Download Sheltie Colors General

Sheltie Colors
WHAT ARE SABLES
VS. AOAC
General
WHAT IS “WHITEFACTORING” AND
“IRISH PATTERNS”?
IMPORTANT: “NWF” (non-white-factored)
dogs still technically carry a "WF" (whitefactored) gene called the "Irish Pattern"
which is a normal and acceptable white pattern that can appear as a blaze down the
muzzle, around the ruff in full or part, on
the feet and legs in whole or in part, and
the tip of the tail.
Simply put, SABLES are the
"brown" dogs ranging from golden through
mahogany) marked with varying amounts
of white. AOACs are the "black" and "blue"
dogs marked with varying amounts of white
and/or tan. AOAC stands for "any other acceptable color." (See following pages for
examples.)
Unacceptable colors includes any Sheltie
that exhibits more than 50% white, which
are also known as heavily-marked whites
and color-headed-whites and are so severely penalized as to effectively eliminate
them from AKC competition. Whereas excessive white is severely penalized, brindle
is disqualified.
Other faulty colors are rustiness in a black
or blue coat and otherwise washed-out or
degenerate colors, such as pale sable and
faded blue. Self-color, in the case of merle,
that is, without any merling or mottling
generally appears as a faded or diluted tricolor and are also considered faulty, as are
“liver” or “chocolate” dilutes.
NOTE: Solid colors no longer exist in the
breed and brindle is extremely rare and undesirable (a color disqualification).
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White-factor is a normal and acceptable
white pattern that can demonstrate areas of
white the same as the Irish Pattern (which
is arguably still white factoring) in addition
to white along the stifle and underbelly. Absence of white in these areas do not preclude a sheltie from being non-white factored! Breeders should make a conscious
effort to breed away from heavily whitefactored dogs because breeders cannot control where the white appears.
Similar to too many doses of the merling
gene, the white-factor genes dilutes the
“base” coat color of the dog which can
cause excess white around the eyes and
ears, thereby stripping the melanin necessary for proper hearing and vision
(reference Strain, 2002).
Using more dogs with the white factored
genes will produce considerably more white
patches throughout the base coat known as
“mismarks” or in the case of a colorheaded-white (a heavily white-factored
sheltie), a colored-head, which is representative of the “base” coat color, and an allwhite body—and undesirable breed type
(reference the sheltie standard) and penalized as such. However these shelties have
typical vision and hearing function, look for
color around the eyes and ears.
***
Sheltie Colors
Standard
PFS
TFS or BFS
SM
TRI
BFT
BW
BM
BFBM
BB
TFSM or BFSM
Abbreviation Common Breed Color Name
AKC Description
Type
Code
BW
Bi-Black
Black & White
S
019
TRI
BFT
Tri Color
Bi-factored Tri
Black White & Tan
S
034
BB
Bi-Blue Merle
Blue Merle & White
S
051
BM
BFBM
Blue Merle
Bi-Factored Blue Merle
Blue Merle White & Tan
S
052
PFS
TFS/BFS
Pure-for-Sable
Tri-factored/Bi-factored Sable
Sable & White
S
165
SM
TFSM/BFSM
Sable Merle
Tri-factored/Bi-factored Sable Merle
Sable Merle & White
S
277
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Sheltie Colors
Alternate
CHW—PFS
CHW—TFS or BFS
CHW—SM
CHW—BFSM or TFSM
CHW—TRI
CHW—BFT
CHW—BW
MM
CHW—BM
CHW—BFBM
CHW—BB
*Note: CHW = “Color Headed White”
Abbreviation
Common Breed Color Name
AKC Description
Type
Code
BT
N/A
Black & Tan
A
018
MM
Double Merle/Double Dilute/Homozygous White White
A
199
CHW
Bi-Black
White & Black
A
202
CHW-PFS
CHW-TFS/BFS
Pure-for-Sable
Tri-factored/Bi-factored Sable
White & Sable
A
215
CHW-SM
Sable Merle
CHW-TFSM/BFSM Tri-factored/Bi-factored Sable Merle
White & Sable Merle
A
296
CHW-TRI
CHW-BFT
Tri-Color
Bi-factored Tri Color
White Black & Tan
A
219
CHW-BB
Bi-Blue Merle
White Blue Merle
A
266
CHW-BM
CHW-BFBM
Blue Merle
Bi-factored Blue Merle
White Blue Merle & Tan
A
265
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Sheltie Colors
Sable
SOLID
PURE-FOR-SABLE
WHY ARE SHELTIES COMMONLY BROWN & WHITE?
Brown shelties are
otherwise known as sables.
