RARE COLOR SECTION 1:LILAC ENGLISH BULLDOGS

Genotype for Lilac Gene: [bb dd]
(this is a combo gene, full blue & full chocolate combined)

Overview: Lilac Bulldogs start out black, then diluted not once, but twice, by the Chocolate Gene, then the blue gene. The [bb] dilutes black to brown, and the [dd] dilutes the black to blue. Try mixing blue & brown paint, you will get some shade of purple or lilac. The lilac coat should be shiny and looks very close to Weimerainer Grey, with many lighter & darker shades possible. Some lilac coats will have an under color shine through that can be green or pink or somewhere in between according to the light the dog is in. The nose, eyeliner, and foot pads are also always some shade of purple/lilac.

Lilac & Tan or Lilac & Trindle

Lilac & Tan or Trindle with no or minimal white, but only on the chest. Body is solid lilac. Tan points can be clear or brindled.
DNA: bb dd NN atat, bb dd KbrN atat –

Lilac Tri * Lilac Trindle

Lilac and white in any design with Tri or Trindle Points.
DNA: bb dd NN atat, bb dd KbrN atat

Lilac Seal

Lilac & White in any design.
DNA: bb dd KbN atat, bb dd KbN ayat, bb dd KbN ayay, bb dd KbKbr atat, bb dd KbKbr ayat, bb dd KbKbr ayay

Lilac Brindle

Lilac & Fawn Stripes with white markings in any design. Brindle dogs carry at least one Kbr gene & are always either ayay, or ayat at agouti. Brindled bodied dogs cannot have a Kb gene nor be atat.
DNA: bb dd KbrN ayay, bb dd KbrKbr ayay, bb dd KbrN ayat, bb dd KbrKbr ayat

Lilac Merle Tri or Trindle

Lilac Merle in any design. Patches, nose, footpads, & eyeliner is purple/lilac.
DNA: bb dd Mm NN atat, bb dd Mm KbrN atat

Lilac Platinum
Lilac Platinum Fawn

All White with none, or minimal body color (less than 10%), usually in spots on the face & tail.
DNA Lilac: bb dd NN atat, bb dd KbrN atat
DNA Lilac Fawn: bb dd NN ayat, bb dd KbrN ayat, bb dd NN ayay, bb dd KbrN ayay

Lilac Fawn
Lilac Fawn & White

Solid Fawn or Fawn & white in any design. Although hair is fawn, the nose, footads, & eyeliner is purple/lilac.
DNA: bb dd NN ayat. bb dd NN ayay

RARE COLOR SECTION 2: BLUE ENGLISH BULLDOGS
Genotype for Blue Gene: [dd]

Overview: Blue Bulldogs are diluted black dogs. The blue/grey coat should be shiny & look grey against black objects or in the sun unless it carries the Seal gene, which would show maroon or other color undertones. These dogs may or may not have a fawn undercoat when the hair is rubbed backwards. The nose, footpads, & eyeliner are always blue/grey, which can vary from light to dark, not to be mistaken for black.

Note: it is unfortunate that we have to register our blue dogs with the same AKC color codes as the Lilac. Therefore it is extremely important for Breeders & Puppy Parents to use the descriptive terms in their dogs names as described in the “IMPORTANT” SECTION above.

Blue & Tan/Trindle

Blue & Tan/Trindle with minimal white only on the chest. Body is solid blue.
DNA: Bb dd NN atat, Bb dd KN atat, BB dd NN atat, BB dd KN atat –

Blue Tri/Trindle

Blue and white in any design with Tan/Trindle Points.
DNA: Bb dd NN atat, Bb dd KbrN atat, BB dd NN atat, BB dd KN atat
Note: Points do not show if the dog is white where the tan points are supposed to appear.

