More Info

Did you know?

Coat color dilution is caused by the clumping of pigment within the hair shaft. This results in sections of hair which are relatively transparent, giving the impression of a lighter color. Eye and nose color are also affected, with dilute dogs showing striking amber, blue-grey, or green-blue eyes. Although the Weimaraner is the best known for dilution, many breeds can display the trait.

How it works

To show coat color dilution, a dog must inherit two copies of a dilution variant, one from each parent. This can either be two copies of a particular variant, such as this one (d1) or two of any combination of dilution variants. This variant (d1) is the most common dilution variant in dogs. The test for d1 is a linkage test, that measures markers close to the d1 variant to determine the most likely d1 genotype. The test is 99.2% accurate based on a set of over 3000 breed and mixed breed dogs with a known d1 genotype.

Health implications

Some forms of dilution cause the dilute-colored hair shaft to be brittle, resulting in early breakage of the hair at or near the skin, which can cause skin irritation. White spotted portions of the coat are not affected. This condition is called color dilution alopecia. The genetic cause of this disorder currently remains unidentified.