Brindle? - Page 1

Is Brindle still in the gene pool? I saw on Facebook earlier someone selling Shepherd puppies, some of a liver color, some of a brindle looking color and stating that his are AKC. I thought I had read in times past that Brindle was not something you really see anymore among pure bred Shepherds. Thoughts?

The brindle color is coming through a dog not proven by DNA to be a GSD.

K9pines Fourth Generation Brindle Is Mozart

http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/german_shepherd_dog/dog.html?id=2569794-k9pines-fourth-generation-brindle-is-mozart

AKC Conditional Registration Certificate and Pedigree

http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/community.read?post=898955-akc-conditional-registration-certificate-and-pedigree

There is a breeder in MI that some people have gotten her pups (brindle) and DNA tested them to be pure GSD (at least within the last 4 gens).

Yes, AKC allows dogs even though they do not DNA back to their sire to be registered by adding the "Q" Conditional Registration to number. After 4 generations if the progeny is DNA'd the "Q" Conditional Registration is removed.

However, they can never be a Purebred GSD if there is a questionable dog in the background not proven by DNA to be a GSD. 

There IS history ...  the allele Little labelled e br  was present in the dogs which comprised the early manufacture of the GSD, and as such carried through, even though very, very rare.

"CH Donna v Allerheiligentor (b 1924) was brindle, as was her son Igor of Ceara        (b1927) - sired by CH Caro of Welham. The gene is almost lost from the breed (writing in 1991) but when present  causes a black striping effect on tan markings."      Dr M B Willis, "The German Shepherd Dog: A Genetic History of the Breed".

Hundmutter,  However, these brindle dogs that AKC allows to be registered today have unknown sires that was proven by DNA.  In 1924 the beginning of the breed of the GSD there was no DNA to prove one way or another.  Today with DNA if a sire is unknown there is no proof that dog is not of another breed. 

 

Granted, Heritage. But in the 'beginning of the breed' DNA would not have helped, had it existed; because before the Breed, there were just assorted Shepherd Dogs ... All I'm pointing out is that once the genetics are there, they can be re-kindled; it does not have to be a result of out-crossing.

So even if a sire is in doubt, or is thought to be of some other breed entirely, does not always mean that some different breed to the GSD is what has made Brindle appear / brought the Brindle back in. Might have encouraged it to express itself, but cannot necessarily be held entirely responsible.