Blue Seal

Blue & White in any design.
DNA: Bb dd KbN atat, Bb dd KbN ayat, Bb dd KbN ayay, Bb dd KbKbr atat, Bb dd KbKbr ayat, Bb dd KbKbr ayay, BB dd KbN atat, BB dd KbN ayat, BB dd KbN ayay, BB dd KbKbr atat, BB dd KbKbr ayat, BB dd KbKbr ayay

Note: Willow is also a Full Black & Tan Base, which means she is tan pointed. The points are there, but covered by the Seal [Kb] gene, which is higher on the heirarchy of genes.

Blue Brindle

Blue & Fawn Stripes with white markings in any design. Brindle dogs carry at least one Kbr gene & are always either ayay, or ayat at agouti. Brindled bodied dogs cannot have a Kb gene nor be atat.
DNA: Bb dd KbrN ayay, Bb dd KbrKbr ayay, BB dd KbrN ayat, BB dd KbrKbr ayat

Blue Merle Tri/Trindle

Blue Merle in any design. Patches, nose, footpads, & eyeliner is blue.
DNA: Bb dd Mm NN atat, Bb dd Mm KbrN atat, BB dd Mm NN atat, BB dd Mm KbrN atat

Blue Platinum
Blue Platinum Fawn

All White with none, or minimal body color (less than 10%), usually in spots on the face & tail.
DNA Blue: Bb dd NN atat, Bb dd KbrN atat, BB dd NN atat, BB dd KbrN atat
DNA Blue Fawn: Bb dd NN ayat, Bb dd KbrN ayat, BB dd NN ayat, BB dd KbrN ayat, Bb dd NN ayay, Bb dd KbrN ayay, BB dd NN ayay, BB dd KbrN ayay

Blue Fawn
Blue Fawn & White

Solid Blue Fawn or Blue Fawn & white in any design. Although hair is fawn, the nose, footads, & eyeliner is Blue.
DNA: Bb dd NN ayat, Bb dd NN ayay, BB dd NN ayat, BB dd NN ayay

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RARE COLOR SECTION 3: CHOCOLATE ENGLISH BULLDOGS
Genotype for Chocolate Gene: [bb]

Overview: Chocolate Bulldogs are diluted black dogs from a different dilution gene than the blue. The chocolate coat should be shiny and look brown against black objects or in the sun, unless the seal gene is involved which can give different undertones to the coat. These dogs may or may not have a fawn undercoat when the hair is rubbed backwards. The nose, footpads, & eyeliner are always chocolate, even in the chocolate fawn.

Chocolate & Tan/Trindle

Chocolate & Tan/Trindle with minimal white only on the chest. Body is solid chocolate.
DNA: bb Dd NN atat, bb Dd KN atat, bb DD NN atat, bb DD KN atat

Chocolate Tri/Trindle

Chocolate and white in any design with Tan/Trindle Points.
DNA: bb Dd NN atat, Bb Dd KbrN atat, bb DD NN atat, bb DD KN atat

Note: Points do not show if the dog is white where the tan points are supposed to appear.

Chocolate Seal

Chocolate & White in any design.
DNA: bb Dd KbN atat, bb Dd KbN ayat, bb Dd KbN ayay, bb Dd KbKbr atat, bb Dd KbKbr ayat, bb Dd KbKbr ayay, bb DD KbN atat, bb DD KbN ayat, bb DD KbN ayay, bb DD KbKbr atat, bb DD KbKbr ayat, bb DD KbKbr ayay

Note: Gunner is also a Full Black & Tan Base, which means he is tan pointed. The points are there, but covered by the Seal [Kb] gene, which is higher on the heirarchy of genes.

