Canine Genetics

The Dilute gene test is available through DDC Veterinary, who is currently the only animal DNA center to offer DNA services to determine whether or not a dog's coat will fade with age or whether it will produce pups with fading coats. The following explanation from Randall Smith of DDC better explains the meaning of the various dilute gene results (i.e., DD, Dd, and dd): "A parent that is DD is going to pass on the D allele 100% of the time, therefore even when bred to a dd (affected by the dilute gene) or Dd (a dilute gene carrier) it cannot produce a (dd) offspring. Therefore, regardless of the color, there will not be the dilution of color (as the result of this specific locus) in any of the offspring." My summary, a dd dog's coat will fade and all of it's pups' coats will fade if bred to another dd dog; a Dd dog's coat will not fade, but it has a 75% chance of producing fading coats if bred to a dd dog and a 50% chance of producing fading coats if bred to another Dd dog; A DD dog's coat will never fade, and it's pups' coats will not fade, regardless of who it is bred to. Kiss and Boom are both DD's.

The following information was authored by VetGen, who first established DNA testing for coat color. You can read more about it on their site. I have displayed the chart on our site to help others determine the probability of various coat colors in our planned litters.

DNA research has identified the genotype associated with the brown (b allele) and cream- white-red-apricot (e allele) coloring.

VetGen has discovered that Poodles who are brown have the 'bb' genotype and Poodles who are cream, white, apricot or red have the 'ee' genotype. The DNA Test for coat color in Poodles will allow breeders to test dogs who are NOT brown, to identify whether the b allele is present, as well as to test those dogs who are NOT cream, white, apricot or red, to identify whether the e allele is present. The DNA test for b and e allows breeders the choice of producing dogs with brown coat color, as well as the opportunity of breeding away from the cream, white, apricot or red coat color.

The ChromaGene™ test will determine which one of the genotypes listed below your Poodle is:

If your dog is black the possible genotypes are: BBEE, BBEe, BbEE, BbEe.
If your dog is brown, the possible genotypes are: bbEE, bbEe.
If your dog is cream, white, apricot or red with a black nose, possible genotypes are: BBee, Bbee.
If your dog is cream, white, apricot or red with a brown nose, your dog's genotype is bbee.

ChromaGene™ testing is valuable for determining if a breeding pair is carrying e, b or both and would therefore be capable of producing the brown or cream-white-red-apricot coat color.

Table of Statistical Outcomes of Mating Pairs:
*Note: cream represents - cream, white, apricot or red


	BBEE I	BBEe II	BbEE III	BbEe IV	BBee V	Bbee VI	bbee VII	bbEE VIII	bbEe IX
BBEE I	All Black	All Black	All Black	All Black	All Black	All Black	All Black	All Black	All Black
BBEe II	All Black	¾ Black ¼ Cream	All Black	¾ Black ¼ Cream	½ Black ½ Cream	½ Black ½ Cream	½ Black ½ Cream	All Black	¾ Black ¼ Cream
BbEE III	All Black	All Black	¾ Black ¼ Brown	¾ Black ¼ Brown	All Black	¾ Black ¼ Brown	½ Black ½ Brown	½ Black ½ Brown	½ Black ½ Brown
BbEe IV	All Black	¾ Black ¼ Cream	¾ Black ¼ Brown	9/16 Black ¼ Cream 3/16 Brown	½ Black ½ Cream	3/8 Black ½ Cream 1/8 Brown	¼ Black ½ Cream ¼ Brown	½ Black ½ Brown	3/8 Black ¼ Cream 3/8 Brown
BBee V	All Black	½ Black ½ Cream	All Black	½ Black ½ Cream	All Cream	All Cream	All Cream	All Black	½ Black ½ Cream
Bbee VI	All Black	½ Black ½ Cream	¾ Black ¼ Brown	3/8 Black ½ Cream 1/8 Brown	All Cream	All Cream	All Cream	½ Black ½ Brown	¼ Black ½ Cream ¼ Brown
bbee VII	All Black	½ Black ½ Cream	½ Black ½ Brown	¼ Black ½ Cream ¼ Brown	All Cream	All Cream	All Cream	All Brown	½ Brown ½ Cream
bbEE VIII	All Black	All Black	½ Black ½ Brown	½ Black ½ Brown	All Black	½ Black ½ Brown	All Brown	All Brown	All Brown
bbEe IX	All Black	¾ Black ¼ Cream	½ Black ½ Brown	3/8 Black ¼ Cream 3/8 Brown	½ Black ½ Cream	¼ Black ½ Cream ¼ Brown	½ Brown ½ Cream	All Brown	¾ Brown ¼ Cream

Once your dog has been tested and you know its genotype, use this table for breeding strategies and breeding stock selection. The outer ring shows the visible coat color with the small upper right circle showing the nose color (black or Brown). The inner rings show the hidden color genes carried by the dog. Entries in the table show the probabilities of producing various coat color within a litter. For example, if your results show that your dogs genotype is a Type Bbee, your dog is cream, white, apricot or red and has a black nose, the dog is carrying the hidden genes for black and brown. If you were to mate this dog with a dog of the genotype bbEE, on the average, half of the Litter would would be black and the other half of the litter would be brown. These probabilities represent expectations averaged over the long run and are subject to the law of probabilities.

Note that any breeding which produces both Brown or Cream, White, Apricot or red, has the potential to produce brown nosed cream, white, apricot or red. If the breeding does not have the potential to produce blacks, only cream, white, apricot, red and brown, all cream, white, apricot and red will have brown noses.