|
What's in a
Color?
Written By
Chris Davis and posted
here with her permission!
There seems to be little that sparks as much controversy or
“myth-understanding” than the discussion of “accepted” schnauzer
colors. The reality is that it comes down to an understanding of
genetics and the power these exert over our dog’s hair follicles. In
this article I will attempt to clear up any confusion about the
various colors and the genetic forces they demonstrate.
History:
It is undisputed that in the beginning, Miniature Schnauzers were
developed by “breeding down” or reducing the size of the Standard
Schnauzer by cross breeding the Standard with various other breeds
of dogs. There is some question as to which breeds of dogs exactly
were used but it has been said that likely candidates are
Affenpinchers, Poodles, Brussels Griffon, Miniature Pincher and
among some lesser known sources, further speculation is that there
has also been Pomeranian as well as some other smaller, toy-sized
breeds.
While the original intention was to breed for a “scaled-down
version” of the Standard Schnauzer in every way (build, temperament,
instinct to “rat” and coloring), human beings’ less-than-perfect
understanding of genetics at that time (1880’s) shows in the concept
to limit the “acceptable” colors to those of the Standard Schnauzer,
despite clearly using dogs of differing colors (Poodle coat
variations being among the strongest example) in the creation of the
breed.
Nothing makes this
lack of understanding clearer than the original mistake of
classifying the Black & Silver as a Salt & Pepper for enough years
that once the mistake was discovered and understood, it was far too
late to rescind the registrations of dogs who either were or
produced that particular color. The Standard Schnauzer only has 2
colors, Black and Salt & Pepper. It appears that it wasn’t until
breeders realized that this Black & Silver color bred “true” when 2
dogs of this coat color were bred together, that it was most
certainly a coloration of it’s own, genetically speaking.
Also
if we look back at the first recorded studbooks from Germany, we
will find that the Salt & Pepper actually was recorded less often
that the other colors, including some of the controversial
colors as well as some that are rarely seen even today including but
not limited to Red, Yellow and Blue.
Inheritance:
It would probably be wise at this point to say a few words on
inheritance so that when we start talk more in depth about the
colors, the vehicle for passing on various genes is understood. This
is an extremely simplified explanation simply for the purposes of
our discussion.
Recessive:
If a genetic trait is recessive, a dog needs to inherit two copies
of the gene for the trait to be expressed, or seen. Thus, both
parents have to be carriers of a recessive trait in order for an
offspring to express or show that trait. If both parents are
carriers, there is a 25% chance with each offspring to show
the recessive trait.
Double Recessive:
If a dog shows a color that is known to be recessive, then they have
inherited the gene from both parents making it double recessive and
if that dog is bred to another that shows the same recessive color
then that color will always “breed true”, meaning they will only
produce puppies of that color. So Black & Silver is double recessive
and bred to another Black & Silver will only have Black & Silver
Puppies because the only genes the parent have to contribute are
Black & Silver. (See table below.) Pink font indicates mother’s
genetic contribution and blue, the father’s. The recessive genes
will always “mask” or override dominant genes when inherited from
both parents.
|
|
bs |
bs |
|
bs |
bs,bs |
bs,bs |
|
bs |
bs,bs |
bs,bs |
Dominant:
If a genetic trait is dominant, a dog only needs to inherit one copy
of the gene for the trait to be expressed. The dominat gene can be
“masked” by the doubling of recessive genes. For example, all Mini
Schnauzers carry the genes to be Salt & Pepper but if they inherit
the genes to be White from both parents, the Salt & Pepper is
covered or “hidden” and the dog’s coat is White.
Simple Dominant:
This means that if one gene is present it will manifest fully, and
if two are present it manifests no differently than with one. As an
example take a S&P male with no White gene being carried bred to a
White female. Since he has no White gene and she had a masked S&P
gene, the resulting puppies will all be S&P (but will also all carry
for the White gene), provided no other matching recessive genes are
carried and passed by the parents.
|
|
Ww(sp) |
Ww(sp) |
|
SP |
SP,ww |
SP,ww |
|
SP |
SP,ww |
SP,ww |
Dominant
Direct Inheritance:
Genes that are dominant direct inheritance cannot be "hidden" or
“carried”. They must be directly inherited from a parent. They
cannot “skip” a generation. An example is a puppy that is “One
Color” (see explanation paragraph and color table in section on
color below), one of the parents must also be “One Color”
(not necessarily the same base color).
