[Keechak]

LOL! Well since Xeph is having so much fun with her own color thread,and I am very bored, I decided to start my own color info thread about the breed I know the most about. The Australian Shepherd.

Feel free to ask about the genetics and such.

I will start with my first and favorite color example.

This boy is always a head turner at shows, He gets many comments on his color.

His name is

"Diamond Aire Pierce the Sun"

His coat color and patterns are as follows
Color: Blue merle
Markings:
Tan Points
Black Mask
Irish White
Tar heels
& Dilute spots

Here is the tar heels

One of his dilute spots can be seen on his lower loin area, if you can't see it you may need to brighten your computer screen.

And a good example of his black mask, (again you may need to lighten your screen to see more detail)

 

[melgrj7]

Is that Hawk

Pretty dog, loves his coloring/patterning. We have an aussie that comes into work that is a self blue merle, he is very pretty. I love the blue merle coloring.

 

[rosemaryninja]

I agree with Melissa, I love the blue merles... I hope to own a blue merle Aussie one day when I have the time and energy.

 

[Keechak]

I agree with Melissa, I love the blue merles... I hope to own a blue merle Aussie one day when I have the time and energy.

well I can guarantee you you wont have any problem finding one.

Black is dominant to red
and merle is dominant to solid

so that would equal out to a lot of blue puppies (<random smilies)

 

[Keechak]

Is that Hawk

Pretty dog, loves his coloring/patterning. We have an aussie that comes into work that is a self blue merle, he is very pretty. I love the blue merle coloring.

yep it's Hawk

I have never seen a self merle. most of them that I have seen have at least a little white on their toes.

but they are possable

 

[GSDGAL]

it's amzing how aussie shepherds are not popular in Australia at all....shame really

 

[Keechak]

it's amzing how aussie shepherds are not popular in Australia at all....shame really

well they are not an australian breed. they have only been starting to import them to Australia in the last 30 years. They were established as a breed in the U.S. no one is really possative why they are called "Australian" Shepherds, although there are a lot of theories

 

[Katzyn]

Ooh, very pretty.

Keep it coming. =D

I'm really enjoying these colour lessons, haha. <333 I should do one on cockatiels, hahaha. I doubt anyone would be interested, though, lol.

 

[Keechak]

Ooh, very pretty.

Keep it coming. =D

I'm really enjoying these colour lessons, haha. <333 I should do one on cockatiels, hahaha. I doubt anyone would be interested, though, lol.

Have you got any questions?

I'm better at "Keeping it comming" when I have something to teach that I know some one wants to learn.

 

[Katzyn]

I'm not really familiar with anything but the barest basics, so...=3 I know what a red merle looks like, and a blue merle, but anything further than that? Nada~

 

[sillylilykitty]

OOooo I love Aussies Okay, I'll ask questions Why is it called Irish white? Is that the big patch of White on Hawk?

 

[Keechak]

Well there are four basic color bases for the Australian shepherd

Red Merle
Blue Merle
Black
Red

all these colors can come with or without tan points and/or white markings

When it come to genetics there is one basic color, Black, and the other genes affect this color to create the others.
A blue merle is a black dog with the merled gene. The merle gene causes heavly diluted splotches on the black. The merle gene dose not affect the tan points or the white markings, ONLY the black.

In a red dog the black color is diluted by a certain gene creating a brown color, again this dilution gene affects ALL of the black pigment on the dog, including the nose lips and eyelids.

here are the different colors

This is a Black (With white markings)
"Diamond Aire Moon Dance" Hawkeye's littermate sister

This is a Blue merle (With White markings and tan points)
"Diamond Aire Light Up the Stage" Hawk's half brother

This is a Red (with white markings and tan points)
"Ch. Shenandoahs Solar Powered, CD, RAE2, OA, OAJ, HT, PT, CGC, TDI"

This is a Red Merle (With White markings)
"Fireball Chester CGC BH CHR"

 

[Keechak]

OOooo I love Aussies Okay, I'll ask questions Why is it called Irish white? Is that the big patch of White on Hawk?

yay more questions

Irish white is a non breed specific term that describes white coloring on a dog that can only be found on the following body parts

Tip of tail
feet
front legs
chest, neck
bellie
muzzle, face

If the white extends anywhere in excess amounts on the sides, back or rump of the dog it is called a Pied

 

[GSDGAL]

can you have a mix of both black and red gene? and if that happens what would that colour be called?

 

[Keechak]

can you have a mix of both black and red gene? and if that happens what would that colour be called?

Yes you can! great question.

If a Dog carries both the black and the red gene the color is called black.

the gene for "red" is recessive and the gene for "black" is dominant so that means that if the dog carries the black gene it will cover up the color "red" in the physical apperance of the dog.

So in order for a dog to actualy be physicaly "red" it has to have gotten the red gene from each parent.

Hawk is acutally a dominant black that carries the red gene

 

[GSDGAL]

sorry, another question. But can you get a yellow coloured dilute? I know you can in GSD, that's where white comes from and the same with border collies, with the gold colouring. So can you get that same colouring with Aussies?

 

[Keechak]

sorry, another question. But can you get a yellow coloured dilute? I know you can in GSD, that's where white comes from and the same with border collies, with the gold colouring. So can you get that same colouring with Aussies?

yes they can although it is extremely rare, I have never seen it in real life myself. here is a picture of one.

no Kennel clubs that I know of will register an aussie as a yellow. I guess when it shows up they would simply be registered as a red.

 

[Keechak]

Some other out of standard colors are sable and white.

White is not to be confused with the homozygos merle.

 

[marsha=whitie]

I got a question...
Yesterday I was driving down the road and saw this Aussie, but the color was weird... the front half of it was a light cream color, and the back of it was a gray color. I know that it was an Aussie, 'cause the guy that owns it only has Aussies: that's that only breed that he wants. I searched Google and couldn't find anything like it... is it actually a color?

 

[Keechak]

no there is no such color like what I'm picturing from your description. maybe if you could get a picture of the dog. aussies cannot have large cream patches and large grey patches at the same time.

unless the cream was acutaly a dirty white and not actual cream. then it could be possably a homozygos blue merle