Does anyone have any information on the gene that causes yellow splashing on the legs of blacks?

Is there a test for this trait? Is it a bad thing? A reason not to breed the dog who produced it?

Thank you.

Here are some good websites that explain brindling to check out:

http://www.labbies.com/genetics2.htm

http://www.woodhavenlabs.com/mismarks.html

Given all the worries in any breed, this is minor--it is paint, or cosmetic, so to speak. Way different than something that will cause the dog to be sick or die. A mismark is not a reason to throw the producing baby out with the bathwater. I don't like the looks of it, and it can happen in chocolates, too, but is hidden in most yellows. You have to look at lighter feet in some of those black and white photos, and influential English Lab named "Tweed" from decades ago. I do know that it can hide for 10 generations of what was revealed to be line breeding on a tweed, based on a pedigree study a friend did when she found it in one seemingly outcrossed litter. Some very good, very healthy dogs have this minor gene. It does not prevent a dog from being a good and loving pet or worker, even if at least one guide dog school has culled splashed or pointed Labs from working dogs. I believe Mary Roslin Willams discusses the splashing, with photos, in her book(s). From a rescuer's point of view, it has led to some quandaries viewing brindle points on a Lab type of unknown background. I don't want to drive hours to look at a pointed or splashed dog that may or may not be a Lab in other looks and temperament. I prefer not to see it on the face, but the points often show there, too, on cheeks and eyebrows. Actually, I prefer never to see it, but it is not the worst that can happen. Some of the pet people, having first pick, have remarked that they wanted the special or differently marked one! Oddly enough, it bothers me more than white feet (not bolo pads, white feet and pasterns) thrown by the line of a top sire in recent memory, but splashing is not a reason to drop a dog from all breeding. I might not repeat that breeding if I got a lot of it, though, even with the show ring not my main thing! I do remember meeting a pup coming into rescue while she was chained in her yard, then trying to rub the splashed lighter "mud" off the chocolate girl. I got her into better light, then realized what I had. She is otherwise a good Lab.

I've produced splashing with a line-breeding. It just happened to be the final litter for the mom - she had never produced it in her previous litters, nor have any of her kids that have been bred. I believe it has to come from both sides (recessive gene) - from what I understood, it's the black and tan gene that many dogs express, such as Rotts and Dobies, along with the brindle gene that makes the tan points brindled.

Not the biggest problem in our breed, and my puppy buyers didn't have any issues with the problem - you really had to look hard to see any brindling when the puppies grew up.

All right, who's got the links to photos of that adorable mismarked European lab puppy?

I don't have a picture of the European puppy, but here's a picture of my splash puppy. She's sort of teenager-ish looking right now but here she is.

http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2146/2722876/5447723/378216153.jpg

This may help. It has lots of information

http://greenstonelabradors.com/understanding-mismarks-in-the-purebred-labrador/

Here is another site but not labradors that deal with color and mismarks. Very interesting reading.

http://paisleydals.com.p6.hostingprod.com/color.html

And one more to check out:

http://www.blueknightlabs.com/content/view/167/143/

I don't really think mismarks are a huge deal. I have a friend who bred a litter, got a couple brindles, they were perfectly fine pups sold as pets. Next breeding, same mom, different dad, produced brindling again. Obviously a trait carried by mom. They chose to spay Mom and just focus on performance with her. They didn't feel like propagating that in their lines. For them the chance of producing a nice show potential was going to be limited if they weren't sure when this DQ trait would appear that it wasn't worth it to them.

What about a stud dog who has produced it on several puppies in different litters?
Would you, as a bitch owner want to know before you bred to such a dog?
Would it be a deal breaker for you?
This is a big quandry for me too. Just not sure where to turn for advice so anon seems like the best way to go for now.
Glad this thread got started!

In my case, no. They were outcrosses.

Keep in mind that it doesn't have to be a linebreeding. In other words the sire and dam don't need to be related; they just both need to carry the recessive gene. Of course the likelihood of this happening increases a bit if they are related, as it does that they will share any number of genes...

http://www.twlabradors.com/index_e.html
this is a web site you can see the European Labrador at. Cute puppy. I would take him in a minute.

look uder various and then spot to spot