There are many different
shades of sable, from a light
blonde to a deep red and even
BI OR TRI FACTORED SABLE a deeper mahogany that can
sometimes appear almost
black.
Sable has become the most
popular colour to the breed
further popularized by the sable collie, “Lassie”.
Ch. Bamhollow Blaze of Glory
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But it’s not just “Lassie” that
gives to bear its fame inasmuch as pure genetics. The
gene responsible for sable in
the sheltie is dominant (Ay)
producing a golden sable.
The intensity of the pigment is
actually controlled by one or
more factors. Also see sable
merle.
***
Sheltie Colors
White
TRICOLOR
WHY ARE SOME SHELTIES
BLACK INSTEAD OF
BROWN?
Black shelties, othBI-FACTORED TRICOLOR
erwise known as tris or bis,
are a naturally-occurring color
in the breed; but in order to
produce a black sheltie, a
sheltie breeder is actually manipulating recessive genes,
specifically the agouti patterns.
***
BICOLOR
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Sheltie Colors
Merling
SOLID
Double Merle with White
WHAT IS MERLING?
(Blue Merles)
MERLE
WHITE
Unlike the
the "sable" dog bred
to a dog with the
merling gene,
*It is important to underwhereas he may or
stand color genetics. Some
breeders may mistake this
may not appeared
double merle for a colorbrilliantly merled, a
headed white.
tri- or bi- dog bred to
a merle that produces
a blue merle become easily identified as a merle
to show and because the results are always easier achieved and the patterns striking, blue
merles are more popular than sable merles.
*NOTE: The merle gene in one dose "dilutes" the “base” coat
color of the dog, which results in a marbled appearance. In
the case of an offspring receiving a double dose of the merling gene (which can only happen when the sire and dam are
both merled), the base coat color is diluted twice over, which
in many instances may also include the head. Yet, in some
other instances, may be extremely difficult to differentiate
from a color-headed white. In double dilutes especially,
there have been problems with hearing and vision because
the gene not only dilutes the melanin in the coat, but the
melanin crucial for proper vision and hearing, as well.
Blue Merle with White (also white-factored)
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Blue Merle with White & Tan
Sheltie Colors
Merling
SABLE MERLE (SM)
WHAT IS MERLING?
(Sable Merles)
BI– OR TRI– FACTORED SM
Any color can be introduced to the mer-
ling gene. For instance, if a sable is bred to a
dog with the merling gene, he becomes a sable
merle and often times is referred to as "blonde"
because the deep red pigment in the sable becomes washed to the color of straw.
This is a difficult color (sable merle) to show in
America and many advise against the practice of
breeding sables with merles for this reason. In
Canada, the color is accepted and actively
shown. It isn't always easy to distinguish a sable
from a sable merle unlike the pictures below
that demonstrates a noticeable difference.
Note: there are not any solid colors remaining in Shelties
and with that, there no longer exists black and tan shelties.
All shelties carry a degree of white factoring as shown in the
photos below with a full “Irish Pattern” expression (collar,
muzzle, legs & tail tip).
Sable & White (no merling)
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Sable Merle (with visible merling)
Sheltie Colors
sheltie is touted as "normal"
to unsuspecting buyers, especially if there appears too
much white in these areas
(eyes & ears).
WF
WHAT ARE COLOR
HEADED WHITES? ARE
THEY RARE?
Color headed whites
HWF
CHW
MM
are not a rare color, nor are
heavily white-factored
whites! Any breeder with
knowledge of color genetics
can very simply breed for
these colors.
The only difference is that
breeders have very little control where the white is distributed, and presents a major problem as it poses serious health risks if expressed
incorrectly.
Most breeders do not purposefully breed for this color
because it is highly faulted
(to the point a sheltie with
more than 50% white is severely penalized from breed
competition). You may often
read a colored-headed-white
sheltie is "normal" in every
way except he possesses a
colored head and a
white body. While
this may be true, it
may also not be
the case!
Ensure any "white
sheltie" you breed
has had his eyes
CERF-tested and
ears BAER-tested
for a "normal" rating before the
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A “safe” color-headed white
may appear as pictured below, where clearly there is
color around the eyes and
ears.
A color-headed white can appear in any color known to
the breed, as can a heavilymarked white sheltie.
A Word About Harle
The “harlequin” gene, more
accurately known as the
“White” (Ww) gene or Grey
Merle Dilution gene is not
merling nor is it whitefactoring. Despite myth, this
gene does not belong to the
Great Dane alone, it is commonly appearing in the
Shetland Sheepdog as well.
Breeders: this gene is carried
recessively on the solids and
when bred to merle, dilutes
the blue-merled areas to
white. Use extreme caution!
***