Loechel R, Langbein-Detsch I, Muller E, Bannasch D, Jagannathan V, Leeb T. Novel bron coat color (cocoa) in French bulldogs results from a nonsense variant in HPS3. Thus, this dog typically will have a black coat, nose, and foot pads. Thus, this dog typically will have a black coat, nose, and foot pads. It creates a dark chocolatecolored dog when 2 copies are expressed. Dogs that have one or two copies of co may produce cocoa (or brown or chocolate dogs, depending on the breed) if bred to a dog that is also aCarrierof the co Mutation (CO/co or co/co). Cream(ee) masks brindle. The dog appears more purple in color than blue and typically has a "silvery" look to it. This dog will passone copy of COto 50% of its offspring and one copy of co (cocoa) to 50% of its offspring. The default in French Bulldogs is "AY" and typically means the dog will either be fawn or brindle depending on the "K allele". B/b: dog carries 1 copy of "brown" gene and can reproduce "brown" color, b/b: dog has 2 copies of "brown" gene and is visually "brown" in color. Genetic testing of theHPS3gene will reliably determine whether a dog is a genetic Carrier of cocoa coat color. Isabella: This is a term for a "double dilute" in both Diluteand Brown when they work together. Why do breeder's show availablepuppies with DNA letters? However, this dogs coat color is dependent on the genotypes of many other genes. This dog will have light amber to brown colored eyes. Brindle and Dominant Black(K locus):This color is largely associated with French Bulldogs as a very common and dominant gene. Interested in what makes a Frenchie the color it is? French Bulldogs from a scientific point of view. Thus, this dog typically will have a cocoa colored coat, nose and foot pads. This dog will pass one copy of co to 100% of its offspring. The agouti allele determines if a dog is fawn, sable, tan pointed, or a true solid color. However, it does show up in some of the French Bulldog bloodlines. Pied or Spotting(Slocus): The "pied" gene is what makes a dog visually pied. Results are reported as(dilute and brown): D/DB/B: dog does not carry the "dilute" or"brown" gene and cannot create "isabella", D/d B/b: dog carries 1 copy of "dilute" and "brown" gene and CAN reproduce "isabella" color, d/d b/b: dog has 2 copies of "dilute" gene and "brown" gene and is visually "isabella" in color. ay/ay: 2 copies of fawn, dog is homozygousfor fawn, ay/at: 1 copy of fawn and 1 copy of "tan point" gene, ay/a: 1 copy of fawn and 1 copy of "solid" gene, at/at: 2 copies of "tan point" gene and dog will be visually pointed, a/a: 2 copies of "Solid" gene and dog will be visually solid color, at/a: 1 copy of "tan points" and 1 copy of "solid", dog will be visually "tan pointed". Mutations at the Co Locus produce a slightly darker brown than that produced by mutations in the B Locus. This dog can produce co/co (cocoa) offspring if bred to a dog that is also a carrier of co (CO/co or co/co). Coco(COlocus):This color is largely associated with French Bulldogs and is also known as "Frenchie Chocolate". New Shade Isabella: This is a term for a "triple dilute" in Dilute,Brown, and Coco when they all work together. Cream(EM/E locus): EM and E work together in French Bulldogs to create a "mask" of creamy pigments. The default of all colors is black, therefore there is not an absolute gene associated with the color of black. EM/E: 1 copy of mask and 1 copy of maskless, E/e: 1 copy of maskless and 1 copy of cream, e/e: 2 copies of cream; the dog will be visually cream/yellow. d/d co/co: dog has 2 copies of "dilute" gene and "coco" gene and is, d/d b/b: dog has 2 copies of "dilute" gene and "brown" gene and is, d/d b/b co/co: dog has 2 copies of "dilute" gene and "brown" gene and is. However, the dogs coat color is also dependent on the E, K, and A genes among others. NOTE: Not all of the genetic mutations that result in a brown coat color are known. 2020 Jun; 11(6):636. kb/ky: dog carries 1 copy of "brindle" gene and therefore is visually "brindle", kb/kb: dog has 2 copies of "brindle" gene and will only produce "brindle" puppies when mated. Paw Print Genetics, Paw Print Pedigrees, Paw Print Parentage, Canine HealthCheck, The Definitive Resource for Canine Genetic Health, Great Dogs Start With Great Genetics, Your Canine Genetic Resource. M/n: dog is visually "merle" and 50% of offspring will be Merle coloration. As a breeder, we prefer to always breed a pied dog to a solid colored dog. We will talk about that next! It is uncommon to breed pied males to pied females as the lack of pigmentation around the eyes and ears may lead to blindness or deafness. The dog appears more milky brownin color than blue. In addition, cocoa pups often have blue eyes and coats that darken over time. Dilute(D locus): The "dilute" gene is what makes a dog visually blue! This dog will haveamber or green colored