"Australian Shepherd Color Genetics for Dummies" - 9/2004: Aussie Times, bi-monthly magazine; published for the breed education committee So, you think that color genetics is a bit over your head? Hate Punnett squares? Planning a litter and want to know what to expect? What about those ads that say they are expecting all four colors? How do they know that? Can you “expect?” Or is it all just a shot in the dark? Well, with this simple tutorial, you will come out smelling like a rose and your dogs will end up looking as you expect them to. A little can of paint and . . . just kidding! This is the first of a four-part article about the colors of the Australian shepherds. In issues to follow, we’ll tackle the merle gene, copper and white, and even lesser known colorings. These articles will not contain scientific terms, they are designed to give you a better understanding of how the Aussie gets its four colors, from a more simple perspective. There are plenty of sources (books, websites, etc) that will be able to provide a more in-depth look into the world of Australian shepherd coloration. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy! There are four acceptable colors of the Australian shepherd: red, red merle, black, and blue merle. On top of this, we also have dogs that have copper trim and dogs that have white trim. Some have both; some don’t have any! What’s an Aussie fancier to do? Let’s break it down. Part 1: Red and Black Australian shepherds are like checkers: they basically come in red and black. You can add more variants at the genetic level, but in the end that’s all you’ve got: some kind of variation of red and black. Black’s a pretty straightforward coloration: the blacker the better. The proper shade of red, on the other hand, because it is so subjective, has never been formally pinned down. That said, like black, the darker the better. The tricky part is what you can expect when you mix the red and black. Here’s a relational way of thinking about it: You have a glass and two sodas: one is red cherry soda and the other is plain cola. Pour two drops of cherry soda into the glass and you have . . . cherry soda: it’s red and it tastes just like what you poured out of the can. Trying it with two drops of cola: you simply have black cola. But what if you pour a drop of cherry in with a drop of cola? Looks like cola, doesn’t it? Same thing happens with Aussies. Red and red – red. Black and black – black. Black and red? Black. Black always dominates red, just as cola always darkens cherry soda. Still with me? Now, look at that glass with the cherry soda and the cola in it. It looks like cola, but taste it. Not quite the same, is it? Same thing with Aussies. Even though your whole litter may appear to be black, your red dog contributed some information about color, and that’s in each of your puppies. Okay, now that we’ve gone thus far, it’s time for a little quiz. You breed two beautiful black dogs, and suddenly you have yourself a red puppy. What happened? Well, from what you know now, if you have a red-factored black dog and breed it to a red dog, you have equal odds of red and black puppies. But you know you watched your bitch and the only dog she came in contact with was your beautiful black dog. If you guessed that both dogs were red-factored, you’d be right. Even though both dogs appear to be black, and black dominates any red gene, they still carry the red gene, and if both red genes get together, you have yourself a red puppy. Stay tuned for the story of merle in the next issue of the Aussie Times!

Kristin Tara McNamara 805.748.1478 maculated@gmail.com

Copyright Kristin Tara McNamara 2006