Homozygous:
Homozygous means that they have doubled up dominant genes thus
ensuring they can produce no other color. Example is homozygous “One
Color” Black, meaning all puppies from this dog will be Black. One
cannot ensure “One Color” Chocolate because brown-base is itself
recessive, thus requiring the brown-base recessive gene from both
parents, recessive genes cannot be homozygous. Further, in order to
be homozygous, both of the homozygous dog’s parents have to be that
color, but the flipside is not true…just because both of a dog’s
parents are Black, it does not necessarily make the dog homozygous.
The exception to this is if the dog’s parents are both homozygous
themselves, then all their offspring must be homozygous.
Heterozygous:
Heterozygous is the opposite of homozygous. It means that the
dominant gene is not doubled up and the dog is carrying “hidden” or
recessive gene(s), which can be expressed in the proper mating.
To further complicate
matters, the various color genes, called alleles are carried on a
DNA strand in specific spots called Locus (plural loci) like notches
on a stick. So this means that one dog can have several different
“notches” on their DNA stick and it is not just a matter of whether
they have this gene and not that one but also how the different
genes affect one another. For example, let’s say we have a Black dog
that is heterozygous. “K” represents the color black genetically on
the DNA strand so we will use that as well, Capital “K” means Black
and little “k” means not black. So our Heterozygous Black dog is Kk
at the locus or “notch” for black. Bred to another heterozygous
Black, the following combinations are possible:
So
obviously the possible combinations are 25% homozygous Black, 50%
heterozygous Black and 25% not Black. So if the dog is not Black,
what color is it? This is where the other “notches” come into play.
The dog will have other genes to determine what color they will be
when they are not another color. It appears however, as though all
Mini Schnauzers carry for Salt & Pepper and that it can be masked or
hidden by other genes and when the other genes fail to be expressed,
then the S&P gene fulfills the need.
At
this point let’s leave this subject where it stands and move on to
the colors themselves.
Colors:
So now let’s explore the various colors we find in the Miniature
Schnauzer. Firstly, for the purposes of clarity, let’s describe the
genes a little differently for the purposes of this discussion. A
dog with a true white coat (born with pink pads, lips and noses that
later turn the base color) we will call a “no color”, a dog with a
solid, one-color coat (ie. a solid black), we will call a “one
color”, a dog with a 2 color coat, (ie. Black and Silver) we will
refer to as a “bi-color” and finally a dogs with a Salt and Pepper
type coat will be called a “banded” coat in reference to the banded
characteristic of the wire hairs of the Salt & Pepper coat which
gives it it’s distinct appearance. Parti colors will be discussed
later and referred to as parti.
To begin with, it first needs to be understood
that there are 2 base colors, brown (also called chocolate and
liver) and black (what is most commonly seen) . These are easily
distinguished by the color of the nose, pads and skin. Within each
of these 2 base colors there are the 4 genetic patterns as we
outlined in the previous paragraph. Please see the table below to
better understand how these are displayed.
No Color -
Double Recessive
Base Color – Black,
the
“default” or dominant base color, any 2 dogs bred together that do
not carry or pass on the brown-base will always pass on the
black-base, which is why it is the most common base color seen.
A white, also called a black-nosed white or a “true
white”, this color has been documented through written description
and photograph from the beginning and is accepted as a purebred
without question in it’s native Germany as well as several other
countries. This gene actually prevents the expression of the color,
rather than being a color itself.
Base Color – Brown, recessive to the
black-base requiring both parents to pass the gene to the offspring
to show this color. This also means 2 brown-based dogs bred together
will only produce brown based offspring. See ‘double
recessive’, above.
Most often called a “white
chocolate” or a “brown-nosed” white, this is genetically the same
coat is the black-nosed white, only the base color differs.