Chocolate Brindle

Chocolate & Fawn Stripes with white markings in any design. Brindle dogs carry at least one Kbr gene & are always either ayay, or ayat at agouti. Brindled bodied dogs cannot have a Kb gene nor be atat.
DNA: bb Dd KbrN ayay, bb Dd KbrKbr ayay, bb DD KbrN ayat, bb DD KbrKbr ayat

Chocolate Merle Tri/Trindle

Chocolate Merle in any design. Patches, nose, footpads, & eyeliner is chocolate.
DNA: bb Dd Mm NN atat, bb Dd Mm KbrN atat, bb DD Mm NN atat, bb DD Mm KbrN atat

Chocolate Platinum
Chocolate Platinum Fawn

All White with none, or minimal body color (less than 10%), usually in spots on the face & tail.
DNA Chocolate: bb DD NN atat, bb DD KbrN atat
DNA Chocolate Fawn: bb Dd NN ayat, bb Dd KbrN ayat, bb DD NN ayat, bb DD KbrN ayat, bb Dd NN ayay, bb Dd KbrN ayay, bb DD NN ayay, bb DD KbrN ayay

Chocolate Fawn
Chocolate Fawn & White

Solid chocolate Fawn or chocolate Fawn & white in any design. Although hair is fawn, the nose, footads, & eyeliner is chocolate.
DNA: bb Dd NN ayat, Bb Dd NN ayay, bb DD NN ayat, bb DD NN ayay

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RARE COLOR SECTION 4: BLACK ENGLISH BULLDOGS
Genotype for Black Gene: [Kb] and/or [atat]

Overview: Black Bulldogs are the most common of the 4 Rare Colors in AKC English Bulldogs. The black should be shiny & look black against black objects or in the sun unless the seal gene is involved which can show a different color undertone to the black coat. These dogs may or may not have a fawn undercoat when the hair is rubbed backwards. The nose, footpads, & eyeliner are always a true black

Black & Tan/Trindle

Black & Tan/Trindle with minimal white only on the chest. Body is solid black.
DNA: Bb Dd NN atat, Bb Dd KN atat, BB DD NN atat, BB DD KN atat, Bb DD NN atat, BB Dd NN atat

Black Tri/Trindle

Black and white in any design with Tan/Trindle Points.
DNA: Bb Dd NN atat, Bb Dd KN atat, BB DD NN atat, BB DD KN atat, BB Dd NN atat, BB Dd KN atat, Bb DD NN atat, Bb DD KN atat

Black Seal

Black & White in any design.
DNA: Bb Dd KbN atat, Bb Dd KbN ayat, Bb Dd KbN ayay, Bb Dd KbKbr atat, Bb Dd KbKbr ayat, Bb Dd KbKbr ayay, BB DD KbN atat, BB DD KbN ayat, BB DD KbN ayay, BB DD KbKbr atat, BB DD KbKbr ayat, BB DD KbKbr ayay, Bb DD KbN atat, Bb DD KbN ayat, Bb DD KbN ayay, Bb DD KbKbr atat, Bb DD KbKbr ayat, Bb DD KbKbr ayay, BB Dd KbN atat, BB Dd KbN ayat, BB Dd KbN ayay, BB Dd KbKbr atat, BB Dd KbKbr ayat, BB D KbKbr ayay

Note: Black Seals can also have a Full Black & Tan Base, which means he is tan pointed. The points are there, but covered by the Seal [Kb] gene, which is higher on the heirarchy of genes.

Black Platinum

All White with none, or minimal body color (less than 10%), usually in spots on the face & tail.
DNA Black Platinum: Bb DD NN atat, Bb DD KbrN atat, Bb Dd NN atat, Bb Dd KbrN atat

Platinum Fawn

All White with none, or minimal body color (less than 10%), usually in spots on the face & tail.
DNA Platinum Fawn: Bb Dd NN ayat, Bb Dd KbrN ayat, Bb DD NN ayat, Bb DD KbrN ayat, Bb Dd NN ayay, Bb Dd KbrN ayay, Bb DD NN ayay, Bb DD KbrN ayay

Black Brindle

Black & Fawn Stripes with white markings in any design. Brindle dogs carry at least one Kbr gene & are always either ayay, or ayat at agouti. Brindled bodied dogs cannot have a Kb gene nor be atat.
DNA: Bb Dd KbrN ayay, Bb Dd KbrKbr ayay, BB DD KbrN ayat, BB DD KbrKbr ayat, Bb DD KbrN ayat, Bb DD KbrKbr ayat, BB Dd KbrN ayat, BB Dd KbrKbr ayat

