Dapple or Double Dapple?

[Lexi'sMom]

I'm not a breeder and I did not bring my Lexi into my life just because of her good looks. At 9-months old, she's a handful and a commitment I made sure I was ready for, first. I did read up on dappling in doxies and I am 99% positive that Lexi is a (surprisingly) healthy double dapple. I need to be sure so I can change her AKC registration. I'm sure that the breeder was even unaware of this when I came to get her at 10 weeks old. I'm far from an expert but I'd love to hear from anyone knowledgeable on the subject. For the record - Lexi was spayed at 16 weeks and going to live a spoiled, happy life without heats and babies with me...

 

[sherlock]

Is that Lexi in your avatar? If so, she looks like a single dapple. I thought the same thing about Watson because both of his parents are dapple, so I thought that made him a double. The problem is when they get the dapple gene from both parents (so the parent genes would be Dd. If the puppy gets DD (or dd, I don't know which is considered dominant/recessive), they would be double, but many pups will just end up Dd as well - single dapple.) Double dapples will have large areas of white on their bodies, and will often have blue eyes, and they can sometimes be deaf or blind.

Just based on what I can see in the photo, though, she looks like a single dapple girl that just has lots of silver dappling.

Do you know anything about her parents and if they were both dapples?

 

[Lexi'sMom]

Double Dapple Reply

Lexi has one blue eye and her brown eye has blue flecks in it. She also has patches of white on her back feet and chest, along with isabella/chocolate dappling on her head and ears in combination with the black/silver dapple. The image of her in my avatar doesn't do her justice... Both parents were dapples...

 

[Penny]

If all the white she has is on her back feet and chest, she is not a double dapple.
Sometimes solid colored dogs that carry the pie gene show a bit of white just like that.

 

[DeafDogs]

OK, so for her to be double, both of her parents MUST be dapple. Dapple is a dominant gene, that will show if the dog has it. So in the case of a single (Mm) dapple breeding to another Mm dog, you will get 1/4 solid puppies (mm), 1/2 single dapple puppies (Mm), and 1/4 double dapple puppies (MM)... remember the Punnet square?

The parti coloured eyes are due to the dapple gene, and is not indicative of being double dapple, singles often have blue, bi-coloured, or parti coloured eyes.

And, as Penny said, The small areas of white is also not indicative of being a double. it often happens with solid coloured dogs.

And, FYI Doubles are just as healthy as any other colour, Deafness and blindness are minor disabilities, not illness . Both of my Doubles are deaf, and both have varying degrees of vision impairment, but are as healthy as any other dog (and as trainable )

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTFOg-StNjY]Some of Mouse's Tricks - YouTube[/ame]

 

[DeafDogs]

oh, and she cannot be both an isabella dapple, and a black and tan (silver) dapple. If her nose is black, and she has black spots on her body, than she is a Black and Tan (silver) Dapple. Dapple is only a pattern, remember, not a colour. Genetically, your dog is Black and Tan, she just has a dilution gene causing the grey colour pattern.

BTW, people often call it Silver Dapple, but the true name is Black and Tan Dapple. Mouse is a Black and Tan Double Dapple... I have no idea what Boo is, because although he has a black nose, his spots are dark brown, chocolate brown, caramel, and a very pale yellow... yes, he looks black in the pics, btu I cant ever get the contrast right to show his true colours in a photo. Dapples are only supposed to have 2 colours, but Boo has 4 (not including the white) His registration papers call him a Chocolate pie, but that is waaayyyy off! His black nose means he can't be chocolate, his lack of any black or grey in his coat mean he cannot be a black and tan, and his deafness, vision impairment, and irregular coat pattern mean he is a double dapple... but I have no idea what he actually is, colour-wise

 

[Lexi'sMom]

I knew that genetics can play funny tricks but after reading everyone's responses, my head is swimming. Lexi is registered as black and tan dapple with the AKC. I kid you not, though, she has the prettiest chocolate (light and dark) and the prettiest blue eye I've ever seen. Single dapple or double, I love her more than anything. I'm so grateful to everyone who posted and has made me feel so welcome.

 

[DeafDogs]

There are weird dilution spots that can sometimes happen in dapples, just to confuse you. Mouse has a brown ear, even though she's a Black and Tan Double Dapple... So weird colours sometimes happen, but I think your breeder correctly registered her

 

[Doxmom]

Sara~

Mouse is incredible and inspirational and so are you!!!

That video was fantastic. My faves? Pray and Get in the Laptop Case...Just great and proves your point perfectly! Disabilities don't stop Mouse!

 

[DeafDogs]

Thank you Doxmom. Mouse is a very special girl, but she's not one in a million. Any deaf dog can learn to do what she does, if they're motivated properly

 

[babysis]

I did not know there was such a thing as a double dapple until I read this! Such excellent information of the types of dapple...thank you for sharing!

Lexi looks like a black and tan dapple. And genetics do play weird in them. My AKC papers for my girl Baby say she is a silver dapple...which I have never heard of until I read that. She's black, tan, and silver but has a brown streak on her nose. And her right eye is brown with blue and white in it and her left eye is brown with specs of blue in it. It's crazy..I try not to think of it because I get confused and start scratching my head going "huh?!?!"

 

[DeafDogs]

I did not know there was such a thing as a double dapple until I read this! Such excellent information of the types of dapple...thank you for sharing!

Lexi looks like a black and tan dapple. And genetics do play weird in them. My AKC papers for my girl Baby say she is a silver dapple...which I have never heard of until I read that. She's black, tan, and silver but has a brown streak on her nose. And her right eye is brown with blue and white in it and her left eye is brown with specs of blue in it. It's crazy..I try not to think of it because I get confused and start scratching my head going "huh?!?!"

She sounds like a typical Black and Tan (silver) Dapple.

Because of the way the dilution gene works that causes the light colour it can often affect they eye colour as well. The dilution gene is completely random, and works on solid colours. The gene never works on the tan furnishings though, unless the dog is a double, then the white can be over the tan markings, as in Mouse's case. When the double genes are affecting the eyes, and the inner ears, is when you get deafness and eye defects.

 

[Steph]

Just to add more confusion to the mix, lol...there is something called an "x-factor" meaning that it adds a streak or a patch of white hair usually on the chest of the dog. Also, there is some thought that the Harlequin gene (like in Great Danes) can play funny tricks with the dapples as well making white patches on them just to confuse a person. There is a specific line of dapples that throws these wild looking ones. They are crazy beautiful, but to actually know if it is the harlequin gene that causes them to look this way is going to take more research.

 

[DeafDogs]

Just to add more confusion to the mix, lol...there is something called an "x-factor" meaning that it adds a streak or a patch of white hair usually on the chest of the dog. Also, there is some thought that the Harlequin gene (like in Great Danes) can play funny tricks with the dapples as well making white patches on them just to confuse a person. There is a specific line of dapples that throws these wild looking ones. They are crazy beautiful, but to actually know if it is the harlequin gene that causes them to look this way is going to take more research.

Yes, we are thinking that Boo's colours might be due to a harle gene, his colour sure is weird, and absolutely NO one I've talked to (including some people very well educated in merle genetics) can figure out what the heck he actually is. There's some thought that he may be a "tweed" (Aussie Shepherd term for merles with more 3 or more colours) as well. basically, no one can figure out what he is