Genes ? ? ?
A brief summary of the genes involved with coat genetics in the dog.
There are many different books / papers publishing reams of information on the genes involved with coat colour in dogs. The following is a list of indentified & confirmed genes that I have compiled from my reading - please note that is it probably by no means an exhaustive list and I'd be glad to hear any further developments in the field.
The Locus is the specific position of a gene within the genetic material. The Symbol is the character by which the gene is often referred, while an Allele is a noted variation of the gene at that locus...Happy reading
| Locus | Symbol | Number of alleles known |
| Agouti | A | 6 |
| Brown | B | 2 |
| Brindle | Br | 2 |
| Albino | C | 4 |
| Cyclic Neutropenia | Cn | 2 |
| Dilution | D | 2 |
| Extension | E | 3 |
| Flecking | F | 2 |
| Grey | G | 2 |
| Grey points | Grp | 2 |
| Harlequin | H | 2 |
| Intense | Int | 3 |
| Merle | M | 2 |
| Mask | Ma | 2 |
| Pink Eyed Dilute | P | 2 |
| Powder Puff | Pp | 2 |
| Piebald / Star | S | 4 |
| Slate Grey | Sg | 2 |
| Ticked / Ticking | T | 2 |
| Tweed | Tw | 2 |
| White | Wh | 2 |
Correspondances on dog genetics commonly mention between 3 and 10 genes involved in dog coat colour genetics. Above I have listed 21 genes known to cause variation in dog coats - I do have a further list of the alleles noted if anyone would like to know the permutations available. A brief explanation of commonly used genetic terms are available here. References may be found here.
