#doggenetics

The importance of functional fur

If your dog has double coated fur, like most breeds, then it is super important that their fur is functional. So what makes a coat functional?

Your dog should naturally shed its undercoat when the temperature rises so that its fur can circulate more cool air to help it cool down on hot summer days and dry off quickly. When the temperature drops, it should start setting a thick undercoat to help insulate the dog and keep it warm during the cold winter days.  The guard hairs are meant to be coarse enough to keep debris out of the fur and protect against wind, rain and sun.

If I had to live out in the wild, I would survive. My coat would protect me. It would keep me from getting cold, it would keep me from overheating and from being weighed down by muck and debris. It won’t tangle and knot or grow wildly, stopping me from hunting or looking for shelter. How would your dog do?

So how do we make sure dogs have functional fur? First off - it’s a matter of genetics! If you breed for a functional coat, you get a functional coat. A dog that struggles from heat will have puppies that struggle from heat. A dog that has fur that constantly tangles and needs to be brushed will have puppies who will also need to be brushed. A dog whose fur soaks up water and takes ages to dry will have puppies that take ages to dry. A dog whose fur collects twigs, sticks and debris will have puppies that do the same. 

You have to ask yourself - is it fair to the dogs? 

Does my desire for fluffy fur rank above their right to a coat that makes their lives more comfortable?

Alright, this is the first of a series of posts on dog genetics! Hurrah! I don’t expect many people to see this.

So, first of all, dilution is on the D locus. Non-dilute is dominant, so a dog must be dd to be dilute. A DD or Dd dog will not be dilute. Isabella is dilute liver, and blue is dilute black.

It is impossible for a blue or isabella dog to have black or liver in its coat. A merle dog that is black or liver will have patches of blue or isabella, depending it’s base colour.

Dilution affects eumelanin, which is black or liver. There are some dogs that are dd and will not be blue or isabella. A sable or recessive red dog will not be, but will still be able to be identified as dilute by their nose colour.

Contrary to some’s beliefs, the majority of diluted dogs will be just as healthy as non-diluted dogs. This is most likely because of a condition known as Colour Dilution Alopecia, which is the result of dl, a faulty version of the d allele. Not every dog breed even carries dl.

I can be found on dynastydog.com, which is a wonderful website focused around dog breeding, and is a nice refresher from a lot of dog sims.

Want to know more about your dog’s genetics? For curious cats – or in this case, dogs – dog DNA kits make an awesome investment.