Re: [pyrnet] Markings and pigment

["Linda Weisser" <lmweisser@attbi.com>]

----- Original Message -----
From: <JGentzel@aol.com>

<<Some Pyrs have skin
without color on it, although in all honesty I have never gone over a Pyr
inch by inch.>>

I've never "seen" a Pyr without some kind of skin color somewhere, although
the extent and depth of it really varies.  The most/darkest has been on dogs
with extensive and/or heavy coat color.

<<You also have colors in different regions that I suspect
have different genetics in place i.e. skin, nose, eye rims, lips, roof of
mouth, etc. >>

I'm not quite so sure of that. However,  I do think that coat color, and
skin, mucous membrane color are possibly unrelated (despite what I just said
!!)  I think of the Kuvasz in this context.  Kuvasazok must (by the US
standard) be all white dogs.  But they often have the *most* extraordinary
pigment.  I have seen Kuvasz with totally grey skin. Which is, of course,
accompanied by black, black nose, lips, palate, ey rims.  Speculation about
why is interesting.  I have sometimes wondered if that is because they
always select for that pigment.  We have this little lazy out of marked dogs
who usually have good pigment.  What would happen if all we had were white
dogs and the standard called for black pigment?

Linda