*The Red Elkhound Papers* The collected research material on the Red Elkhound as compiled by Martha J. Blair, Martrick's/Copperhaven Kennel Delaware Ohio Forward by Susan Hamilton (2/5/01) With the birth of "Scarlett", the Red Elkhound has once again become a subject of discussion. I have been asked on many occasions for information about Scarlett, about reds in general, and the genetics of this rare creature. The best way I know to put the most available information into the hands of those who wish to read it is to put it here, on a webpage. In order to relay  that information I am going to undertake the monumental task of re-typing the research material done many years ago by Martha Blair, of Martrick's/Copperhaven Kennels, Delaware, Ohio.  I will be working from a copy of a very old paper written over 20 years ago and will do my best to decipher it. Along the path these articles took to get to me some pages were repeated, some were out of sequence, and I fear some may have been lost. I will attempt to recreate it as closely as possible to the way Martha wrote it. This is a very lengthy article, and may be a little hard to wade through in places. There will be some redundancy. However, I don't want to leave out anything that may be just what a reader would need to answer a particular question. Therefore, I will try not to delete, paraphrase, shorten or condense, any more than is necessary. No one that I know of has ever gone to the time and trouble to research the genetics of the Red Elkhound so thoroughly. I make no promises as to the accuracy of the research (or to the accuracy of my typing!) Some of the italics, underlines and other emphasis to draw attention to a passage or word may be Martha's, some may, however, be mine.) Please remember as you read, these articles were written from the 1950's through the 1970's, and while some information may not still hold true today more of it will be timely than not. Martha Blair has not been heard from in years, but I have fond memories of her. An internet search has turned out to be a closed door. If anyone reading this knows anything about Marty's whereabouts, I for one, would love to find her and introduce her to "Scarlett". Marty, if you are out there.... I hope I haven't messed up your articles too much. The Red Elkhound by Martha Blair Lately, I have received various notes from members regarding color, specifically red elkhounds. In digging through my files, I have resurrected a series of articles written by Dr. Margaret Ascher. These were taken from her September 1957, December 1958, January 1959, and March 1959 columns in the "Gazette" during the time she was writing for the NEAA. Dr. Ascher, a veterinarian, gives us all some interesting lessons in genetics as applied to elkhounds. Read on and enjoy!! (From the pen of Dr. Ascher) The material for this column is derived from the newly published "Inheritance of Coat Color in Dogs" by Clarence C. Little. The book contains the first genetic analysis of Elkhound color I have seen, and is well worth the serious breeder's attention. For the most part, I am either quoting directly or paraphrasing the book. In dogs, even as in other animals studied, there are two major types of pigment, yellow and dark--black or brown. The color varieties are formed by genes controlling the amount, extent and distribution of these pigments both individually, in combination, and in competition with one another. Such pigment granules can be distributed in various amounts and patterns in either or both the outside layer (cortex) or inner portion (medulla) of the hair. Variations in processes produce different optical color effects resulting in the different color varieties of the dog. So far ten different sets of genes have been identified as being responsible for the coat color of dogs. The various forms of a gene which may occupy the same site in a chromosome, and thus affect the same character, are called alleles (a contraction of a term meaning another form of), and some sites concerning coat color may contain any one of four alleles. In the technical language of genetics dominant genes are designated by capital letters, recessives by small letters and alleles listed in order of dominance. The formula for the Elkhound's coat is: awBcchD Em G mP St. (note from the typist: the tiny letters are supposed to be at the top of the larger letters...couldn't figure any other way to type them...excuse the inaccuracy.) "A" is a pattern factor the result of a tendency to allow the spread of dark pigment, and the opposing tendency expressed by a series of alleles to restrict the spread of dark pigment. "a", wild color or agouti, is the most recessive of all and produces a banded type of hair. "B" is one of a pair which causes dark pigment to be black. "b", it's recessive, produces liver, chocolate, or as we describe it in Elkhounds, red. "C" has to do with depth of pigmentation. "C" produces full color. "c ch", the one present in Elkhounds, is called chinchilla, and reduces the yellow pigment without much effect on the dark. It removes all but traces of yellow in the coat. Other members of this series go on to produce extreme dilution and finally complete albinism. "D" has to do with the denseness of pigmentation, and dogs of the recessive "d" (dilution) are