COLOURS OF THE RAINBOW DOGS OF HAVANA
These colour definitions are as accurate as possible according to the information currently available. As we learn more about the
complex genetics that affect coat colour inheritance and colour development in the Havanese, some definitions may be added,
removed, expanded or changed. Havanese colours are intriguing. It will be many years before we know all there is to know about it,
if we ever do.
These are what are called the
CLEAR coat colours. There is
no dark ( black or brown ) in
the coat at all.
All of these colours may come
with either black or
brown(liver) pigment. Liver
pigmented clears are rather
uncommon as they are the
result of a meeting of two
recessives.
WHITE - crisp and bright; pure snow white. No shadings of deeper colour
anywhere. A pure white is very uncommon.
Very light off-white dogs with subtly darker shaded ears are often labelled
white though they may not genetically be so.
CREAM - Ivory or creamy yellowish white, the colour of dairy cream or
almonds.
CHAMPAGNE - pale tawny blonde yellow, the colour of champagne. Yellow
undertones. Champagne coats can be beige from light to deep intensity.
APRICOT - rich warm colour from honey to apricot
GOLD - Rich warm colour from light caramel to toffee. There are definite
yellow highlights to the coat.
RED - Red is also a rich warm colour, similar to Gold with deeper and more
intense colour, ranging from to Orangey Red to deep Mahogany. There are
definite red highlights to the coat. Red and Gold dogs retain much of their
colour throughout their lifetime, though the colour may soften with age.
These are considered the
DARK coat colours which are
based on Black.
See the Inheritance page to
find out how these colours are
produced
SILVER - Puppies are born black and start to lighten at about 4-6
weeks of age. As the dog matures, the coat will lighten to varying shades
of silver from pale platinum, sterling and medium grey. The coat change
is generally complete at approximately 12-15 months of age.
CHARCOAL or DARK SILVER - Puppies are born black and may
have a dark reddish cast. The coat may start turning as early as 6-8
months or later as a young adult, with the coat colour gradually
developing to deep silver, steel or charcoal cast. The complete colour
change process can take 12 to 24 months or longer. The in between
colour is often a muddy reddish brown. Final colour may be any shade from medium to
dark silver. Pigment is black. This colour has often erroneously been labelled as Blue.
BLACK - Deep jet black - dark intense colour with no reddish or brown
tones - colour does not lighten
These are mixed
BRINDLE - Much confusion surrounds brindle markings. Brindle combinations give
colour
dark bands, more or less regular tiger striped on a lighter background any shade from
combinations
cream, champagne, tan, gold or red. ( ie. Similar to brindle coats of the Boxer or Dane).
which contain a
Tiger stripes are apparent at birth and may run all over the body from head to tail tip in
blend of both light
splotches, streaks or stripes of black or brown and to a lesser extent on the belly and
and dark coat
underbody. Stripes may be bold and distinct or faint and subtle. Brindle dogs often have a dark mask on
pigment in varying the face and at birth, may have black ears, paws and tail as well as a dark dorsal stripe. New born Brindle
proportions.
puppies will have a definite striped or mottled appearance.
These are all
patterns NOT
colours.
Note that the light
colours in each of
these combinations
are cream, gold ,
red, and not white.
Patterned coats
broken with white
will be discussed
below.
All these light/dark
blended coats are
possible in either
black or brown
pigment.
SABLE - Sable coats are distinguished by darker tipping on a lighter coloured underfur
or a dark overlay on a lighter base coat. The amount of tipping may be very heavy or
very light. The underfur can be red, gold, or cream . Tipping may be black, charcoal,
silver or darker shades of brown. If the tipping is cut off, generally it will not return as
deeply. Areas will the most concentration of black hairs are usually the ears, tail and
along the lower spine. Some Sable dogs lighten dramatically as they mature almost to pale Ivory or Offwhite leaving just subtle shadings and highlights of colour. A true Sable will always retain some dark
tipping (even if just a few hairs) on the ears and/or tail or have some individual dark hairs long the spine.
AGOUTI - or WILD - Some Havanese are said to have agouti hair, where each
individual hair is banded in three to five or more rings of alternating dark/light colour
like a rabbit or wolf. In dogs, Agouti coats are found on the Keeshond, Norweigan
Elkhound, Siberian Huskies and other Spitz breeds. The ring changes are abrupt dark to
light and not at all like the shaded bandings you may find in Sables and brindles. See
below. The coat will be banded on the neck, shoulders, back and rump and be lighter coloured on the
chest belly and inner legs. Controversy exists whether Agouti is a separate pattern of its own or a
variation of Brindle or Sable. In other breeds, Agouti is genetically different from both. The same is likely
true of Havanese. Not only an individual colour or marking, the term "agouti" is also the broader name
of a gene which encompasses many patterns. See the inheritance page for more information.
