Time to paws-four score and... this is a long one....

Alrighty now, here comes the most delicate discussion today. And so funny, it's a debate on a cosmetic item, not structural.

Color. There I said it. Color. Our breed is blessed with a wide variety of colors. Brindles in all shades from black to chocolate, to red and some so light in color that it's almost impossible to see their stripes. Then there's the reds and sables. I lump those two together because we usually have an issue with what really is a sable and what isn't. Then the black and whites. And last but not least, the blues. Oh the blues.

Standard: All shades of red, sable and brindle. Black with or without tan or brindle points. Blue merle(black and gray; marbled) with or without tan or brindle points. There is no color preference. White flashings are usual on the neck (either in part or as a collar), chest, legs, muzzle, underparts, tips of tail and as a blaze on head. White on the head should not predominate and should never surround the eyes. Any color other than specified and/or body color predominately white are disqualifications.

Let's stick with the actual color of the dog today and I'll dance the fine line of white markings and points next post. That's if I survive the slaughter of this one.

First on inheritance, there is so much to go into on this that I will refer to some great posts on Showcardi-L if you want more information. Also, Phi-Vestavia has an awesome article that I send all newbies to. Here's the link for that: http://www.phi-vestavia.com/cardigan_colors.htm

Now to the nitty gritty that I know we all want to discuss--the actual colors in our breed, and why we only allow what we do.

History, in almost any breed, will tell you that in it's beginning, color was not a prerequisite for a working dog. They just basically had to do what they were being bred to do. Preferences then came into play as the farmers or hunters wanted to make their dogs unique amongst the pack. In cardigans we need to look back at the history of the breed first to see what was put in the mixing bowl to create the dogs we love today.

I'm going to rely on the CWCCA for most of the history part with other information I have gleaned over the years from various people and books.

The Cardigan descends from the Teckel family of dogs-those are dogs similar to the dachshund. There is also, due to the dwarf stature of our breed, some inclination that they are also related to the bassets, PBGV's and like breeds in France. The theory is that a relation to our cardigans, was around during the viking invasion, where the Spitz type dogs were introduced, leading to the creation of the Pemborke Welsh Corgi. The Cardigans remained unchanged.

During the time that followed, the Bronant Corgi-the original corgi, was bred with the brindle heeler. The colors prior to that were in the reds and sables, so now we add in the brindle. Okay, so where does the blue come from??? I can't seem to find a definitive answer to that, though I can theorize that if the relationship to the Teckel dogs is correct, that the merling pattern may have from come that direction,. ie the merled dachies we see today.

I know, I know, I'm beating around the bush here, but having laid the foundation that real working dogs centuries ago didn't rely on color to work, then why is it such a big deal today? Because we now show dogs and they now have to conform to a standard, aka a cookie cutter form in order to evaluated fairly. Fair is far from the truth these days as I could wander off into the whole style, type and pretty vs working and correctness for the job debate, but I won't. I know that you really want me to voice my opinion on the whole correct color debate, ie, the any color is a good color in a cardigan. So here it goes.

Because I belong to the CWCCA, I have to abide by the Code of Ethics, which means that the written standard is the one that I have to follow. There are only five accepted colors and only certain combinations that I am allowed to breed. Black and whites can be bred to any color. Blue merles can only be bred to black and whites, any other color-red, sable, brindle, can be bred to any color other then blue merles. I don't agree that that is the correct way to do it as many other combinations of the right genetic material can be bred to create a far superior dog, but I wont' cross that line. I might also add that it is well known fact that many of the corrections in the standard over time have been made due to dogs of unusual color or markings, doing so well in the ring. Not because of their color, but because the judge overlooked it and went for the most structurally correct dog. This in turn outraged many who then lobbied for change and won it. Change which was nothing more then a political move.

Having been involved in an other breed that also includes blue merles in it's color palate, I can, with first hand knowledge, tell you what can happen with so called "off color" breedings. Blue merles when bred to blue merles can create what are called double dilutes-dogs which carry both the merle genes. In the collie breed, this can spell disaster. DD's can carry multiple health risks such as blindness, deafness, other physical defects. What this comes down to is an ethical debate, not so much a color debate. Do you risk that health and well being of untold # of puppies in a blue/blue breeding, in order to maybe get a far superior puppy? Are you willing to cull that defective puppy or are you willing to keep it for it's life or place in the appropriate home, so that it will live a long and fulfilling life?

