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THE FOLLOWING GENETIC LEVEL COAT COLOR TESTING IS NOW AVAILABLE IN THE GREAT DANE:

(i) HOMOZYGOUS BLACK (i.e carrier status for fawn/brindle); (ii) BLACK vs. BlUE; (iii) BLACK vs. CHOCOLATE (brown), (iv) MASKING GENE (i. e. is a Dane homozygous for mask or not, or even lacking in mask); (v) PIEBALD & PIEBALD CARRIER ("excessive white", i.e. s^p) , (vi) MERLE (test is available to determine if a Dane has one, two or zero merle genes) & (vii) HARLEQUIN.
SOME EXAMPLES OF WHEN SPECIFIC BREEDERS MIGHT WANT TO COLOR TEST (note this list is NOT complete for all possible testing scenarios or every example where a breeder/owner might want to test their Dane(s) for color issues):

(1) OF CONCERN TO FAWN/BRINDLE BREEDERS: blue carrier? (Test for Black vs. Blue)

(2) OF CONCERN TO FAWN/BRINDLE BREEDERS: true for mask? (Test for Masking homozygosity)

(3) OF CONCERN TO BLACK/BLUE BREEDERS: fawn carrier? (Test for Black homozygosity)

(4) OF CONCERN TO BLACK BREEDERS: fawn and/or blue carrier? (Test for Black vs. Blue and/or Black homozygosity)

(5) OF CONCERN TO HARLEQUIN/MANTLE BREEDERS: fawn and/or blue carrier? (Test for Black vs. Blue and/or Black homozygosity)

(6) OF CONCERN TO HARLEQUIN/MANTLE BREEDERS: what is the genotype of this predominately white Dane? (Test for both merle and piebald)

PUNNETT SQUARES OF EXPECTED OUTCOMES IN BREEDING AOAC GREAT DANES ARE AVAILABLE HERE: http://www.chromadane.com/ColorPunnettSquaresDoc.htm

*NOTE THERE IS NO CURRENT TEST FOR FAWN vs. BRINDLE PATTERNS*
**NOTE THERE IS NO CURRRENT TEST FOR THE MANTLE PATTERN**
**FOR TESTING INFORMATION ON HARLEQUIN & MERLE, PLEASE CONTACT DR. LEIGH ANNE CLARK: lclark4@clemson.edu

PIEBALD GENE INFORMATION:
There is currently available a commercial test also for this recessive form of white spotting (called piebald or random white spotting). Nothing more than a simple buccal sample (cheek swab) is necessary. The piebald gene can produce a dog with extensive white markings (i.e. a white body), but dogs with the Mantle and even "mismarked black" pattern can be piebald carriers. Dogs with two copies of piebald can appear largely white and may suffer from deafness in conjunction with, or in complete exclusive to merle and harl gene (i.e. a predominately white Dane can have 0-1-2 piebald genes, 0-1-2 merle genes, and 0-1 harl genes). See the HEALTH GENE website for more information (ask for SINE MITF testing specifically): http://healthgene.com/canine/C128.asp

FOR INFORMATION ON THE RELATIONSHIP OF WHITE COAT & DEAFNESS: http://www.gdca.org/health/deafness.htm 

Only genetic level testing can completely confirm the phenotype of a dog.

CLICK ON THE BELOW LINK FOR HEALTH GENE FOR COAT COLOR TESTING FOR BLUE, BLACK, CHOCOLATE, MASK &/or PIEBALD: http://healthgene.com/canine/colortest.asp?breedid=31  

RELEVANT RESEARCH PAPERS LISTED BELOW:
FAWN MANUSCRIPT - PDF file
BLUE MANUSCRIPT- PDF FILE
MASK GENE MANUSCRIPT- PDF FILE

Merle PDF File

Harl1 PDF FILE

JP YOUSHA, CHM.
H&R COMMITTEE, GDCA
danehealth@gdca.org
================================

PAGE UPDATED 2009
 

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