E extension  ee Red ( genetic code ee ) The Masking Gene

Genetically, an e/e red dog can be either black, diluted black
("blue or slate"), brown, or diluted brown (" lilac"). The best
way to tell the genetic color of the dog is to look at the nose.

If the nose, eye rims & lips are:

		black, the dog is genetically a black dog
		brown, the dog is genetically a brown dog
		diluted black (blue/slate), then dog is genetically a blue dog
		rosey-brown or a brownish pink ( lilac), the dog is genetically a lilac dog

  The puppy shown, Glory, below is 3 weeks old in the photo on the left. You can see the spots of pigment color coming in on her nose. The nose color is chocolate, proof she is  actually a chocolate whose true color is affected  or masked by the ee red gene. In the right photo, you can see more of the brown coming on on her nose and yes, she has two sky blue eyes. She was 7 weeks old in the right side photo. The bottom photo of her is taken at 12 weeks of age, ( her ears had been glued). Notice how her nose pigment is filling in.

Her parents: the sire is a chocolate merle/white carrying ee red and tan point. The dam is a black saddleback carrying chocolate, ee red, blue and tan point.

 The ee reds shown below is a black ( BB ), again notice the eye pigment. Both dogs have been affected by the ee masking gene which blocks the eumelanin in the coat color. Without the eumelanin no matter what color the dog actually is it will appear to a shade from a deep ginger to a light biscuit. The nose color will develop into the dudley nose that fades or washes out over time. More about nose color on that page. Eye color can be most colors since an ee red dog can be any color genetically.

The ee red merle, ( yes, she's a merle ), shown below is yet a lighter shade of ee red due to the merle which is also a dilution gene. Her nose is black as you can see her in the other picture of her as a young pup. The ee red doesn't allow the merle pattern to be seen even though it is there. The ee red will not allow tan points to show either.

The pup shown in the picture below is actually a blue as proven by his blue colored nose leather. His sire is a ee red, genetically black carrying the blue gene. His dam is a blue/white carrying the ee red gene. He looks strange indeed! What's odd, is he was the darkest gold colored pup in the litter, even though the others were black ee reds! If any one has pups that they have produced in the color, please contact us! The second line of 3 photos were taken when he was 11 weeks old, ( his ears were glued ). See the litter picture. Breeder: Visions Border Collies - Texas USA

Please click on the thumbnail pictures to enlarge

This is his litter below. He's the gold pup on the right of the two gold boys.

This lovely ee red & blue bitch is named Nice Of You To Come Bye Red Rose, call name Rosie is owned by Bordermania in Hungary. Judit sent the photos below.

Below,  Spinna, a darker shade of ee red.

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