blue, as certain Great Danes and Dobermans. The "E" has to do with the presence of the black mask. "E" is the most dominant of it's series. The "G" pair (lightening of certain types of dark coats), "M" (merling), "P" (pink eyed dilution) and "T" (ticking) are of no importance in Elkhounds. The "S" series (self-color) is responsible for the degree of whiteness, and in it's most dominant form produces a solid coat with no white, or just tiny spots on toes and chest. It has three alleles which produce progressively more white until the last is a white dog with a few colored spots. Other genes known as minus modifiers may increase the the amount of white in self colored dogs. To summarize the significant genes, the Elkhound may be described as a wild-colored, black pigmented, chinchilla, intensely colored, self-colored dog. It is possible to draw some conclusions about red Elkhounds from this analysis. For one thing, red is no more of an "albinistic" degeneration, as I have heard it called, than is the brown Poodle or Doberman. It is quite inaccurate to regard any departure from black as a tendency toward albinism. In fact, the snowy-coated Samoyed is genetically a "B" dog whose blackness is masked by the most extreme degree of white spotting. The true albino is known by it's defective pink eyes, and is a dog of quite another color. Whether or not red is to be accepted in the show ring is a matter for the breeders to decide with a full understanding of it's cause. Dr. Little concludes one chapter by writing that one cannot use Mendel's Law to obtain an easy solution of the problems of breeding dogs, and that many influences which affect the degree of development or expression of genes are impossible to analyze. To my mind a working knowledge of genetics is essential for the enjoyment as well as the practical side of breeding, but there are still strong elements of art and chance in the production of good dogs. Now, with apologies to the readers who have given the subject some study, I am going to start a series on genetics as applied to the Elkhound. Once in a while a properly grey bitch bred to a properly grey dog whelps a litter which contains a few red puppies. They are unmistakably red with liver-colored noses and foot pads and are quite startling to behold. These puppies mature into animals with color patterns identical to their grey litter mates. Wherever the ordinary Elkhound is black they are red, and the eyes, instead of being dark brown, are amber. If the pedigrees are looked into it is usually found that they trace back to Vindsval stock. If two reds are bred together the offspring are all red. It happens that the absence of black is a simple recessive. It must be present in both parents or it cannot appear in the offspring. It's appearance follows definate rules. If one of the red puppies is back-crossed to it's parent about half the puppies will be red and half grey. However, if the red puppy is bred to a grey not tracing back to Vindsval, the chances are that all the offspring will be grey. By inter-breeding, to each other, the red will again appear in the approximate ratio of one red to every three greys. This is all a matter of fact. It has been demonstrated specifically in red Elkhounds, and the general principle of dominance and recessiveness can be illustrated with examples from all forms of life that reproduce sexually. Now this change in pigmentation has no effect on the health and well-being of the animal. As the breed Standard is set up now, a red cannot win in the show ring, but it can be registered and exhibited. Some regard it as an "albinistic degeneration" which it is definately not: others as a beautiful variation--but this a matter of taste. No one has felt keenly enought about it to work either for it's elimination or perpetuation. Now if one were enough of an individualist to want a strain of red Elkhounds, once stock carrying the factor was uncovered, it would be easy to produce, since the genetically pure red animal is manifest to all but the totally color blind. With judicious in-breeding it would not take too many years to be famous for a kennel of Copper Elkhounds. The great advantage in breeding for a simple recessive is that you know when you have it in the pure state. However, supposing your feelings were violently against this color and you felt that for the good of the breed you must eliminate it forever from your kennels. You have no way of knowing whether your greys are carrying red unless you test breed them to RED animals. This means that as far as your program is concerned the first litter is a sacrifice. Even if your parent dog shows it's purity, by producing an all-grey litter, the puppies will all carry the red factor. If you bred to a known carrier and are lucky enough to get a large enough litter, (six is acceptable for test purposes), some of the pups will be pure for grey but there is no way except by test breeding them to tell which ones. To add to your difficulties, every now and then you will come on a carrier that is so excellent that it will be very hard not to breed it. This all may seem more interesting than important, except that it demonstrates a basic principle--that a recessive is easy to perpetuate and almost impossible to eliminate. Over generations of dogs, the