One Color - Dominant Direct
Inheritance
Base Color - Black, The
coat color of the black-based one color reflects the skin color
making the coat color black. While there are actually many genes
responsible for the “shade” of black, in this section we are only
addressing the gene which makes the dog genetically “one color”, in
this case black.
Base Color - Brown, Once
again the coat color reflects the skin color and makes this “one
color” a chocolate color, also called liver. The shade can once
again vary but the gene responsible for making this dog genetically
“one color” is the same as in the black.
Bi-Color - Double Recessive
Base Color - Black, This is the
distinctly two-toned Black & Silver. The Black & Silver is the
Schnauzer equivalent to the Black & Tan in other breeds (ie.
Rottweiler, Doberman) and most likely comes from the Miniature
Pincher in it’s ancestry. It should be noted however that the
Schnauzer has a somewhat unique gene called the Chinchilla gene
which changes the reddish hue of the “tan” points to the silvery
color displayed by Schnauzers. Black & Silvers with very light
points, to the point of being nearly white are also known as
“phantoms”.
Base Color - Brown, Often called
Chocolate Phantom or Liver & Tan, this is the bi-color gene as
displayed within the context of the brown-base. The “tan” points can
range from a creamy, almost white color to a deeper nearly as dark
as the chocolate of the main body color.
Banded - Default or Dominant Color
Base Color - Black, This is the most commonly known
color for Mini Schnauzers as it is the color they are when they do
not inherit any of the recessive or direct inheritance genes from
their parents. Although they come in a variety of shades, even as
dark as a Black & Silver, the defining trait of this color is the
“banding” of color on the wirehairs. Upon closer inspection of the
wirehairs when long, there is a distinctive banding or striping of
lighter and darker coloration. The darker coloration will correspond
with the base color, in this case black.
Base Color - Brown, The brown-base
version of the “banded” gene is often called a Liver Pepper although
that is somewhat misleading and confusing since there is no black
“pepper” color involved…it would be more accurately known as a
“frosted chocolate” to describe the “frosted look the banded hairs
give the overall coat. It should also be said that “banded” coat
colors, regardless of the base, also have the same Chinchilla
“points” as the Black & Silvers at their eyebrows, checks,
muzzle/beard, chests, lower legs, and under the tail.
Base Colors:
There are 2 base colors, Black and Brown. The base color of the dogs
is always reflected in the color of the nose and pads. These
base colors have been in existence since the beginning of the breed
and have been well documented, at least in the beginning.. The first
studbook of recorded Miniature Schnauzers lists a number of dogs,
including at least one from the first recorded litter as being
“gelb” German for yellow. The Yellow coloring is directly related to
the Brown base and the Yellow coat coloring is simply a difference I
the way the color is deposited in the hair follicle. The claim that
the Brown base is a “new” color and therefore not purebred is
inaccurate. As it is recessive, it is possible to pass the gene on
for generation after generation without it showing up and further,
the very, very dark Brown based, One Color, Chocolate dogs can look
almost Black and could easily be accidentally misidentified and
registered as such, further continuing the genetic line. It has also
been proven that there have been many breeders who have “disposed
of” or purposefully misidentified the coloring of the “differently”
colored dogs to preserve their “integrity” among the circles they
turn in.
No Color:
(Recessive) True ‘No Color’ or White puppies are always
born with predominantly pink pads, lips, eye rims, noses and skin
and completely White fur. The lips, pads, noses and eye rims will
quickly change to reflect the base color, black or brown. There are
some dogs which upon maturity appear White but these are not
true Whites. They are born a light tan color and as they age they
fade more and more until they appear White (note the progression of
color change in the first series of pics below). As puppies these
are sometimes described as Wheaten or Platinum/ Platinum Silver.
They will also sometimes seem to have pink-ish on the nose
and perhaps even on the pads if they will have white markings on the
toes, but this is not to be confused with the true pink of a White
puppy. The “false white” appears to be a Dominant Direct Inheritance
gene, needing one parent of that color to be passed.
One Color:
(Dominant Direct Inheritance) Puppies with the One Color gene
will always be the color of their base color so their genetic color
will always be the same as their nose/pads color. Because there are
more genes involved with shade and thus color is not simply
determined by the single gene, a One Color gene dog can look very
different from another dog of the same One Color gene. There can be
genes which determine that a dog fades and these genes will also
control to what degree a dog fades, where they fade (full body,
beard only, legs only) and what color they will fade out to.