Black Merle Tri/Trindle

Black Merle in any design. Patches, nose, footpads, & eyeliner is black.
DNA: Bb Dd Mm NN atat, Bb Dd Mm KbrN atat, BB Dd Mm NN atat, BB Dd Mm KbrN atat, Bb DD Mm NN atat, Bb DD Mm KbrN atat, BB DD Mm NN atat, BB DD Mm KbrN atat
Note: many people incorrectly call this color Blue Merle.

INFORMATION SECTION

More info on:
TAN POINTS, PLATINUM, FAWN VS. TRUE, BRINDLE & TRINDLE, SEAL, MERLE

There are at least nine different locations or loci on the chromosomes that have a combined effect to determine the color of a particular dog. At each locus, there can be found many variations or alleles that can be dominant or recessive in nature. Chromosomes come in pairs, so each dog has two different alleles at each locus on the chromosome pairs, and depending on the dominance of the alleles contained at the locus determines the color of the individual dog. The genetic material of the dog is inherited one half from the mother and one half from the father. The final characteristics of the offspring is determined by the new combination that results and the dominance, recessive nature, & heirarchy of the alleles that they inherit.

INFORMATION SECTION 1: TAN POINTS

As in all the Tri Colors (3 colors on the dog one of which is always the tan points), the tan points are typically on the eyebrows, cheeks, front shoulders (right above the chest area between the legs), around the tail, and partial on both front & back legs. Tan points will not show up if the dog is white where the points would normally be. Tan points can also be hidden by other genes, such as the SEAL gene, as it is higher on the heirarchy of genes. Tan points can bleed through on some dogs when only one [at] is present. It normally takes a double [atat] dog to show tan points. As of this writing, the geneticists do not know why this happens on some dogs with the same dna & not others.   It is my thinking that Sable EB’s that show tan points &/or have dark etching, DO carry one [at] & are ayat in their dna. A TRUE Fawn (red based dog) will not show sable hairs, tan points, or dark etching & will be ayay in their DNA. To back this up, we conducted a private study to back up our thinking.   DNA STUDY-ENGLISH BULLDOGS SABLE vs FAWN

INFORMATION SECTION 2: PLATINUM  

Platinum basically means an ALL WHITE Dog. Platinum is not a color, but is rather a lack of pigment. So you can technically have a genetic true color dog, such as a Dark Chocolate Tri who is ALL white! It has been accepted for years now, that dogs with spots of color that represent 10% or less of the total body color, may be designated Platinum. The preferred True Platinum has an all white coat

INFORMATION SECTION 3: FAWN & SABLE VS TRUE COLORS  

In Red/Yellow (Fawn) dogs, the hair is not affected by the 2 DILUTE genes [bb & dd]. The nose, footpads, & eyeliner is the only thing affected by these color genes. Therefore, you can have a dog with it’s original hair color, but with diluted pigment as noted. These dogs are correctly referred to as Lilac Fawn, Blue Fawn, & Chocolate Fawn. There is no Black Fawn, this is the same as the standard fawn/sable dog with a black nose.

For any color dog to be TRUE color rather than Fawn Color, it has to have a FULL Black Base or at least one dominant seal gene. The 2 black Bases are the SEAL gene [Kb] needing only one since it is a dominant gene, and the Black & Tan gene [atat]

INFORMATION SECTION 4: BRINDLE & TRINDLE  

The genes that cause dogs to be Brindle are not yet fully understood, even by the scientists themselves. What we do know so far is that one of the markers on the K gene, specifically Kbr, is responsible for the brindle color on the coat, whether it be a partial or full brindleing, such as the Tan Points being brindled, which is what we call Trindle. The agouti gene overides the brindle gene on the dogs body coat & makes it look solid color, except for any area where the dog is tan pointed or white.