selection has been against red. When red dogs have appeared they haven't been bred. On the other hand no one has ever eliminated the known carriers of red, or made any attempt to find other carriers. The frequency of this factor cannot be very high because we see so few red puppies, but it is present in the breed as a whole and now and again it is sure to appear. Some day a prominent sire may be recessive for red and then when people begin to inbreed to his offspring we will see much more of it than we do now. (continued) Last month I discussed in considerable detail the behavior of two simple genetic characteristics--the dominant grey and recessive red color in Elkhounds: and showed how red can appear in dogs whose ancestry is impeccably grey. This is something that can be verified by anyone who has access to a large number of pedigrees which include colors. It is something like what Gregor Mendel did 100 years ago on peas. He concentrated on single characteristics in the peas, such as yellow color vs. green, and round shape vs. wrinkled, bred his peas in large numbers over several generations and made a variety of crosses, and carefully recorded and tabulated his results. From this he observed dominant and recessive characters, and from their behavior he inferred the existence of a "formative element" in each sex cell capable of determining a character in the offspring. Scientists who have been able to study the workings of animal and vegetable cells in the most minute detail have confirmed Mendel's theoretic conclusions through direct observation. Indeed, the laws which he derived from his studies of peas are of universal validity, and apply to all forms of sexually reproducing life. The deviations and exceptions are only apparent, and with close study have been found too to be part of the grand structure of Mendelian Theory. Techniques which make visible the inner structures and workings of the cells which make up all living organisms show that in that part of each cell called the nucleus there is a mass of coiled threadlike material. While the sex cells are forming, this matter condenses into visible threads called chromosomes. At certain stages these can be seen to be made of identical pairs, each pair being different in pattern from the others. After a complicated pattern of activity the sex cells are formed, each having half the chromosomes, one member from each pair. In fertilization the male and female cells fuse into one providing the new individual with a double set of chromosomes, one from each parent. Each chromosome contains a great number of tiny structures, the genes. These are the actual determiners and act as catalysts. That is, they make possible the innumerable chemical processes which form the living animal. Each is responsible for some character in the complete animal. Thus the offspring is not a blend of the parents, but rather a mosaic made up of innumerable separate characteristics. Many of the visible ones have invisible partners which will, nevertheless, go to half the offspring to remain invisible until two of it's carriers reproduce. A single gene may produce an effect which changes the entire appearance of the animal, such as Dachshund legs instead of those of normal length, or it's effect may be small such as those determining the degree of white spotting in a dark animal. Certain genes are called "lethals" because the animal expressing them is unable to complete it's normal life. If these are dominant, they are unfortunate, but not too hard to deal with as their possessors can be eliminated on sight. The recessive sort is a great deal more troublesome because entirely normal dogs may be carriers and the gene may become widespread before it's presence is known. Sometimes domesticity so modifies a lethal that the animal can live in a somewhat sheltered situation. Examples of this sort of thing are hairlessness, as in the Mexican Hairless, which would perish if it had to face a rigorous climate, or enlarged teats in some bitches which might be fatal to the puppies if there were no human assistance. More serious lethals are hip dysplasia, certain hereditary eye diseases, albinism, certain types of deafness, and certain abnormalities of reproductive behavior. Some of these are restricted to certain breeds, others are latent in all breeds and liable to appear when the right (or better, wrong) breeding combination is made. These days, in the dog columns, terms such as hip dysplasia or subluxation, retinal atrophy and cryptorchidism have replaced the homelier things we used to worry about; the cow-hocks, rabbit feet, and lop ears of simpler times. Most of these bad hereditary conditions at first seemed peculiar to one or another breed, but it now seems that most of these defects are part of the common heritage of all dogs. The older one grows as a breeder, the more unpleasant surprises there are. No breeder can guarantee his breed to be free of hereditary diseases. Now, of course, there must be definitions. From one point of view any deviation from the presumed norm of the ancestral dog may be considered abnormal. One author even describes the Arctic-type dog tail in some such words as a deformity of the end of the spine with fusion and twisting of the coccygeal vertebrae. In one sense, all the