F-Locus
The theoretical Flecking-Locus governs whatever mechanism causes the distinct phenotype seen in Dalmatian spotting. Remember, Dalmatians have their own version of large round spotting.
Flecking seems to be a recessive trait (F no flecking , f flecking) where only homozygous dogs (f/f) produce this distinct pattern[1]:
For a long time, the Dalmatian pattern was thought to be a modified version of ticking. But interestingly, all Dalmatians in fact carry the same mutation as dogs with roan (TR)[1].
So the Dalmatian’s flecking pattern might actually be a modified version of roan caused by an unknown modifier of spot size.
One candidate for the Flecking-Locus that could act as the Dalmatian’s spot modifier seems to be associated with a defect in urinary metabolism. High uric acid in Dalmatians was caused by a mutation in the SLC2A9 gene at the huu-Locus (hyperuricosurea) on dog chromosome 3.
This trait was probably fixed in Dalmatians by accident while selecting for their distinctive spotting pattern. In the end, Dalmatians were homozygous recessive for the spotting modifier at the F-Locus (f/f) but unfortunately also for high uric acid[1].
A backcross project with English Pointers produced Dalmatians with low uric acid (or LUA-Dalmatians) while preserving their distinct spotting pattern. So the mutation at the huu-Locus on chromosome 3 is just closely linked with flecking but not causal for Dalmatian dots.
Did you know? Dalmatian puppies are born white without any spots showing, but just ’cause you don’t see them doesn’t mean they’re not there! The spots are there since birth, but they only become fully visible when the pups mature and the hairs turn black.
For example, breeding a merle with another merle is asking for trouble as this can lead to puppies that have two copies of the merle gene, which are referred to as double merle puppies. Double merle puppies are prone to deafness and blindness, and are susceptible to the effects of the sun, which predisposes them to skin cancer. To prevent transmission of hereditary problems that are associated with the merle gene, breeding two dogs with this coat should be avoided.
Dogs come in a wide array of different shapes and sizes and one of the most distinguishing features is the fact dogs come in many fascinating coat colors. Some coat colors are quite common, while others are quite unusual to come by. As much as a dog’s coat color is impressive, it’s important to avoid choosing a dog based exclusively on coat color or looks alone. Other factors such as health and temperament and activity levels are important factors to consider. Dog owners must also be wary of breeders who breed for a specific coat color only, ignoring other important aspects such as health, conformation and temperament. In some cases, some stunning dog coat colors come with a price: associated health problems that perspective dog owners should be aware of.
The brindle coat pattern is found in several dog breeds including great danes, bulldogs and boxers. In boxers, black brindle or reverse brindle may occur, where a heavy concentration of black striping covers almost all the fawn background making it look as if the coat is actually black with fawn stripes.
There are not too many breeds boasting the harlequin coat. The most popular one is the great dane. Some people confuse a young harlequin great Dane for a Dalmatian. Even though both breeds are technically white with black areas, the Dalmatian has white smooth rounded spots while a harlequin great dane has torn patches.
Can you breed a roan to a roan?
I have heard, but this might be an old wives tale, that you shouldn’t breed roan to roan or the offspring can die, its a fatal combination or something. This is very true. If you put two roans together that contain the O gene you have a high possibilty that the foal will die shortly after birth.
These two alleles show codominance and the hybrid genotype (Ww) has a roan coloured coat. The genotype of a roan cattle is “Ww”, that of red is “WW” and that of a white one is “ww”. A cross between a roan bull and roan cow produces red, roan and white phenotypes in 1:2:1 ratio respectively.
What is Roaning in Dogs and What Causes It? | Learning with Embark | Embark DNA Discoveries
Ticking and roan cause spots or hairs with normal color to grow inside areas that were white at birth. A dog can only develop ticking or roan if it has some form of white spotting.