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This is Eddie, and she's a pit bull. At first glance, you may think she's liver, but in fact she's not! One of the dead giveaways is that he nose is not liver, but black. In fact, I think she's a "bad black," which has been mentioned in previous Guess the Genotypes. Bad black allows some of the red hidden beneath to show through. So, what's her genotype?
First, since there is red showing through the coat there can be some guesses made as to what genes she has at the Agouti locus. As I mentioned when I broke down Ebon's genotype, I suspect that the Agouti locus plays a major part of how much red peeks through. With Eddie, I suspect she is sable, which is why there is so much of a bronze tint to her coat. It is also possible that she carries tan point, as that coloration is known to occur in pits. I am going to say that she is AyAy sable.
As I previously mentioned, Eddie isn't liver, however it is very possible that she carries liver as the coloration is extremely common in the breed. As such, I suspect that she is Bb non-liver carrying liver.
As for the intensity of the red that is in her coat, it looks quite dark. This may simple be because of the black making it appear darker than it is, but I don't think so. I suspect that Eddie is CC deep red.
For the same reasons as liver, I also suspect that she carries the blue dilution as it is seen so often in pit bulls. This would make her Dd non-blue carrying blue.
Since Eddie is "bad black," this would make her genetically dominant black. Due to the appearance of the black on her face, I also suspect that she carries brindle. Again, brindle is quite common in pits. This would make her Kkbr bad black carrying brindle.
As for the white seen on this dog, Eddie is somewhere between residual white and Irish white. Due to the nature of the white spotting genes, in that the genes carried affect the amount of white on the dog to at least some extent, I suspect that she is Ssi solid carrying Irish white.
So, that would be AyAy Bb CC Dd Kkbr Ssi, or bad black with heavy residual white (carrying liver, blue, brindle, Irish white).
Looks like it. I know that it's the same as the seal in Italian greyhounds and several other breeds It's also called bronzing, and I'm sure there are some other names out there somewhere.
ReplyDeleteInteresting post - though I'm not a biologist and some of it went over my head!
ReplyDeleteEddie is my dog - We found her abandoned when she was bout 7 weeks old. I tell people she's a pit bull, and she looks like a pit bull. But I'm not sure she's 100% American Pit Bull. When she was younger, she looked more like a Boxer. She has long legs like a Boxer. I have considered using the DNA testing to learn more - just out of curiosity - but none that I have found even recognize American Pit Bull as a breed. Perhaps the stigma of the breed is something they want to avoid.
So I'm curious what features you look at to determine that she's a pit bull. And what other features we can look at to determine what other breeds she might have in her.
Well, first of all I would like to say that Eddie is a beautiful dog.
ReplyDeleteAs for whether she's a pit bull or not, it's a very good question. The term "pit bull" actually refers to a type rather than a specific breed. The heading of "pit bull" includes a number of breeds, including the American pit bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, and numerous others. This may be one reason why it's not included as a part of the DNA tests. Many would argue that pit bulls are only American pit bull terriers, but I disagree, instead including most of the "bull & terrier" descendent breeds. Though "pit bull" does refer to a type, that type does vary enough to be of note. Some dogs are rather squat and very muscular. Others are more lean and agile. Even within such breeds as the American pit bull terrier this variation can be easily noticed. It often depends on the breeder and their interpretation of what makes the perfect pit. In fact, the American bully to a very large extent came from the heavy, exaggerated end of the breed. Also, there are numerous breeders out there breeding pits purely for pets, often with no rhyme or reason as to why they pair two dogs together. Or the breeder may be selecting for traits that breed standards do not approve of. It is even very possible some other breeds get thrown in, like American bulldog, Dogo Argenito, Catahoula leopard dog, or any of numerous other breeds often mistaken for pits. These methods can all lead to dogs that look quite a bit different from what registries call "the perfect pit."
To my eyes, Eddie could very easily fit into Am. pit type. She reminds me quite a bit of this dog, though with a slightly different head, who I found while researching my answer. She was actually a National American Pit Bull Terrier Association award-winning brood bitch. Of course, I'm only looking at pictures, but Eddie seems to fit the standard rather well. Her head, her ears, her build and musculature, her angulation, and so on. I don't even think she's exceptionally leggy for an Am. pit. However, that doesn't rule out the possibility that she may be a mix. Indeed, some views of her actually remind me of a Staffordshire bull terrier, though it may just be the lighting. Finding out the truth of the ancestry may prove to be very difficult, though!
Thanks for all of that additional information! And yes, Eddie *is* beautiful! And a most lovable dog too! :)
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