color genetics - Page 2

I have found the sables "ususually" dominate.  

Sable (genetically agouti) is a dominant gene, so even if a dog only has one sable gene, it will always appear sable.

There are homozygous and heterozygous sables.  Homozygous sables have two copies of the sable gene and can ONLY produce sable.  Heterozygous sables have one sable gene and carry for another color (say,black).

If you breed a homozygous sable to a Black and Tan (for example), you will get all sables, as the sable parent cannot produce any other color and sable is dominant to all colors in our breed.  That said, the puppies would be heterozygous sable, as each parent contributes a color gene, and would carry for black and tan.

Thanks, everyone, I get it now......but just the simple stuff .

Good post and explanation Xeph. The grandfather of my pups is a homozygous sable--both parents were sable--we bred him to a blk/tan and all we got was varying sable colors. And Kitkat I find that sable is dominant too. In fact someone once told me if you weren't careful you could start with one sable and end up with a yardful LOL. I bred my sable girl to a black this time and all I expect is sables and blacks.

The one thing I myself woiuld not want to breed 2 sables together because of the fact it could produce homoz (as I shorten it) sables. Oh I know there are people who say it is very rare and on and on. But I believe it can be very common as many sables bred to sables in the working lines. Sometimes--to me anyway--that the sables are a whole nother thing. I personally like the sables and prefer them color wise and plan to always have one.

I bred a sable female (both parents sable...both carried black) to a black/tan male.  10 pups...........all sable.  I never thought of her of only producing sable as I know both parents had produced black and her sire had produced black/tan.  I may be looking at a homozygous sable.  I was hoping for a black/tan female to keep back at some point and that just may not happen.  Time will tell of course.

Jill

Jill it is v ery possible. My old dog carried black also and he had 2 littermates that were bi colored--also his g-mother is a bi. So I was just sure................So much for sureness LOL................The dog I bred now is a dark dark sable and bred to a black. He is out of blk/tan parents and her g-mother is a blanket blk/tan but I really only look for blacks and sables. A bi color is possible--at one time I had thought it would be nice to have a dark blk/tan to keep back but knowing what I know it's highly doubtful.................