Color and Pattern Descriptions
The Agouti gene is responsible for the production of the red coat color and the intensity of which it is expressed. In some forms, Red is incomplete dominant but it also can be recessive and be expressed in a variety of genotype code sequences. The nose, eye rim and paw pads are colored depending on their base genotype.
Stag Red and Red
Stag red, a form of sable using the genetic color code of Ay. It is expressed by covering the base color Red with darker intermingling hairs. If the base color is black then the hairs will be black. If the base color is brown, blue or fawn then the hairs will be base colored and labeled appropriately. Stag Red (black hairs), Chocolate Stag Red (brown hairs), Blue Stag Red (blue hairs) or Fawn (Isabella) Stag (fawn hairs).
At times a dogs coat will shown no darker intermingling hairs due to other gene factors and/or intensity genes. They are just RED and sometimes referred to as clear red. These dogs are labeled depending on the base colors they express in their nose, eye rim and paw pads. Black base = Red, Brown base = Red w/brown nose, Blue base = blue fawn, Fawn based = Tan.
Recessive Red
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- Recessive Red Tri w/ Brown Nose (genetically a Brown/Tan Tri)
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- Recessive Red Tri w/Black nose (genetically a black and tan brindle Tri)
Recessive red is a phenomenon that happens when a dog receives 2 copies of the recessive “e” allele (e/e). Recessive red can be produced from any color and their base color will only be shown in the nose, eye rim and paw pad color. Their coat color cant vary greatly and include orange, yellow, ivory, cream and nearly white. Recessive reds are referred to as clear reds and labeled according to their base color NOT their coat color. Black = Clear Red, Brown = Clear Red w/ brown nose, Blue = Blue fawn, fawn = Tan.
**The recessive red gene will hide all colors and patterns. Caution must be taken if a recessive red dog is kept in a Harlequin Pinscher breeding program. Genetic testing is a MUST to know if the dog is genetically a merle or not.
Black and Tan (or Rust)
The Extension (E-locus) gene and the Dominant Black (K-locus) is responsible for the production of black and the intensity of which it is expressed. Black is dominant in nature. The nose, eye rim and paw pads MUST be black colored in the Miniature Pinscher. ONLY if a dog is a Harlequin Pinscher and is also expressing the merle pattern can they can be mottled.
**ALL Miniature Pinschers that are Black and tan MUST have clearly defined tan or rust points. ONLY if a dog is a Harlequin Pinscher and is also expressing the brindle pattern can they be covered or undefined.
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- Black and Tan
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- Black and Rust Pup
Brown/Tan (or Rust)
The Brown (B-locus) gene is responsible for the brown and liver coat colors. Brown is recessive in nature and requires 2 copies of the gene to produce. The nose, eye rim and paw pads MUST be brown in the Miniature Pinscher. ONLY if a dog is a Harlequin Pinscher and is also expressing the merle pattern can they can be mottled.
**ALL Miniature Pinschers that are Brown and Tan MUST have clearly defined tan or rust points. ONLY if a dog is a Harlequin Pinscher and is also expressing the brindle pattern can they be covered or undefined.
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- Brown and Tan Pup expressing dark chocolate
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- Brwon and Tan adult expressing liver
Blue and Tan (or Rust), Fawn and Tan (or Rust), Blue Fawn (or Blue Stag Red) and Tan
The Dilute (D-locus) gene is responsible for the production of blue, fawn and tan (peachy) colored coats. The dilute gene is recessive in nature and 2 copies of the gene is required to produce. The color of a dogs coat is determined by their base color. Black Base = Blue, Brown Base = Fawn, Red Base = Fawn, Isabella or Tan, Stag Red Base = Blue Fawn or Blue Stag Red
The nose, eye rim and paw pads colors will be self colored depending on their coat color. Blue, Blue Fawn or Blue Stag Red = Blue (gray), Fawn, Isabella or Tan = Pink (light brown). They MUST be fully colored in the Miniature Pinscher. ONLY if a dog is a Harlequin Pinscher and is also expressing the merle pattern can they can be mottled.
**ALL Miniature Pinschers that are Blue and tan or Fawn and Tan MUST have clearly defined tan or rust points. ONLY if a dog is a Harlequin Pinscher and is also expressing the brindle pattern can they be covered or undefined. Blue Stag Red, Blue Fawn, Fawn (Isabella) or Tan colored dogs will NOT have points.
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- Blue and Tan
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- Blue Fawn
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- Fawn and Tan
Description of Patterns
Merle
The Merle (M-locus) gene is a modifying gene that is responsible for the production of the fascinating and beautiful splotched and patched pattern in a dogs coat. The merle gene is a IS NOT A COLOR gene. It is a incomplete dominant gene in nature and only requires 1 copy to produce. The gene must also be expressed by one parent as it is not a carrying type gene. EITHER A PUP IS A MERLE OR IT ISN’T. It can affect all coat colors but is especially visible in black, brown, blue or fawn base colored dogs. Red based colors are not affected by the gene like the other colors. They do not have as pretty of a pattern and some are very hard to see, even at birth.