Below you will see a variety of Black base, One Color gene dogs that
appear different based on the genes controlling shade/fade. As you
can see many of these Blacks have colors other than Black in their
coats, ranging from minimally to in entirety.
It should be noted
that the genes responsible for fading often don’t start to affect
coat color until some time after birth and how quickly or even if a
dog fades cannot be determined at birth or even necessarily by 8
weeks. Also there was a time period when in Germany the only
registerable Black Mini Schnauzers had to both have Black parents,
this resulted in Homozygous Black dogs. Some of these were later
imported into North America and are responsible for a large infusion
of Black into the lines here.
Bi-Color: (Recessive) The Bi-Color
gene is what makes a Black & Silver or a Liver & Tan and is the same
gene responsible for the Black & Tan in other breeds. As mentioned
before, the Schnauzer has what is known as the Chinchilla gene,
which converts the “Tan” points to the silvery or white color the
Schnauzer displays. Once again other genes are responsible for how
dark or light the points and body appear and what, if any fading
occurs. The wire hairs of Bi-Color dog are the same as the Base
color.
Banded: (Dominant) The Banded coat
is the most commonly known Schnauzer color. It is also the color
Schnauzers are when no other genes come into play making it a kind
of “default” color. The defining characteristic of the Banded gene
is the distinct banding or striping of the wirehairs. Depending on
the point of growth of the wirehair, the hair will appear white,
dark or a combination of both. The dark color always corresponds
with the Base color. Again, other genes affect the shade of the
Banded coat and this clearly seen in the pictures of the Black-base,
Banded coat (Salt & Pepper) dogs below. Despite the fact that the
top right picture appears to be a Black & Silver, upon closer
inspection the banded wirehairs can be seen and prove this to be a
Banded coat.
Banded coat puppies are often born with various
amounts of a tan shaded coloration to their coats (see ears on
bottom right photo) that most often fades out as they age, although
on occasion it doesn’t fade entirely. This is normal and even noted
in the breed standard of the AMSC and AKC.
Parti-Color: (Recessive) It is now
the time to address the Parti–color gene. separate from the other
color genes since it can be displayed simultaneously with them and
is a “pattern” gene also known as a “broken color” gene. There have
been recorded Part-Colored Mini Schnauzers in this country as far
back as the 1950’s and can be traced directly to some of the well
known and respected German Kennels. The Parti coloring can be seen
as big “saddles” of color on a white background or as a
“splattering” of colored freckles on the white background, or more
commonly, both. It also needs to be said that you can have White
Parti-colored dogs but you won’t see the Parti due to the White
disguising it. You won’t know you have Parti until you breed to
another non- white Parti or Parti gene carrier and get Parti
puppies.
Gene Combinations:All schnauzers have a
combination of these genes we have discussed. Each one has a Base
color gene, a Coat pattern gene and an optional Parti pattern gene.
Whether these are displayed or not sometimes depends on whether the
gene is "turned" on or off. Like in the case of Black, as a dominant
gene it is either inherited as Black or Not Black. With the
recessive genes it is a matter whether or not two matching gene
pairs are inherited, one from each parent.
In Conclusion: I hope this helps clear up
some of the confusion regarding the colors. I also want to be sure
to make it clear that to say that the non-standard colors are “not
recognized” by the AKC is not accurate. They most certainly
are recognized otherwise they would not be able to be
registered as purebred Miniature Schnauzers. They are
registerable and recognized, simply not able to be shown in the
conformation classes. They can still participate in Agility,
Obedience and Search and Rescue. Just so that is clear to all. Thank
you for taking the time to read this. I hope it was informative.
Below is the registerable colors with their codes for AKC
Registration
|
Liver |
123 |
|
Liver Tan |
124 |
|
Liver Pepper |
498 |
|
Black |
007 |
|
Black and Silver |
016 |
|
Wheaten |
224 |
|
White |
199 |
|
Salt and Pepper |
167 |
|
Parti |
038 |
| 