variations which make domestic dogs different from their wild progenitors, and from each other, may be considered abnormalities. This theory is usually held by those who hold that mongrels ultimately revert to a medium sized, prick-eared yellow dog of superb intelligence and vitality. Perhaps the local mongrels have not evolved to this degree of perfection because those I've dealt with are as diverse as the pure-breds and are no more apt to be yellow than any other color, and as liable to need veterinary attention as anyone else. The dog most closely resembling this ideal is, perhaps, the Basenji, a pure, ancient and honorable breed whose supporters no doubt have the same troubles in maintaining type as do the rest of us. The status of these variations is clearly a matter of philosophy rather than pathology. For practical purposes, the characteristics that must be considered as hereditary diseases are those which interfere with the normal activity and reproduction of the animal, and not variations which are aesthetic or functional--I am personally excluding some lesser defects too, which are probably hereditary--extra dew claws, inverted eyelids, scabaceous cysts, etc., but which are corrected by minor veterinary procedures. Of course, since mongrels breed at random, the lame, halt and blind do not have the same opportunity to perpetuate themselves as purebreds. They don't embark on careful programs of in-breeding, and bring to light their hidden and destructive recessives. When Nature is not tampered with, bad defects cannot become widespread. But with pure-bred dogs one sire can have a terrific influence for ill as well as good. A very few generations can spread a defect far and wide and out of all proportion to it's original incidence. Unfortunately, breeders have used studs which were carriers of hereditary diseases or were actually affected themselves. Usually this was done in all innocence, and even on veterinary advice. It simply was not realized that the conditions were inheritable. So it may be that apart from better diagnosis, the actual incidence of certain hereditary diseases has increased. Of course, you cannot x-ray all the dogs in a pedigree, or demand health certificates of all a puppy's ancestors, but you can insist that any puppies you buy or sell for purposes of breeding are free of these defects themselves, and in their immediate ancestry that the studs you patronize are neither victims nor carriers of any of the major hereditary diseases. (notes from the very tired typist: this was just the "preamble"...the following three articles are Martha's original work...and they are VERY long.) FOR THE LOVE OF COCOA Some History and Opinions of the Lever Elkhound (Liver colored or Red Norwegian Elkhound) by Martha J. Blair (This article is dedicated to Cocoa.) The occurance of red/gray puppies in litters of black/gray appears to be one of the most prevalent secrets in the history of the breed. These puppies have been eliminated, or otherwise concealed, due either to complete unawareness of the existance of the variety, or for fear of defamation of the stock which is producing it. So little recognition has been given to the fact that this variety exists, and there are so many misconceptions about it, it is no wonder what apprehensions about it have prevailed. The antiquated belief that it occurs because of crossbreeding with foxhounds (eng. harehounds) in the early eighteen hundreds is the most perpetuated fallacy of all, and is probably greatly to blame for the predicament many owners of carriers face today. It is difficult for many breeders to accept the fact that the black/gray Elkhound can be deceiving as to what color they actually carry. It has been known for several years that the liver color occurs due to a simple recessive gene which is carried in the breed as a whole. It is time to put an end to the fallacies, and make known the truth that although this variety is not accepted by our standard, they are as purely  Norwegian Elkhound as the black/gray, and should be regarded as such. This article is being written in the hope that with more knowledge of the history of the Red Elkhound breeders will learn to deal sensibly with their occurance in the breed today. CORRECTING SOME FALLACIES I wish to clarify some of the biggest misconceptions about the Red Norwegian Elkhound. 1. Many breeders have the impression that this variety of color only occurs in breedings of inferior stock. The records show that some of the most prominent Elkhounds of the past and present have, and are, producing RED offspring. 2. Some have heard that this variety only occurs in mixed breedings.            This is one of the biggest fallacies of all. The Red Elkhound is no more a mixed breed than any of the other purebred dogs which have varieties of color. Therefore the snide remark...."something must have got to mommy" shows lack of knowledge about the genetic inheritance of the color. The only thing that "got to mommy" was , in fact, another carrier like herself. 3. Some believe that these animals are poor quality; i.e., conformation,      personality and health are affected by the pigment change. This is completely false. The Red Elkhound is not physically or mentally affected by the pigment change.   