**Extreme caution and responsibility should be taken if a red based merle dog is used in a Harlequin Pinscher Breeding program.
The merle gene DOES NOT change the DNA genotype of a dogs coat color. ONLY the lighter color seen in a merle dogs coat is the merle pattern. The larger (more pronounced) and darker splotches or patches with in the coat is what determines the base color of the dogs coat.
Black Splotches = Black/Tan Merle
Blue Splotches = Blue/Tan MerleBlue Fawn Merle or Blue Stag Red Merle
Brown Splotches = Brown/Tan Merle or Red Merle w/brown nose
Fawn Splotches = Fawn/Tan Merle,Fawn (Isabella) Merle or Tan (peachy) Merle.
**A merle dog should NOT be paired with another merle dog for any reason at all. IMO, it is totally unethical to do so as the results can potentially produce double merle offspring. Merle is a semi-lethal gene in DOUBLE form. Known as Double Merle. It can cause death in utero or shortly after birth. If a pup survives, they can potentially have long term health issues, be deaf and/or blind.
**The merle gene is safe to pair with all colors,the Brindle pattern and the Piebald Pattern.
Brindle
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- Black and Rust Brindle
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- Black and Tan Brindle
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- Black and Tan Brindle
Brindle is a allele that presents itself on the Dominant Black (K-locus) gene. Not much is know about the way the allele works. We do know that it is incomplete dominant in the Harlequin Pinscher as one copy of the gene must be expressed in order to produce brindle patterned offspring. We have only found that Recessive Red (e/e) colored dogs can carry the brindle gene, not express it in their coat and produce brindle offspring.
Brindle presents itself in a dogs coat by giving the coat a striped appearance. Brindle only affects the color red which includes ALL of the red based colored dogs and Tan (or Rust) Points!!
The intensity of the brindle gene varies and with dogs that have tan points it can appear as light as a single smudge spot in a tan point or as dark as covering the whole tan point making it early invisible. In red based colored dogs, the brindle gene can be one tiny spot or nearly the whole dog!
The color of the brindle pattern is determined by the color of the dogs coat.
Black/Tan or Stag Red = Brindle will be Black
Blue, Blue Stag Red or Blue Fawn = Brindle will be Blue (gray)
Brown/Tan, Chocolate Stag Red or Red w/Brown Nose = Brindle will be Brown
Fawn/Tan, Fawn (Isabella) or Tan (peachy) = Brindle will be Fawn
**The brindle pattern is safe to pair with all colors, its self, the brindle pattern and the merle pattern.
Piebald, Tuxedo and Tri
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- Black and Tan Piebald with Ticking
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- Brown and Tan Piebald with Ticking
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- Black and Tan Merle Piebald
Piebald is an allele of the spotting gene ( S-locus) and is responsible for the Piebald, Tuxedo and Tri patterns in the Harlequin Pinscher. It is recessive in nature with incomplete dominance properties, it can be carried and it take 2 copies of the gene to produce a piebald offspring. The piebald gene can affect all colors and other patterns. It is safe to pair the piebald pattern with itself, the brindle gene and the merle gene.
**Caution does need to be taken when pairing 2 piebald patterned dogs as the piebald gene is not 100% understood. It is in the best interest of the Harlequin Pinscher breed that breeders do not use any dog in a breeding program that expresses a large amount of white on his/her head (more than 50%). There is a potential chance of producing “extreme white” offspring whereas they could potentially be deaf and/or blind.
The Tuxedo and Tri patterns are lower forms of the piebald gene. Only 1 copy of the piebald gene is needed for these patterns to be expressed in a dogs coat. The distinguishing factor between the 2 patterns is the amount of white expressed in a dogs coat.
The Tuxedo pattern gives the dog an appearance of wearing a Tuxedo when stood on their back legs. They have a moderate amount of white on the chest that extends to the navel area, white on the throat/chin area, a white blaze on the forehead and/or on the muzzle and sometimes a white collar around the neck. The amount of white can vary and no 2 Tuxedo patterned dogs are exactly the same.
The Tri pattern can sometimes be confused with the Irish spotting gene as their is typically minimal amounts of white in the dogs coat. It is also known as the mismarking gene. Small amounts of white is usually seen on the dogs toes, chest and chin. Sometime a small amount maybe seen on the throat, muzzle and forehead.
**Mismarked Tris have the same skin color under the white hair as in other areas where-as Piebald genetic Tris will have white skin under the white hair.
**I personally do not label a pup as Tri patterned unless I know that genetically they do carry the piebald gene and they do have a good amount of white on their chest, and toes. I wouldn’t label a pup as Tuxedo patterned unless I know that genetically they carry the piebald gene and they do have a moderate amount of white as described above.
Tweed
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- Brown and Tan Merle Tweed
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- Blue and Tan Merle Tweed
Tweed is a modification allele of the Merle gene. It is a modifier that turns the merle pattern of a dogs coat into a varying shades of color. The modifier is usually inherited along with the merle gene but it is located on its own loci and can be carried by non patterned dogs.
Ticking
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- Black and Tan Piebald with Ticking
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- Brown and Tan Piebald with Ticking