Quote:
If it is so, and you believe that Art makes the puppies long-haired, then you probably should stop using him as stud.
It is a pity, because visibly there is nothing wrong with the dog, but the long-haired puppies are definatelly non-standard.
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Hi Mirka,
It is true that Art carries the gene for long hair, but the females must carry the gene to, in that case. (otherwise there couldn't be puppy's with long hair.
Example (but it isn't as simple as this):
Gene for NORMAL hair is dominant (we use a big letter for it: H)
Gene for LONG hair is recessive (small letter: h)
(I use the letter h of 'hair'. You can use other letters to...)
Art has genotype Hh and the females he has had puppies with also. Then we can make combinations of genes given to the puppies:
Art can give his 'bad' gene (h) to the pup or his normal gene (H) and the female does that also.
H h
H HH Hh
h Hh hh
1/4 of the puppies from the litter will have (theoretically!) genotype HH, so perfectly normal coat. 2/4 will carry the gene for long hair, but will also have a normal coat, because H is dominant over h. 1/4 will have long hair (genotype hh).
If it would be so that only Art carries the gene for long hair (Hh) and the females not (HH), long-haired puppies are impossible:
H H
H HH HH
h Hh Hh
All the puppies of this litter would have normal coat, but 2/4 carries the gene for long hair (and can pass it on to his/her offsprings).
=> All this is true if the gene for long hair is just a recessive gene.
But it possible that there are 'modifying genes' who have an effect on the gene that causes long hair. A modifying gene can stop the gene for long hair from functioning well. It's the same as with the mask of wolfdogs. You have dogs with are very good mask and dogs without a mask. But they all have the same genotype that says: you will have a mask! But modifying genes have an effect on the functioning of that gene. So sometimes it makes the gene work better and sometimes it can almost stop the gene from functioning (Blackmouth).
According me (but who am I??
), the gene for long hair is also influenced by modifying genes. So when a dog gets the gene from one of his parents => no problem. We a pup gets 2 genes for long hair from it's parents => problem; long hair. But how long the hair is, is influenced by modifying genes. Sometimes the modifying genes will have the effect that the hair just looks a bit wealthier (thick, nice fur; maybe like the 2 examples gives from a litter of Art => can be caused by gene of long hair too, but modified in a way that it doesn't look like long hair). I'm just thinking out loud, I'm nothing saying that all this is true! I'm just searching an explanation (like of you do), and I'm trying to use the concepts I know...
I'm sure it works that way with the mask, but I don't know if this is working for the coat to... I will try to search more information about this, but I haven't got much time these days.
Greetings,
Liesbeth