More Info

Did you know?

This MC1R variant has its effect at the level of the hair follicle by coding for an altered receptor, so all hair pigment defaults to a shade of red, even whiskers! A dog with any black or brown hairs on its body is not a recessive red dog. Many breeds that appear white, but have normally colored eyes, nose, and paw pads, such as Poodles and Maltese, are actually recessive red dogs.

How it works

To show a solid red coat, a dog must inherit two copies of a Recessive Red variant, one from each parent. This can either be two copies of a particular variant, such as this one (e3) or two of any combination of recessive red variants. This variant is rare, and found primarily in Siberian Huskies and their mixes. Recessive red coats will appear white, cream, yellow or red, although there are other variants that can result in a similar appearance. The amount of red pigment in the coat, called the intensity, is governed by other genes.

Health implications

In humans and mice, a similar MC1R receptor variant produces red or ginger hair color, and has been shown to influence pain sensitivity and medication response. Early data suggests it may play a role in pain sensitivity in dogs as well, but more research is needed.