The Brown Mudi
History | Color Genetics | Brown Merle | Isabella | Patterns | Some Brown Mudis
Brown is one of the mudi's original colors. Brown is mentioned as early as 1936, when Csaba Anghi wrote the book "Hungarian herding dog breeds and their foreing relatives". When the breeding of the mudi started in 1960's, many of the first registered B-pedigree mudis carried the brown color, and many of those first carriers of brown color are still somewhere far behind the present mudis.
Foundation dogs carrying brown color. |
Even though the brown color was left out of the standard for decades, and many of the born brown puppies were left without pedigree or killed, the brown genes survived through the correct colored relatives of the brown mudis - the black parents and sisters carried the gene further. Narrow gene pool and inbreeding that was used to create the wanted type helped to preserve the recessive brown color. In small gene pool recessive traits will eventually come up again, and therefore after generations of just black mudis a brown puppy can be born, totally unexpected. When we study the old pedigrees we can see, that there has always been breeders, who've left the colored puppies alive, and even registered them, in times when the measure of the dog's worth was primarly it's ability to work with the shepherd. Some of the kennels who've registered brown mudis are: Nyírségfia, Berény-Gyöngye, Csodabogár, Cifraszűrös and Pásztor-Virtus. |
After bein pressured by the breeders and breed activists, the Hungarian Kennel Club, MEOE, finally accepted the brown color for the Mudi breed in 1992.The decicion was published in the Hungarian Breed Club Magazine, "A Kutya", but the official FCI standard was not altered for many years after this decicion. For years the color was accepted in Hungary, but not in any other country, and the brown mudis born in Scandinavian countries were not allowed to show or breed.
In Finland brown mudi puppies have been born for over 30 years ago. The first foundation dogs of Kennel Catamount happened to carry the brown color, and brown puppies were born. Some of them were registered, and some not. Also in Sweden brown mudi puppies have popped up now and then. The latest brown mudi puppies in Finland were born in Madraz-Bunda kennel; two male puppies, Barzan and Begemot were born after the Swedish import female Wulcanos Happy-Honey and Finnish born male Szofogadas Kilences. In late 1990's brown and tan female Sea-Rock Eedenin Eeva was born.
In Finland the brown mudi is a real rare pearl. There's currently one brown mudi, Hungarian import Pasztor-Virtus Igazlato "Mocca", who's produced one litter in Finland in 2006. His progenies carry the brown color. Also Szürkevillám Hamu Pipőke, Hungarian import female, and Lyukasköi Aladar, Hungarian import male, carry the brown color. Brown is currently probably the rarest of the mudi colors, and rare even in Hungary.
Both parents carry brown. Half of the offspring carries brown color, 1/4 are brown.
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Brown color is rare, but there's nothing magical in it. It's typical recessive coat color. Both parents must be carriers to be able to produce brown offspring. Two brown dogs can produce only brown offspring together. Because of the recessive nature of the gene, it can hide in the for generations, until two carriers of the color are again put together. The recessive nature of the gene has saved this color when it was not accepted by the standard and the brown puppies were concidered as proof of mixed-breed background and either killed or left un-registered. Correct colored sisters and other relatives of the brown dog spread the gene further. Brown is recessive gene, and usually marked with b. Capital B stands for normal colored (black) and lower case b stands for the brown color. BB dogs are homotzygote and can't carry or produce brown color. Bb dogs are heterotzygote blacks, and carry the brown gene. Together with another carrier or a brown dog they can produce brown puppies. Homotzygote bb dogs are brown, and can produce either brown or black offspring. In simple color genetics we often concentrate in only one gene and the color it produces. Brown color can occur not only as solid brown, but also together with other color genes. Brown with ash gene produces solid izabella (hamvas barna, ash gray) color, and brown can also occure together with patterns, such as merle pattern, or with tan points. Brown puppies are most often born unexpectedly, from combination where both parents are black but carry brown gene. Approximately 1/4 of the puppies will be brown. Sometimes the odds can be better, if one parent is brown and other parent carries the color; in this case, all the puppies will carry the brown gene, and approximately 1/2 of the puppies will be brown. Most often there's no brown puppies born at all; neither of the parents carries the brown gene, or only one parent carries the brown gene. If only one parent carries brown, half of the offspring will herit the gene and carry it further, but there will be no brown puppies. Also if one of the parents is brown, but the other parent doesn't carry brown, there won't be any brown offspring. |
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One parent brown, other parent carrier. Half of the puppies carry brown, half are brown.
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One parent is homotzygote black, other parent carries brown. Half of the puppies carry brown, all black. |
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Merle color pattern can when dog herits the merle gene from one of it's parents, and it has dark eumelanin pigment in its coat. Merle pattern can occur on black, ash grey, brown or even on izabella background. Merle coloration is more difficult to see in a dog that has only little eumelanin pigment in it's coat (brindle, sable, wolf colored) and impossible to notice from a dog that has no eumelanin at all (white, fakó).
