Australian Kelpie Coat Colors - What the heck is this color?

What the Heck is this Color?

Ever have one of those "What the heck is this color, anyway" colored pups or dogs?

There is an explanation: it could be caused by an Incomplete dominance or Codominance of the genes.

INCOMPLETE DOMINANCE:

The situation in which both alleles of a heterozygote influence the phenotype. The phenotype is usually intermediate between the two homozygous phenotypes. The situation in which a heterozygote shows a phenotype somewhere (but not exactly half-way) intermediate between the corresponding homozygote phenotypes. (Exact intermediacy is no dominance). Simply: lightens the dark color and darkens the light color --- ex. pink roses (not red, not white).

CODOMINANCE:

The situation in which a heterozygote shows the phenotypic effects of both alleles equally. Simply: a blending of colors --- ex. would be Clay (not black, not cream).

Clay

As a puppy, he exhibited a darker color down his back and on his tail (as did his brother Cider -- see him on the "Mismarked" page).
He began to lose this odd coloration around 4 or 5 months old.
When he shed his winter coat, the black hair re-appeared.
The picture doesn't do him justice; because his color is beautiful --- his coat hair color is an array of cream, sorrel, orange, butterscotch, brick red looking hair color.

COLOR COMPARISON | MIS-MARKED | WHAT THE HECK IS THIS COLOR?