Border Collie Color Classification and Genetics Notes

I. Preface

I am neither a professional certified kennel nor do I have experience raising Border Collies at home. Given that my first Samoyed, after 8 months of attempted feeding, grew into a non-ideal build and appearance, by comparison the Border Collie's balanced looks and top-ranked intelligence make it hard not to "favor the new over the old." The worst thing in pet-raising is giving up halfway—this is true both for the owner's sense of responsibility and for the pet's own experience, with a very negative impact on both. So, before getting one, it is essential to do the homework—understanding the breed's general characteristics, build, and habits. This also helps avoid being deceived by disreputable sellers due to lack of experience and knowledge when buying a puppy. In this age of universal internet, the information you want is everywhere, and human knowledge has shifted from individual memorization to fast lookup and learning. Therefore, gathering and integrating information is especially important. The knowledge points and images in this article may have been reposted from certain forums or * bars; if there are any copyright concerns, please contact me for modification or removal.

2. Color Category Display

Image reposted from Goumin.com: 《【Scenic Beauty】Foreign Adult Border Collie Colors (12 Types)》. Please notify me if there is any infringement.

1. Yellow & White

   

2. Black & White

   

3. Brown

   

4. Blue & White (dilute of black & white)

   

5. Lilac (dilute of brown)

   

6. Merle (red merle, brown merle, blue merle, lilac merle, marble merle / black-and-white merle / dapple / harlequin, tri-merle)

   

7. Tri-color (light sable, dark sable, saddle, black-and-white tri, brown tri, blue tri, lilac tri, various merle tris)

   

III. Genetic Composition Corresponding to Each Color

All canine animals with 39 chromosome pairs have only two base colors: true black (E) and true red (e). When the recessive gene ee is expressed, a Border Collie shows as yellow-white, which in terms of color depth can be divided into gold, yellow, cream, golden-red, etc. Since the true red (e) gene only affects the animal's coat, yellow-white Border Collies may have other-colored noses and pupils. Combined with the text below, one can deduce what kind of gene that co-expresses with the true black (E) gene this yellow Border Collie carries. Border Collies with the true black (E) gene interact with several other color-controlling genes.

• Black-and-white (Bb BB) / Brown (bb)
• Merle (Mm MM) / Non-merle (mm)
• Blue-and-white (dd) / Non-blue-and-white (Dd DD)
• Tri-color (aa) / Non-tri-color (Aa AA)

According to mathematical calculations, these four genes can combine to produce 222*2=16 colors besides yellow and white (B-dd: blue; bb-dd: lilac; aa expression is yellow distributed on the eyebrows, cheeks, abdomen, butt, and the edges of the legs, along with amber pupils, commonly known as tricolor).

1. BB/Bb MM/Mm dd aa*

   Blue merle tri-color

2. BB/Bb MM/Mm dd AA/Aa

   Blue merle

3. BB/Bb MM/Mm DD/Dd aa*

   Black-and-white merle tri-color

4. BB/Bb MM/Mm DD/Dd AA/Aa

   Black-and-white merle

5. BB/Bb mm dd aa*

   Blue-white tri-color

6. BB/Bb mm dd AA/Aa

   Blue & white

7. BB/Bb mm DD/Dd aa*

   Black-and-white tri-color

8. BB/Bb mm DD/Dd AA/Aa

   Black & white

9. bb MM/Mm dd aa*

   Lilac merle tri-color

10. bb MM/Mm dd AA/Aa

    Lilac merle

11. bb MM/Mm DD/Dd aa*

    Red merle tri-color

12. bb MM/Mm DD/Dd AA/Aa

    Red merle

13. bb mm dd aa*

    Lilac tri-color

14. bb mm dd AA/Aa

    Lilac

15. bb mm DD/Dd aa*

    Brown tri-color

16. bb mm DD/Dd AA/Aa

    Brown

For the gene content, the reference is from the China Border Collie Club, "Border Collies Have Only Two Colors—A Complete Guide to Border Collie Color Genetics". If there is any infringement, please let us know.