SADDLE - Some Havanese carry a SADDLE gene. This is usually a puppy born black
with tan/silver points, where the coat colour starts fading from the front towards the
back, stopping around the shoulder area, leaving the front, face, head and neck lighter
and the shoulders, back and rear darker. Similar in appearance to the pattern on a
Yorkshire or Silky Terrier.
BLACK AND TAN - is a very specific layout of dark and light coat. Predominantly dark
coat overlaid with a lighter colour point pattern. Though the most common background
coat colour is black, it may also be Sable, Silver or Chocolate. Colour points are laid out
in the following pattern; lighter markings appear on the muzzle, eyebrows, ears, cheeks,
legs, chest and vent (similar to the markings on a Doberman or Rottweiler). Colour
points may be solid or brindled and any shade of tan or gold (Tan Point) or silver (Silver Point). Points
often lighten to silvered pearl or creamy white as the dog matures in part due to the Chinchilla gene.
Figure1 - Agouti "wild"
Banding (dark light)
Figure 2 - Eumelanin Banding
(shades of dark)
Figure 3 - Phaeomelanin
banding (Shades of light)
BANDING - There is a lot of confusion in regards to banding. Part of the confusion is because the term Agouti is used
both to describe a series of genes, the "A" genes, and also because it is sometimes used as a colour name. Just because a
coat is banded does not necessarily make it Agouti (Wild). Agouti (as a colour) is banding of dark coat (eumelanin) and
light coat (phaomelanin). Figure 1 on the left above. This photo is a close up of wild rabbit fur. The coat changes are
quite abrupt as it changes from dark to light in the same hair shaft. Though the photo appears circular, the wild
patterning is not a circular pattern. This photo was taken when blowing on the coat to show the band layers right down
to the skin. Other coats can be banded as well. Both Sables and brindles often have bandings in the light areas of their
coats. These will be shaded bandings, with the bands growing in many shaded of the same colour, so there can be bands
of gold, champagne, caramel, cream etc. Those are all clear shadings (phaeomelanin) - see figure 3 above on the right.
Similarly dark coats can also be banded , especially in dark and light silvers. In these, the dark coat is banded in shades
of dark coat only(eumelanin). So the banding can be black, charcoal,, silver, etc... all shades of dark coat colours - see
figure 2 above in the centre. The banded shadings may be caused by input of the wild gene though this is not certain.
Agouti (wild) is also not the same as sable. Sable coats only have the dark at the tips or ends of the coat or as individual
dark hairs. The dark coat is not banded into the rest of the coat.
These are the dark coat
CHOCOLATE - Puppies are born chocolate. True chocolate dogs
colours based on BROWN.
will have self-coloured brown or liver pigment. They also have
Chocolate dogs are produced
lighter brown, amber or golden eyes. Chocolate coats may vary
when the coat, nose and eye
from Milk Chocolate to darker bittersweet Chocolate colour. Any
pigment are brown instead of
dog who makes [bb] brown pigment will have liver or brown nose,
black. Chocolate is not a
pads, eye rims, lips and clear or brown nails. There is no black on the dog what so
dilution of black. A chocolate ever, in either coat pigment or leather pigment.
dog does not make any black
CHOCOLATE SILVER (dark) - Puppies are born chocolate and
at all. It makes brown instead.
lighten as they mature. One copy of the silvering gene affecting
Eyes may be a light brown,
Chocolate may give rise to a medium to dark Mocha type colour.
hazel or amber colour.
Silvering generally starts in adolescence and may progress over 2
to 3 years or longer. Pigment is liver/brown.
Chocolate may be the dark
CHOCOLATE SILVER (light) - Puppies are born chocolate.
colour in all the same
Silvering starts very early and is generally complete at about 12variations, markings and
15 months of age. Two copies of the silvering gene lighten the dog
patterns as black so there may
as it matures to a chocolate silver colour similar to a light coffee.
be Chocolate Sables,
Pigment is liver/brown. Chocolate with one or two copies of the
Chocolate Brindles, Chocolate
silvering genes, Chocolate Silvers (light to dark) will generally be registered as
and Tan etc.
Chocolate (birth colour).
Nose and eye colour
combination is the most
reliable indicator of whether a
dog is actually chocolate or if
it just has poor pigmentation.
If your dogs eyes are black
with a lighter brownish nose
then what you have is poor
pigmentation and not a
chocolate.
So what about FAWN ? Where does it fit in? - Fawn is a tricky one. Some consider a fawn puppy to be a
medium yellow colour ranging from tan and buff to light brown shades (like a Fawn Pug). Others call a light
cream sable with beige/ brown tipping Fawn, and yet others reserve the designation for the Dilute chocolate
(cafe-au-lait) puppy.
These are considered
Dilute colours and
develop similar to the
colour found in
Weimaraner. These
dilutions of black and
brown are relatively
uncommon in
Havanese but do exist.
See the colour
inheritance pages for
information on how
these dilutions occur.
