BC Museum: Lilac Border Collies

E.A.Waterlow.jpg
Farmyard scene by E. A. Waterlow

LILAC BORDER COLLIES

Note on the Color Pages: --PLEASE READ--

Up till now, I have accepted photos of people's dogs and have put them up on the appropriate pages when I have had the time. However, these pages are getting enormously large, for which there is a cost associated in both time and money (space costs). Furthermore, I have accumulated an enormous backlog of photos that I have not had time to put up, and given the size of the website in general, and the fact that I would like to expand it in other areas, I have not had the time to update the color pages.

So, sadly, I have come to the conclusion that I must cut back the existing pages by removing some photos and leaving only those that best represent particular colors or patterns; and I will no longer be accepting photos of other people's dogs for publication on this website except from time to time if a perfect example and a great photo comes along. . To those of you who have sent photos that have not yet gone up, I apologize for never having gotten to them.

Still, I have to say that I enjoy getting photos of your dogs and seeing for myself the huge variety there is in the breed. So, if you would like to continue sending me photos, and continue to correspond with me, I would like that very much, and am still available to answer any color questions you may have to the best of my ability.

Thank you for your support on the subject of color genetics in the Border Collie.

-- Carole Presberg, editor and curator, Border Collie Museum

First, let's define this most interesting color.

Liisa Sarakontu of Finland says that lilac is "'bb dd' [or] double dilute. It is brown and blue at the same time. That color is called 'silver' in Weimer[aners], 'isabella' or 'fawn' in Dobermans, ['fawn' in kelpies], 'blue bark' in Finnish Lapphunds, and 'lilac' in most other animal species (cats, rabbits, mice etc.)."

Linda Rorem, of Pacifica, California, says, "My understanding of lilac is that it is a dog who has the 'b' gene on the B locus from both parents (which dilutes or changes black pigment to chocolate), and also has the 'd' gene on the D locus from both parents (which dilutes or changes black pigment to blue (maltese), but acting on a dog that is chocolate produces 'lilac' (Weimaraner color)). Because these genes are on different loci, a dog can have both of them, rather than having to have one or the other. So the lilac dog is [genetically] bbdd and this causes a further dilution of the red (chocolate or bb) to that rather flat brownish/greyish color called lilac by some. Thus, it could be said to be both 'dilute red' (bb - chocolate) and 'dilute blue' (dd - blue)...A dog could also be a saddle-pattern and have a lilac saddle, just as it could have a chocolate saddle or blue saddle; or a sable and have chocolate-, blue-, or lilac-tipped hairs (that wouldn't be too noticeable on a lightly shaded sable); or be a chocolate, blue, or lilac tanpoint [tricolor]."

These two lilacs, Antje (a 4 month old bitch pup) and Bayko (an 8 month old male) belong to Lieven Ruysschaert of Krubeke, Belgium. Lieven says they are the first two lilac pups ever to be born in Belgium.

This is Grace, a lilac pup who belongs to Kim Baumgart of Gentle Shepherd Farms in New York State. Note the dark red spots on her coat. She may be a lilac merle or just a red merle. The jury is out. Her sire is Platinum, a blue and white Border Collie. Her dam is Pepper, below, also possibly a lilac tri, a lilac merle or just a red merle. Kim says that Pepper is registered as a blue (gray and white) but her coat color is very "washed out looking". Note that Pepper also has dark patches of red, and one of her eyes is partially blue, which Linda Rorem says is indicative of merling.

This is Sagehill's Never Another ("Rowdy"), pictured at 4 months old. He is a smooth coated lilac and white Border Collie bred by Paulena Renee Hope of West Virginia. Rowdy's dam was Silversage's Ever So Clever ("Never"), a red merle and the sire was a red and white. Rowdy is owned by one of Paulena Hope's students, Robin S. of Maryland. (Thanks to Ann Marie Hill of New York State for sending these photos.)