new chocolate lab puppies coat discoloration - Paw Talk

labdude · #1 03-18-2008, 10:54 AM

Hello, we just had a litter of pure bred lab puppies. 2 of them have hair that is getting lighter on their paws as well as a couple of spots on their bodies. Is this common and what does it mean? The other 4 puppies have no discoloration.

Thanks.

jessicakfifield · #2 03-18-2008, 12:43 PM

Hello, one of the parents may have a parent or grandparent that was a black lab or a yelow lab, that trait may have skipped a few generations, but could still be passed on to the pupies. Even if that is the case they are still pure bred.

labdude · #3 03-18-2008, 01:05 PM

Thanks for the reply Jessica. Have you ever seen that before? It is a light tan color.

jessicakfifield · #4 03-18-2008, 02:15 PM

yes i have, plenty of times.. ITs completely normal..

jessicakfifield · #5 03-18-2008, 02:16 PM

They have yellow or golden lab in them

marmilla · #6 03-18-2008, 03:32 PM

The genetic code that makes a yellow lab "yellow" is an inhibitor allele that causes color to not be expressed. I the gene is recessive, so like Jessica said they could have had grandparents that were yellow.

Here's a good website:
http://labbies.com/genetics2.htm

Quote:


	Labs that are homozygous for the dominant E allele have a constitutively active, mutant form of Mc1r; that is, the receptor is always "turned-on", even in the absence of melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH). As such, eumelanin is constantly produced and the dog appears black or chocolate. Labs that are homozygous for the recessive "e" allele also have a mutant form of Mc1r. This mutant, however, is a "loss of function" receptor that cannot produce eumelanin, even in the presence of MSH. Therefore, Labs that are homozygous for the "e" allele can only produce phaeomelanin and, therefore, will appear yellow.

Here's an example of inheritance of "Yellow":

Both parents would have to be heterozygous for the allele, meaning each would have to have a relative that was yellow some where in their pedigree.

Mom Ee Dad Ee

Baby EE or Ee or ee

EE = not yellow

Ee = not yellow

ee = yellow, this "turns off " eumelanin production.

So, some of your pups likely carry for yellow, but don't show it.

Genetics are so much fun!!

labdude · #7 03-18-2008, 03:52 PM

thanks all!

storminstaffs · #8 03-25-2008, 12:59 PM

you can still get mismarked pups

heres a good site to look at

http://www.woodhavenlabs.com/mismarks.html