the littlest hobo bloodlines?? - Page 6

I've always thought it referred to the eyebrow spots being light coloured instead of dark. I'd say those spaniels have 'raccoon' masks, not reverse masks.

I wonder if anyone can find an 'official' definition somewhere?

I'm not sure that reverse mask is a scientific term, so the confusion may lie there. The littlest Hobo dogs, to me, seem to be lacking a mask. Take a look at the chart here http://www.healthgene.com/coat-color-test-german-shepherd/

Molly, your link doesn't work for me when I cut and paste it.

To me, the mask refers to the markings around the eyes, and not just the muzzle. It's true that reverse masked dogs have very little black on the muzzle. The markings change with age, too. Here's a reverse mask Shiloh pup that is now almost completely white in the face:



And here are the Hobo dogs:



And here is the above puppy as an adult (and one of the best service dogs I've ever heard of!)



Here's a reverse masked GSD as a pup, and then an adult. The light eyebrow spots gives it away:

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/breed-standard/195787-what-reverse-mask.html#post2648339




 

Eyebrow markings are due to a different gene, as is the extension and expression of the mantle. If Lord is considered "reverse mask" then I don't see how the Hobo dogs can be "reverse mask" as well, and vice versa. I wonder if Lord carried for the E allele (lacking mask, so Em/E?) and the Hobo dogs perhaps had E/e? To look at the chart, click "learn more". Sorry, can't make the link work.

Molly, copy your link, then paste it in the box that opens up when you click on second icon to the left of the flag icon. That'll work for sure. I really would like to read that link.

I was on an iPhone, but this SHOULD work ;-)
http://www.healthgene.com/canine-dna-testing/color-testing/?tid=4&btid=66

Also, it took me a second to realize this when reading the chart, but when it says "sable" instead of "sable with mask" and "black-and-tan" instead of "black and tan with mask" under Main color, they are meaning that the lack of mask is being expressed in that particular dog ie you can tell that the dog is lacking a mask.

Thank you for that Molly and Jack, Some have already begun inserting similar Genotype nomenclature in pedigrees, like
ee or Ee or EE
But, It would be nice that a standard is set and everyone begins using the same terms for the same things so that we can all understand each other. I'll let the geneticist call it. Eventually a pedigree could tell you all the gene info for color and particular diseases.

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