Both brown and merle are accepted mudi colors, and brown merle puppies are born now and then. These dogs have brown background color and lighter merle-marbled areas. In Hungary the color is accepted, though it's not yet FCI recognized. One of the most famous brown merle mudi is Mászli, the B-registered FDMK - specialty show winner (photo below). Brown merle mudis have been born in Szürkevillám, Cifrazürös and Gondűzo-Alkonyat kennels in Hungary, as well as in Poland in Quendi-Rivendell kennel.
In this example blue merle and black parents carry brown. 37.5% of the puppies will be black, 25% will be blue merle, 12.5% will be brown merle and 12.5% solid brown.
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Izabella, probably the rarest color variant of mudi, is yet not accepted by FCI. Izabella color is not a color of it's own, there's no single gene producing izabella color, but it's a combination of two accepted colors, likely to be born if both parents carry both ash and brown color.
Because Izabella is a result of two accepted colors occurring at same time in one dog, it is also considered as one of the “original” colors of the mudi breed. The color variant is not yet recognized outside Hungary. Like brown, ash and black, also izabella mudis can also come with different patterns or markings. Izabella merle is yet to be born, and also izabella with markings or izabella brindle are possible, yet extremely unlikely colors.
Izabella is extremely rare color variant, and so far only a small number of Izabella puppies have been born. One of the latest Izabella colored puppies was born in a mating of two ash-colored dogs who both carried brown. Izabella puppies are only being born, if the puppy herits two copies of recessive brown gene, and two copies of recessive ash gene, one of both color genes from both parents.
In Hungary izabella colored puppies have been born from following combinations:
Sire |
Dam |
Progenies |
| Nyírségfia Üde MET Mu. 137 | Nyírségfia Cigány MET Mu. 187 | m. Nyírségfia Eszes Pufi MET Mu. 223/82 |
| Nyírségfia Ádám MET Mu. 166 | Nyírségfia Cifra MET Mu. 188 | m. Nyírségfia Filkó MET Mu. 229/82 |
| Nyírségfia Ádám MET Mu. 166 | Nyírségfia Cigány MET Mu. 187 | f. Nyírségfia Gömböc MET Mu. 245/83 |
| Nyírségfia Ádám MET Mu. 166 | Judit MET Mu. 95/B | f. Nyírségfia Huncut MET Mu. 259/83 |
| Nyírségfia Ádám MET Mu. 166 | Nyírségfia Eta MET Mu. 225 | Nyírségfia Jakab MET Mu.273/83 f. Nyírségfia Jámbor MET Mu.274/83 |
| Róka MET Mu. 165/B | Nyírségfia Cigány MET Mu. 187 | f. Nyírségfia Andrea MET Mu. 397/83 f. Nyírségfia Aranka MET Mu. 398/83 |
| Róka MET Mu. 165/B | Nyírségfia Örzse MET Mu. 296 | m. Puszta-Emléke Ali MET Mu. 430/85 |
In thsi example both parents are black, but carry brown and ash color.
Izabella puppies can be born also for two brown parents:
Or for two ash colored parents:
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Izabella male, who's both parents are ash gray. (c) Katalin Timar-Geng |
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Brown mudi can have all of the pattern variations the black mudi can have. Brown brindle, wolf colored with brown tipping and brown nose leather, brown with tan markings etc. In the current FCI standard none of the above mentioned are described as disqualifying colors. Genetics experts are rarely writing the standards, and therefore not all the possible color combinations and variations have been listed in the mudi standard.
One of the possible, and quite likely, color variants. Brown and tan puppies can be born when both parents carry the brown color, and the gene producing the tan markings. Tan markings are sometimes occuring in the mudi breed, and the markings are produced by a gene allele in A-loci, at.
Both parents black, carrying brown and tan.
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Colors:
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In the following table there's some of the brown mudis I know of. The information has been gathered from various sources, and probably there's lot of dogs I don't know of.