DD's health issues are limited to that dog. Unless it is rebred to another blue, there is no chance of it passing on it's defects to another generation. That is the limiting factor which is a good factor. But again, are you responsible enough to be ethical about the treatment of those puppies you produced. Just culling them to me is totally unethical, because as a responsible breeder, you place the health and well being of those dogs ahead of your own personal gain.

Okay, lets now talk about the other off color breedings and the effects. Merles to any other color. Again, I agree that there is no bad colored cardigans. A ginger, sable or brindle merle dog can do the job just as well as the red or black and white. One of my concerns in a health related issue and it's about pigment. Other breeds do allow the chocolate or brown pigment-dobermans, dachies, aussies, etc. No issues there. What I do have an issue with is that the lightness of the pigment can drastically change as generations progress to the point of having not brown or chocolate noses but in the case of the labradors, pink! If many of you remember, years ago the lab breeders were breeding chocolate to chocolate or to yellows in ever increasing rates, to get that "white or cream" lab. The lighter the better. What they lost was their pigment and in turn ended up with dogs with pink noses. Dogs with lighter coloring around their eyes, mouth and nose are at higher risk of cancers and other aliments, then those that retain a dark or black pigment. This is especially true for dogs that are out in the elements and working in the sun. If you want to argue with me on that, then look at the piebald clydesdale I have in my pasture that is missing his right eye due to cancer of the third eye lid. I can give you lots and lots of research on that. The lighter the coloring on the face and the less black pigment there is, the greater chances of facial cancers there will be.


So now that we have talked about the ins and outs of it, let's hit a lovely little note called popularity and it's evil cousin, uniqueness. We live in a world where instant is best, having a one of a kind is even better and the latest craze is gotta have! Designer mutts-labradoodles, teddy bears, what ever the latest and greatest name is, the better, or the worse. What I am hinting at is that if we as a parent club give free reign to anyone to breed any color with out disregard, well, then I am happy to report that our Rescue Trust will be doing overtime. In recent years I do know of a few breedings of brindles to merles. The puppies that resulted were advertised, by "responsible" breeders as unique colors, unusual and that this was a breeding that most breeders don't do. So let's hop on the bandwagon and have that most unusual color and one that will be the envy of your neighbors and friends. Okay, I might be going a little overboard, but there is another hitch to this. And luck has it, we do have a genetic test available for ...hidden merles. These are created when the overriding color, say a brindle, on the outside shows where the merle might not. We call that a hidden merle. Happens in black and whites too.

The hidden merle debate is one that we always bring up when the merle breeding discussion starts. I am not going to dive more into it then this, if the club would put forth a rule that states that any merle to other color breeding that happens, that all, all, repeat, all puppies are tested for the merle gene and then that DNA marker is attached to it's AKC registration for permanent identification, well then I might feel more comfortable about it. Many other clubs require that you have a DNA profile on record-I think the vizla club has something to that effect, don't know the reasoning but I noticed it when I do my online entries for the shows. Basically if someone wants to do that breeding, then they also need to be responsible for the consequences.

I've driveled on and on here. Judges will always have their preferences in the ring. Many can't look at a red or sable cardigan and not think pemmie. That's where it's hard to finish a nice red cardigan. Many judges fall back on a familiar color-brindle mostly, and that's their standby in case they can't make a decision. Then there's the oldies but goodies that love a blue. Any blue, even if it can't move correctly or slinks around the ring. That gets into the whole style, type and preference post for later.

What ever it is, I agree that there is no bad colored cardigan. I also agree that in order to maintain our breed, if "off color" breeding is allowed that we should regulate and document all puppies. I also state that color is the least of my worries as a dog doesn't herd, or guard or hunt or do therapy work or lay on my couch, based on it's color. It does all those things based on it's structure and brains.

Later gators...
C