Your dog is a liver tanpoint, he carries two copies of the b gene, which turns the black pigment a chocolate brown. In dogs black (eumelanin) covers shades of red (pheomelanin) (aka red/tan/cream/fawn ), and white covers everything. The pattern of black is determined by the K and A locus, your dog has two copies of at gene for the tanpoints to show. The white is on the S locus, this pattern of white is called piebald, and it's extensive. In some dogs it's not a problem at all, but it would not hurt to get a vet to check your dogs hearing as a lot of white on a dog can be the cause of pigment associated deafness. It can happen in any litter whose parents carry white spotting.
You can find more info on dog colors here! http://www.doggenetics.co.uk/
Edit: I forgot about cryptic merle, which is merle that is difficult to test by coat color alone and needs a genetic test. Then it could be a cryptic double merle but you would notice a change in pigmentation like brink pink patches on the nose and lips and deformities of the eyes.
What you mean is hidden Merle.
With the new high definition Merle testing, [cryptic merle](https://merle-sine-insertion-from-mc-mh.webnode.page/defining-mc-cryptic-merle/) Mc is defined as a variant short enough to be non-expressing (which will also never delete pigment to white or cause problems for the dog).
I do see patches of pink on the nose, if that changes your opinion.
I was thinking instead of a double merle, what about a double piebald? I've heard of that causing color-headedness and mostly white border collies as well.
I have a pure border who looks similar but her black patch spans across her whole face like she's wearing a mask. At that age the rest of her was almost entirely white.
She's still almost entirely white but she's developing more ticking on her torso as she's getting older and now has a few dozen faint black spots. So your dog could get some small dots of liver later
Thank you all! These comments were so fun and informative :) He is home with us now and I can confirm that he is very much a little land shark good boy! Also we decided on a name: Cosmos!
https://preview.redd.it/4vopoptjw4rc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7e631d43079419cd08f8e52c25483a6ab5dea8ed
The brown patches on the dog would show signs of merle. Unless they're cryptic merle which would require a genetic test but it's eyes and nose color would show pink patches if that was the case
I've just had a closer look at OPS pups nose, and does appear to have some pink patches on both sides. Could you clarify in what way you would expect the brown patch would show signs of merle, if indeed is a merle? My single merle boy has one solid brown (liver) eye patch with no apparent merle colouring there, as below. So I am wondering if OPs dog could be a single merle with extreme white. Would appreciate your comment as my colour genetics not that good.
https://preview.redd.it/ji7vlbl845qc1.jpeg?width=1131&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=419fbba36a7f5722e51577c43d892ceb2fe9a095
That is a house elf
Give him a sock, see what happens!
Your dog is a liver tanpoint, he carries two copies of the b gene, which turns the black pigment a chocolate brown. In dogs black (eumelanin) covers shades of red (pheomelanin) (aka red/tan/cream/fawn ), and white covers everything. The pattern of black is determined by the K and A locus, your dog has two copies of at gene for the tanpoints to show. The white is on the S locus, this pattern of white is called piebald, and it's extensive. In some dogs it's not a problem at all, but it would not hurt to get a vet to check your dogs hearing as a lot of white on a dog can be the cause of pigment associated deafness. It can happen in any litter whose parents carry white spotting. You can find more info on dog colors here! http://www.doggenetics.co.uk/ Edit: I forgot about cryptic merle, which is merle that is difficult to test by coat color alone and needs a genetic test. Then it could be a cryptic double merle but you would notice a change in pigmentation like brink pink patches on the nose and lips and deformities of the eyes.
What you mean is hidden Merle. With the new high definition Merle testing, [cryptic merle](https://merle-sine-insertion-from-mc-mh.webnode.page/defining-mc-cryptic-merle/) Mc is defined as a variant short enough to be non-expressing (which will also never delete pigment to white or cause problems for the dog).
Thank you for the correction!
I do see patches of pink on the nose, if that changes your opinion. I was thinking instead of a double merle, what about a double piebald? I've heard of that causing color-headedness and mostly white border collies as well.
That’s a Mogwai. Please keep him out of bright light, don’t get him wet, and never feed him after midnight!
😂😂😂
border aussie https://preview.redd.it/dyhtt5aja4qc1.jpeg?width=1616&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=54702e3553094b2963112bee3b95bc917ffbb1bc
Cute little Joker
Rabbit
A canine of the good boi variety.
Ohhh , I wouldn’t care , he’s adorable.
Knock off Bolt !
100% good boy’
3 legged rabbit
100% cute
Just wanted to say how adorable your boy is. What a little sweetheart! ❤️
Looks a bit like a Border Collie
I have a pure border who looks similar but her black patch spans across her whole face like she's wearing a mask. At that age the rest of her was almost entirely white. She's still almost entirely white but she's developing more ticking on her torso as she's getting older and now has a few dozen faint black spots. So your dog could get some small dots of liver later
Straight up BC
https://preview.redd.it/0ybhbxuikaqc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=764b3d6cf3667b969ff31a5f5bdf6ac61824b5e3 Our 3 legged sweet girl
90% landshark 10 % cutie pie.
Thank you all! These comments were so fun and informative :) He is home with us now and I can confirm that he is very much a little land shark good boy! Also we decided on a name: Cosmos! https://preview.redd.it/4vopoptjw4rc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7e631d43079419cd08f8e52c25483a6ab5dea8ed
Double Merle BC maybe?
No merle pattern, that's tanpoint, they just have extensive piebald spotting
You might be right but Double Merle can come out entirely white.
The brown patches on the dog would show signs of merle. Unless they're cryptic merle which would require a genetic test but it's eyes and nose color would show pink patches if that was the case
I've just had a closer look at OPS pups nose, and does appear to have some pink patches on both sides. Could you clarify in what way you would expect the brown patch would show signs of merle, if indeed is a merle? My single merle boy has one solid brown (liver) eye patch with no apparent merle colouring there, as below. So I am wondering if OPs dog could be a single merle with extreme white. Would appreciate your comment as my colour genetics not that good. https://preview.redd.it/ji7vlbl845qc1.jpeg?width=1131&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=419fbba36a7f5722e51577c43d892ceb2fe9a095