Midwoof Diaries: What is this color and why is it such a big deal?

You may have noticed recently that we have a few puppies in a unique shade of grey, almost a steel tone. What you probably don't realize is that these puppies are one of the most genetically rare color of Pomskies that there are, they are "blue" puppies. The only coat color more rare for Pomskies at this time is "lavender", which is a genetic step further than the blue color. 

Why is this such a big deal? Well, for breeders it is like climbing Mt. Everest or finishing 26.2 miles in a marathon. You just don't get blues (or lavenders) unless the parents have the genetic makeup to make them. Let's brush up on genetics a little bit...We all inherit one copy of each gene from each parent, the same is true in canines. The diluted gene that makes blues is the D locus - dominant genes are DD. Blues are dd. This is extremely recessive and not carried by just any dog. Some dogs (like our Sarge and Jedi, who made these blue puppies) have a Dd makeup, which means that they carry for the diluted gene. It is still a genetic Russian Roulette as to whether or not some of the puppies get both recessive (d) genes from each parent. For the lavender puppies, Two genes come into play, the D locus and the B locus. The B locus is what chocolate puppies are made from, if they are genetically bb. So, a puppy that is DD or Dd and bb is a chocolate puppy. Sarge is chocolate. He is Dd bb. A lavender dog's genetics would be dd bb - the most recessive combination of those two genes that you can get. 

Basically, blue and lavender puppies are the genetic equivalent of unicorns, due to the recessive genes not being present in many dogs. Breeders love unique - it excites us! It may seem nerdy to some, but it is just a cool phenomenon to be able to make something that is not seen every day. What does this mean if you are not a Pomsky breeder? Maybe nothing. Maybe it is no big deal and you just think they are a pretty grey, and they are. But if you are in love with unique and being different, it may be a very big deal...