This is not hard to do. I will try to keep it easy and to the point.

There are many canine genes in the DNA of each dog. I will cover only 5 genes for color and patterns.

The 5 genes are A,B,C,D and E.

A - Patterns

A- bi (black and white, blue and white, chocolate and white, pearl and white)

at- tan points (black tan white, blue tan white, chocolate tan white, pearl tan white, )

ay- sables (tan sable, blue sable)

B- Color

B - black gene

b- chocolate gene

BB (one gene from each parent) black tan whites, tan sables, black and white.

Bb (one gene from each parent) black tan whites, tan sable, black and white that has chocolate gene.

bb (one gene from each parent) chocolate tan whites, pearl tan whites, chocolate and white, pearl and white.

Note when you have a dilute gene the B will be blue and the b will be pearl. Chocolate is not a dilute gene.

C - Depth or richness of color

"C" gene permits or restricts, sometimes completely the expression of the pigment color.

C - gene full expression of pigment color like in black tan whites, black and white, blue tan white, blue and whites, chocolate tans whites, chocolate and white, pearl tan whites, pearl and whites.

cc- gene would be an albino dog with pure white in color, with pink eyes (total absence of pigment), and pink nose .

cch- gene Alone, it has little effect, but doubled ("cch cch") it can create a paler shade of color as in a black tan white dog would look like charcoal tan white. Now if you have ee gene with the cch gene the color changes. For example: lemon and Apricot. They are born white and change color as they get older. The lemon will have a black nose and Apricot will have self color nose. Lemon is not a dilute color of Apricot.

D - Dilute gene

D - gene has no effect on color.(Dd or DD) This would be your black tan whites, black and whites, tan sables, chocolate tan whites, chocolate and whites, chocolate sables.

d - gene will have an effect on color. (dd) This would be your blue tan whites, blue and whites, blue sables(blue fawn), pearl tan whites, pearl sables, pearl and whites.

E- extension or restriction of color

E- gene full extension of color : Black tan whites, black and whites, tan sable and white with black nose color. Chocolate tan whites, chocolate and white, chocolate sables with self color nose (no black any where on the dog).

ee- gene will restrict the color for example you have two puppies one is atat / B_ / C_/ D_/ E_ a black tan white and the other is a atat / B_ / C_ / D_ / ee (very rare rare Clear black tan white) the black tan white will look black tan white but the clear black tan white will look not to have the black color. Apricots, Lemons and Clear Tans will be ee.

Ebr- Brindle gene

This would be your tiger-striped pattern known as "Brindle." More information on Brindle gene at www.1st-writer.com/ColorGenetics/lesson6.htm .