Coat Color Genetics of Borzoi and Silken Windhounds

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Grizzle Variants

Grizzle, the eg allele, truly deserves its own section in a color break down because it has such a broad influence over other alleles. When combined with the K locus, it seems to lighten the eumelanin to a more silvery color. When combined with the A locus, it seems to restrict the expression of eumelanin markings. Interestingly, it also seems to lighten the intensity of Through coat color genotype testing in Borzoi, Silkens, Salukis, and Afghan Hounds, we have come to better understand the unique ways in which this allele can interact with other genes.
What we have concluded is that the phenotype of a homozygous eg hound depends entirely on what is happening on the K locus and A locus. If the dog is E/eg or Em/eg, then Grizzle will not affect the other loci, and the dog will not express any of the various grizzle looks below.

Classic Grizzle - Alternatively can be eg/e, which usually results in less coverage of the black hairs and a thinner widow’s peak. In this instance eg is modifying at/at, black and tan. The black markings recede a bit to create a widow's peak on the face, and a dark blanket of black covering the rest of the body. The black hairs are banded-- the tips are black while the roots are red. eg doesn't lighten eumelanin in this instance, but can lighten pheomelanin. A dog that would otherwise be a dark, rich, Irish Setter type red will typically lighten to tan, tans lighten to cream, and creams lighten to create what borzoi folk call "silver sable" (ahem, grizzle).

Classic Grizzle tests as: ky/ky eg/eg at/at or eg/e

Grizzle Brindle: Just like classic grizzle, but with the added bonus of brindle. Brindle markings are primarily visible in the tan markings, but interestingly, sometimes the tan markings extend up into the black markings as brindle stripes.

Grizzle brindle tests as KB/ky eg/eg at/at

As a reminder, brindle always tests as KB/ky. When writing out this genotype, it is best to use Kbr. On the E locus, it can also be eg/e.

Cream or Gold: In some breeds, the term “cream” is exclusive to recessive red, e/e, however, in borzoi and silkens we simply use it to describe a lighter intensity of red pigment. This genotype can also create other red intensities but most often we see the lighter end of the spectrum with cream and gold. When grizzle affects the Ay allele, it makes any black markings recede, similarly to how classic grizzle makes the at/at black markings recede. So much so that any remaining eumelanin is typically only visible on the ear tips, with a silvery look. Puppies with this genotype are often born with silvery markings that fade over time. This genotype can be hard to differentiate from recessive red, e/e, because there are sometimes no black hairs to be found, even on the whiskers. Note, this isn’t the only genotype for solid creams or lighter phæomelanin. Some sables without eg can be clear (ASIPdy) and have light phæomelanin, as well as the aforementioned recessive red.

Grizzle based creams test as ky/ky eg/eg Ay/-

Silver Brindle: When the A locus is sable (Ay) instead of black and tan (at/at), all eumelanin on the K locus becomes lightened. As such, the brindle stripes become a silver color. Because grizzle dilutes phæomelanin as well, the end result can sometimes look like a silver dog with slightly darker silver stripes. With darker phæomelanin, the dog might instead appear to have silver stripes on a more gold base. We call that gold brindle.

Silver Brindle tests as KB/ky eg/eg Ay/-

As a reminder, brindle always tests as KB/ky. When writing out this genotype, it is best to use Kbr. On the E locus, it can also be eg/e.

Silver: Also called Chinchilla in silken windhounds. Similar to silver brindle, but with dominant black on the K locus instead of brindle. Some silver dogs will look very black while others look like a much lighter silver color. The darkness of eumelanin seems to depend on how much shading is expressed from the Ay allele. Dogs that would otherwise be shaded sable (ASIPˢʸ) end up much darker silver. Clear sables (ASIPᵈʸ) end up being a much lighter silver color. In some cases, eg doesn’t lighten phæomelanin, and the dog will have an interesting look of a brick red smudged together with black.

Silver tests as KB/- eg/eg Ay/-
On the E locus, it can also be eg/e.

Black and Silver: Just like with Silver, eg dilutes eumelanin from the K locus but leaves eumelanin from the A locus mostly untouched. This genotype is almost identical to classic grizzle, save for the addition of dominant black (KB). Instead of modifying at/at to create a widow’s peak marking, dogs retain their at/at markings but with silver instead of tan. Sometimes varying degrees of phæomelanin remain on the legs. Interestingly enough, as dogs with this genotype grey with age, it appears to first affect the cheeks and pips, but then follows the classical grizzle pattern, eventually creating that widow’s peak.

Black and silver tests as: KB/- eg/eg at/at
On the E locus, it can also be eg/e