The K gene is confusingly called Dominant Black, because this gene can produce brindle, & black (seal). ALL brindle dogs carry at least one K gene. Yes, it takes only one since it is a Dominant gene to show on the dog. The Merle gene is the same.

INFORMATION SECTION 5: SEAL 

The genes that cause dogs to be SEAL (black) are not yet fully understood, even by the scientists themselves. What we do know so far is that one of the markers on the K gene, specifically Kb, is responsible for the solid black color on the coat, which also covers any tan points on the dog. In connection with the other color genes, you can get Black Seal, Lilac Seal, Blue Seal, & Chocolate Seal. These dogs usually have another undertone color shining through the true color, which could confuse some in determing true color by site only. The seal gene tends to have a muddy affect on the color, but yet not taking out the shine to the coat. DNA UPDATE:
9-17-15 Update on the SEAL Gene: As per our experience breeding the SEAL gene, we have realized that a SEAL dog can carry Brindle on the same side of the gene as the Kb (seal). The SEAL (Kb) covers over the brindle (Kbr) and since there is still no way of testing this gene’s sequences, the only way to know for sure that your SEAL carries brindle or not is to breed with a non-brindle dog to see if you get brindle/trindle babies. Given enough babies you can pretty much determine if your dog is just Kb or Kb+Kbr. One of our Chocolate Seal girls had trindles in her first litter bred to a clear dog, we were surprised. Our Chocolate Seal Stud Gunner, however, evidently does not carry brindle. He has sired 4 litters with all clear dogs & has never thrown a brindle

INFORMATION SECTION 6: MERLE  

The Merle Gene dilutes random sections of hair to a lighter color which leaves Patches of the original color, sometimes these patches can be very small. If you start with a black dog and add the Merle Gene, you still have a black dog genetically, but with sections of the black diluted. Unlike the piebald pattern, these patches or sections may look jagged on the outer edges. Merle affects only the Eumelanin, and does not affect the Phaeomelanin (red/fawn) which will appear normal. This means you can have a merle dog & not see it visually. Merle affects only black based coat color. Eyes, and noses can also be merled.

Black Merle dogs are often called Blue Merle because the Merle gene dilutes patches of black to a grey color. Blue Merle on genetically Black Merle dogs is a widely used term, but is not correct. They should be called Black Merle, their nose, footpad, & eyeliner pigment is still black. If these dogs did not have the merle gene, they would be solid black. The term Blue merle, when used on black dogs is misleading because blue dogs should have the [dd] gene if they were truly blue. A black merle dog will never have the double [dd] gene, but the True Blue Merle dog would always be [dd]. It is the patches on the dog that will visually define the dogs color and what it should be appropriately called. This can be backed up with DNA testing. Thus in the True Blue Merle dog, the patches that are left would be True Blue and the sections that are diluted would be a much lighter color blue. This is the case in all the Rare Colors. The sections left on the lilac Merle dog are almost white, it is so light. Makes since when you think about it. There are 3 dilution genes at work in a Lilac Merle dog. Some of these colors will blend in with the diluted color so much, that DNA Color Testing may need to be done to be sure of the true color.

The Merle gene when doubled up, can cause health issues, mostly deafness & blindness. For this reason, two merles should never be bred together, as this could result in double Merle puppies with problems. These problems are virtually eliminated in single Merle gene dogs and the percentage of incidence is the same as in any breed, color, or pattern. Double Merle can be problematic because it can cause lack of pigment in certain vital areas, such as the eyes & inner ears. Single merle dogs have plenty of pigment because they still have a non-merle allel to make pigment. Double Merles often have large areas of white where there is no pigment produced.

In the hierarchy of genes, the Merle Gene overrides the Dominant Black(SEAL) gene, the Seal gene overrides the black & tan gene, so you can have a Black & Tan, Black Seal, Black Merle dog and would mainly see only the merle, but muted. It is very important to know the TRUE DNA of your dog if you plan to breed