In other breeds, these
dilute colours are
called Cafe-au-Lait,
Lilac, Mouse, Pearl,
Grey and Isabella.
DILUTE CHOCOLATE - Café-Au-Lait colour. The dilute chocolate puppy is
born pale watered coffee colour or silvery bronze. He has light brown or
amber eyes and self coloured light rosy brown pigment.
DILUTE BLACK (BLUE) - Dilute black puppies are born a silvery blue
colour. Eyes are light brown, amber or in some cases grey/blue; they have selfcoloured blue/gray pigment.
HAVANESE MARKINGS
Different genes affect
the markings and
patterns.
One of these is the
"Spotting" gene which
causes a broken
appearance to the coat.
Think of white as a
mask hiding the colour
beneath. Wherever
there is a "hole" in the
mask, the colour shows
through.
TRI-COLOUR - There
are variations - These
three colour coats are a
result of the White
spotting gene acting on
a Black and Tan Coat.
Some registries do not
have TRI-colour
designations and use
other terminology to
describe these colours.
EXTREME PIEBALD - Two colour coat. Lightly marked dogs with less than
10% colour are called extreme Parti or extreme Piebald. An example might be a
white dog with one or both ears partly coloured and no coloured patches on the
body.
PARTI-COLOUR or PIEBALD - Two colour coat. Coat is predominantly white
(over 50%) broken with irregular patches or spots of a second colour. These
patches may be any other colour. Particolour is also used as a general term to
indicate any dog with any extent of white markings.
IRISH PIED - Two colour coat with over 50% coloured. Coat pattern is laid out
as follows; The underbelly and lower legs and tail tip are white. There is also
white on the chest, and a full or partial white collar around the neck. There may
be a white blaze on the face. The colouring on the back appears as a large cape
covering the shoulders, back and sides.
WHITE MARKINGS - Two colour coat - Predominantly coloured coat with
small patches of white trim found on the chin, chest and feet. Some also have a
small white star or blaze on the face or forehead.
TRI COLOUR - CLASSIC - A classic TRI is basically a Black and Tan dog
with the addition of white in the parti or pied marking pattern. Some registries
use the terms Black and Tan with white markings rather than Tricolour. Three
colour variations also occur with silver points rather than tan, or other dark
colours rather than black.
TRI COLOUR - HOUND MARKED the markings are similar to a Beagle or
other hound breeds. Typically the markings are Black and Tan or Sable
appearing on the head, legs and saddle. Some call this a Bi-Coloured Parti.
MODYFYING GENES AND VARIANTS
These are
genes that
interact
with other
genes and
modify
their
expression.
Modifiers
in large
part are
responsible
for the
widespread
variations.
GRAYING - Many Havanese carry the GRAYING gene to some degree (not the same as the slivering
gene). This gene is responsible for colours that progressively soften as the dog matures, like
prematurely greying hair in humans. In the Havanese, this premature greying may start soon after
birth or begin later in life. Some colour changes can be quite dramatic.
TICKING - Many Havanese carry the TICKING gene. A parti coloured dog with this gene will have
flecks of colour throughout the white coat, giving it a salt and pepper appearance. Dogs without this
gene will have a white that stays crisp and pure. In the canine world, an often used term for this is
"Belton"
The CHINCHILLA gene appears to act like a filter limiting production of red. This is the gene that
allows variations or Red, Gold, Champagne etc. Very noticeable on Tan Point dogs. This causes some
confusion as many Tan Point dogs (as adults) have no visible tan on them at all! Depending on the
intensity of the gene, the points can be as dark as Mahogany or as light as pale cream.
SILVER - The silvering gene appears to be similar to Chinchilla in that it acts as a filter. But in this
case it filters black rather than light colour. A single dose of the silvering gene results in the dark silver
or charcoal colour dog and a double dose may be responsible for the lighter silver dog.
ON/OFF - I wish I could give you a name for this modifier but I don't have an answer at this time. A
gene such as this "may" be responsible for turning other modifiers on and off possibly playing a role in
dogs who lighten dramatically then deepen again as they mature. There is still much which is not yet
known about colour genetics. There may be many more genes at play than are currently known or
theorized about.
I don't have a name for this one either. Similar to On/Off , the Plus/Minus may act on other genes to
either intensify and enhance expression or weaken and mute it and may be responsible for many
variations. There is still much which is not yet known about colour genetics.There may be many more
genes at play than are currently known or theorized about.
Dorsal/Ventral - This may actually be two or more separate gene modifiers. The Dorsal one appears to
act on the upper areas of the body (head, shoulders, back and tail) and the Ventral one on the lower
areas of the body (Chest, belly and legs). These genes are most noticeable on Sable dogs. The Dorsal
areas soften less and remain darker with a heavier overlay, while ventral areas lighten much more and
may have no dark overlay at all remaining at maturity. You may also see this on Brindles, Havana
Browns, Silvers and others. As adults, the dogs may be much darker on the top of their bodies than beneath.