Coat Coloring and Alleles (Creating a chocolate coat color in the Cavalier) It is always highly important for a breeder to strive to improve the breed they represent. That is why DNA testing is done. Much testing is also done to see if the particular line of the dog shows a tendency toward illness of any kind. When Embark ™ testing is done on a dog, the DNA test results are read and the reader is trained to be able to tell if the Alleles (very small amounts of DNA on a strand or helix) on the DNA indicate any flaws or illnesses in the genetic makeup of the dog and if the issue is likely to show up later in life. This is not a simple process, but I have simplified it here for understanding. One of the interesting improvements being pursued in the King Charles Cavalier Spaniel (KCCS) by many breeders at the present time is to develop a new color which has evolved over some years recently. Recognized colors for KCCS are now Tricolor, Black and tan, Ruby, and Blenheim. These colors are recognized by the AKC as accepted breed colors. The newest color that is being developed through careful breeding by many interested breeders is Chocolate. This newest color is similar to the chocolate Labrador retriever. Chocolate color for KCCS has found its way into the developing evolvement of the KCCS. As the color is further developed, some dogs will be Chocolate in color depending on the alleles they carry and whether they are dominate or recessive. Others will be carriers of the allele that produces the color but do not outwardly show the color. Upon breeding with the chocolate color in mind, breeders have started to put the carriers of the color together to encourage more and more chocolate -colored individual dogs. Note: the AKC does not formally recognize chocolate as a KCCS color but this is how new traits start and will likely start to be considered soon. This is a very simple explanation of gene alleles and coat color. There are many articles on the web if you are interested in learning more. My Cavaliers, Lady Kiana and Master Micah are carriers of the chocolate gene alleles. Given the right combination of DNA and their breeding opportunities, they will be able to give their help to the further development of chocolate coat color in the King Charles Cavalier Spaniel. We are very proud to be a small part of this endeavor.