eyes. Mutations of the HPS3 gene (Co Locus) impact canine coat color by partially disrupting regular eumelanin (black pigment) synthesis resulting in brown pigment which, depending on the breed, may be referred to as cocoa, brown or chocolate. Results are reported as(dilute and coco): D/Dn/n: dog does not carry the "dilute" or"coco" gene and cannot create "lilac", D/d n/co: dog carries 1 copy of "dilute" and "coco" gene and CAN reproduce "lilac" color, d/d co/co: dog has 2 copies of "dilute" gene and "coco" gene and is visually "lilac" in color. Let's break it down by DNA. n/co: dog carries 1 copy of "coco" gene and can reproduce "coco/chocolate" color, co/co: dog has 2 copies of "coco" gene and is visually "coco/chocolate" in color. This dog can produce co/co (cocoa) offspring if bred to a dog that is also a Carrier of co (cocoa) (CO/co or co/co). Interpretation: Cocoa coat, nose and foot pads (carries two copies of cocoa). HPS3 is in the same genetic pathway as the TYRP1 gene (B Locus) which also plays a role in eumelanin synthesis. Brown(B locus):This is the newest gene to be found among French Bulldogs. Mutations in the TYRP1 gene result in brown pigment as well and, depending on the breed, may be referred to as brown, red, liver or chocolate. Some colors may be hidden and we must check and confirm their DNA in order to find those recessive genetics and bring them to life! However, this dogs coat color is dependent on the genotypes of many other genes including the B Locus (Brown). Breeders have been testing for this color for several years andthe few dogs who had the genetic ability to produce it, were singled out and matched with others who also carried this rare gene. Interpretation: Black coat, nose and foot pads (carries one copy of cocoa). Use tab to navigate through the menu items. The dog appears a pale rose goldin color and has light colored eyes ranging from amber to green to blue. Each pup that is born to a dog with cocoa coat color has a 100% chance of inheriting one copy of the co allele from that parent. Why do breeder's show availablepuppies with DNA letters? Many cream dogs are known to carry a copy of brindle, although it is not visible. Copyright 2013-2022 All Rights Reserved. However, the dogs coat color is also dependent on the dogs genotypes at the E, K, A, and B genes among others. This dog carries one copy of the co (cocoa) mutation and has a Co Locus genotype of CO/co. D/DB/B n/n: dog does not carry the "dilute" or"brown" or "coco" gene and cannot create "new shade isabella", D/d B/b n/co: dog carries 1 copy of "dilute" and "brown" gene and CAN reproduce "new shade isabella" color, d/d b/b co/co: dog has 2 copies of "dilute" gene and "brown" gene and is visually "new shade isabella" in color. To be visually blue, a dog must have 2 copies of dilute in it's DNA. Although this gene is not identified as the exact "brindle" gene, it is commonly associated with the gene and therefore is the gene we use to determine the brindle coloration. This dog will pass one copy of COto 100% of its offspring and cannot produce co/co (cocoa) dogs. Further studies are needed to determine if cocoa-colored dogs have any clinical issues associated with this mutation. Mutations of the HPS3 and TYRP1 gene result in brown pigment being produced in the coat, nose and footpads of dogs regardless of the dogs genotype at the E locus because eumelanin is still produced in the epidermis of the nose and foot pads of e/e dogs. To produce cocoa pups, both the dam and the sire must be at least carriers of one copy of the co allele (CO/co or co/co). Cream covers all other colors when present, making the dog visually cream or white in appearance. The Co Locus (Cocoa) coat color test reliably determines if a dog has one of the following genotypes at the Co Locus: This dog does not carry any copies of the co (cocoa) Mutation and has a Co Locus genotype of CO/CO. From a breeder's perspective, DNA is what determines what, Theinformation on this page is specifically designed to explain the color of. n/n: dog does not carry "pied" gene to make pied, n/S: dog carries 1 copy of "pied" gene and can reproduce "pied" color, S/S: dog has 2 copies of "pied" gene and is visually "pied" in color (unless covered by cream). However, this dogs coat color is dependent on the genotypes of many other genes including the B Locus (Brown). However, the alleles in the following notes effect the original black color by diluting and changing the color of pigmentation. The following are trademarks of Neogen Corporation & its Affiliates, Only 1 parent needs to be visually Merle to reproduce merle puppies. Depending on the breed, co/co dogs may be referred to as cocoa, brown or chocolate. However, if both parents to a puppy are brindle, it is highly likely that the dog can only produce "brindle" puppies as "brindle" is a dominant gene.