| Year | Name & reg. no | Gender | Country |
| 1983 | Catamount Vidam Baba SF206889/83 | female | FIN |
| - | Catamount Vörös Bakfis SF206878/83 | female | FIN |
| 1984 | Csikómajori Bojtár MET Mu. 338/84 | male | HUN |
| - | Csikómajori Bütyök MET Mu.337/84 | male | HUN |
| 1986 | Nyírségfia Cifra Ficko MET Mu. 435/86 | female | HUN |
| 1989 | Nyírségfia Bikfic MET Mu. 318/89 | male | HUN |
| 1990 | Berény-gyöngye Barna MET Mu. 390/90 | male | HUN |
| - | Berény-Gyöngye Bodza MET Mu. 392/90 | female | HUN |
| - | Csendháborító Apród MET Mu. 406/90 | male | HUN |
| - | Csendháborító Árkus MET Mu. 407/90 | male | HUN |
| - | Csodabogár Csutak MET Mu. 483/90 | female | HUN |
| - | Csodabogár Csóró MET Mu. 484/90 | female | HUN |
| 1991 | Csodabogár Dongó MET Mu. 565/91 | female | HUN |
| - | Csodabogár Erdős Bingó MET Mu. 598/91 | male | HUN |
| - | Szöcskepásztor Dagi MET Mu. 626/91 |
male | HUN |
| - | Szöcskepásztor Dani MET Mu. 627/91 | male | HUN |
| - | Kélespusztai Buksi MET Mu. 649/91 | female | HUN |
| - | Berény-gyöngye Rozsdás MET Mu. 696/91 | male | HUN |
| 1992 | Csodabogár Gyergyó MET Mu. 783/92 |
male | HUN |
| Csodabogár Gyemant MET Mu. 782/84 | male | HUN | |
| Csodabogár Gyűrűs MET Mu. 784/92 | male | HUN | |
| -- | Csodabogár Gyopár MET Mu. 785/92 |
female | HUN |
| -- | Nyírségfia Mókus MET Mu. 884/92 | male | HUN |
| - | van Breughels Dreven Bonny N.H.S.B.1831619 | female | HOL |
| 1993 | Erdőspusztai Csoki MET Mu.951/93 | male | HUN |
| - | Berény-gyöngye Ihaj MET Mu. 984/93 | male | HUN |
| - | Berény-gyöngye Jázmin MET Mu. 986/93 | female | HUN |
| - | Csodabogár Máró MET Mu996/93 | male | HUN |
| - | Csodabogár Nugát MET Mu. 1042/93 | male | HUN |
| - | van Breughels Dreven James Brown N.H.S.B.1868763 | male | HOL |
| - | van Breughels Dreven Gnobody N.H.S.B.1868764 | male | HOL |
| - | van Breughels Dreven Gaby N.H.S.B.1868765 | female | HOL |
| 1994 | Csodabogár Obsit MET Mu.1091/94 | male | HUN |
| - | Csodabogár Ocsú MET Mu.1092/94 | female | HUN |
| - | Csodabogár Orda MET Mu. 1093/94 | female | HUN |
| - | Csodabogár Öhöm MET Mu. 1095/94 | male | HUN |
| - | Erdőspusztai Lady MET Mu.1127/94 | female | HUN |
| 1995 | Kistarcsagyöngye Barnus MET Mu. 1284/95 |
male | HUN |
| - | Bodzavirág-Emléke Alen MET Mu. 1325/95 |
male | HUN |
| 1996 | Cifraszűrös Cakó MET Mu. 1384/96 | male | HUN |
| - | Cifraszűrös Cickány MET Mu. 1389/96 | female | HUN |
| - | Hunnorium Barna MET Mu. 1366/96 | male | HUN |
| - | Hunnorium Csinos Csoki MET Mu. 1367/96 | female | HUN |
| - | Cifraszűrös Abigél MET Mu. 1395/96 | female | HUN |
| - | Madraz-Bunda Barzan FIN35004/96 | male | FIN |
| - | Madraz-Bunda Begemot FIN35903/96 | male | FIN |
| 1997 | Hunnorum Dada MET Mu. 1545/97 | female | HUN |
| - | Csodabogár Csábos MET Mu. 1558/97 | female | HUN |
| - | Csodabogár Csufi MET Mu. 1559/97 | female | HUN |
| - | Csodabogár Cinkó MET Mu. 1568/97 | female | HUN |
| - | Nyirségfia Bizsu METMu1483/97 | female | HUN |
| 1998 | Kócsagvári Gyömbér MET Mu. 1655/98 | female | HUN |
| - | Szürkevillám Gesztenye MET Mu. 1737/98 | female | HUN |
| - | Szürkevillám Guba MET Mu.1737/98 | male | HUN |
| - | Hunnorium Eleven MET Mu. 1774/98 | male | HUN |
| - | Hunnorium Elme MET Mu. 1775/98 | male | HUN |
| - | Mog-Ur´s Mr Miko S24654/98 | male | SWE |
| - | Erdős-Pusztai Gubanc METMu1625/98 | female | HUN |
| 1999 | Sea-Rock Edenin Eeva FIN32896/99 | female | FIN |
| - | van Breughels Dreven Caisha N.H.S.B.2227091 | female | HOL |
| 2000 | Pásztor-Virtus Erös MET Mu. 1970/00 | male | HUN |
| - | Pásztor-Virtus Eszes MET Mu. 1971/00 | female | HUN |
| 2002 | Pásztor-Virtus Igazlátó Mocca MET Mu. 2474/02 | male | HUN |
| - | Pásztor-Virtus Iklat MET Mu.2475/02 | male | HUN |
| - | Pásztor-Virtus Ippeg MET Mu.2477/02 | female | HUN |
| 2004 | Csodabogár Énekes Rigó MET Mu.2759/04 | female | HUN |
| - | Csodabogár Édeske | female | HUN |
| - | Csodabogar Étkes | female | HUN |
| - | Csodabogár Éber | male | HUN |
| Meheskerti-Arasz Csoki | male | HUN | |
| 2005 | Gondűző-Alkonyat Úri Dárido | male | HUN |
| Gondűző-Alkonyat Ünnepi Dalnok | male | HUN | |
| 2006 | Gondűző-Alkonyat Szerencsecsillag Fénye | female | HUN |
| Gondűző-Alkonyat Szeretett Futar (brown merle) | female | HUN |