4. One belief of the past which has been perpetuated (origin unknown) is that the Red Elkhound was inferior to the black/gray in hunting instincts and abilities. Most people have the impression that this supposed deficiency was due solely to the loss of black pigment. There is no way of knowing when or why this belief began. It would be interesting to know: How many dogs were tested? Were those dogs purebred Red Norwegian Elkhounds? According to all the information available there is nothing linking the black gene to hunting instincts or abilities. Since the Red Elkhound inherits the same stature, personality, and robust health, it seems unlikely that they would be any less adept at bringing a moose to bay than their black/gray relatives. To assume that the moose hunting instincts and abilities are not inherited without the black gene is ridiculous. 5. Many people believe that a black/gray dog with a reddish cast is a Red Norwegian Elkhound. They are most definately not. In a true Red Elkhound no black pigment whatsoever remains on the animal. 6. Most people think that the Red Elkhound is a solid-colored dog, thus classing them in the same catagory as the Black Elkhound of Norway. In actuality the Black Elkhound differs from the Black/Gray in many respects such as structural size, temperament as well as being a solid-colored dog which does not carry the markings of the Black/Gray. The Red Norwegian Elkhound, which differs in outer pigmentation only, still retains the most important virtues which separated the Norwegian Elkhound from the Black Elkhound. The Red is a variety of the Norwegian Elkhound and should not be classed with the Black Elkhound which is considered a different breed. CORRECT DESCRIPTION OF THE LEVER ELKHOUND They are best described as being identical to the black/gray insofar as structure, markings, and personality is concerned. They conform to the standard in respects other than outer pigmentation. Instead of having black pigmentation, they instead are reddish-brown (lighter or darker). Nose and footpads are liver colored. The eyes are golden brown. The underwool remains gray or silver in color. FACTS ABOUT COLOR IN THE PAST The most extensive article about colors in the breed was titled, "SOME NOTES ON THE COLOR OF THE NORWEGIAN ELKHOUND IN NORWAY". 1/ The author was the noted Norwegian judge Mr. Rolf Campbell. He decided to research the color of the Norwegian Elkhound in the country in which it originated after observing a Red Elkhound at a show in this country. Mr. Campbell included in his article the translated standards of Norway from the first of 1895 to 1950. I will include here those standards. "First Standard of Norway 1895. Color: Grey with darker or lighter shadings, brownish grey, blackish brown, and in more rare cases, yellowish red. White chest and white front feet allowed. The underwool is light brown (compare the latter with the present day standard). Faults: large white markings, white tip on tail, brown markings. Mr. Campbell stated that, "we may conclude that in 1895 at least there were grey, black, brown and red elkhounds." Note: It was approximately at this time or shortly after that Elkhounds started to arrive in this country. I have discussed the 1895 standard with many breeders and most have the same impression that: 1. What was stated under color was a description of the outer coloration, which was everything from black to yellow. 2. The only off-markings which were allowed on the dogs were white chest and white front feet. 3.The underwool was described as being light brown. 4. Faults were: Large white markings, white tip on tail, and brown markings. (Note: White chest and white front feet were allowed.) I believe that when describing faults it was referring to uncommon (randomly placed) markings, possibly spotting, in areas other than the chest and front feet. The standard of 1903 reads: "Mainly grey, darker or lighter. Somewhat lighter on throat, chest, legs, underside of tail and around anus permitted. White paws and a small white spot may also be permitted (does not disqualify), but is regarded as a fault. The standard of 1910 reads: "Color: grey, somewhat lighter on chest, underside of tail and around anus. The color may be lighter or darker, with slight shadings toward yellow. Strong deviation from grey disqualifies. I feel it is worth noting that the first three standards of Norway do not mention the typical markings; i.e., harness, mask and saddle markings. In looking at the available photos of the dogs of that period we know that they did have these markings but it makes me wonder why they were not considered worthy of mentioning at that time. The standard of 1950 reads: "Color: Darkish or lighter grey. Lighter on chest, stomach and legs, underside of tail and around anus, and 'harness markings'. The color is made up by the guard hairs having more or less long black tips, while the underwool is pure light grey. Ears and the front of the muzzle should be dark (dark mask). Colorations of yellow and brown, irregular distribution of color, 'soot coloring on legs', light circles around eyes (spectacles) and white markings are undesirable." If you will note, the elkhounds which had yellow or brown colorations were only considered undesirable, as were those with soot, spectacles and white markings. Mr. Campbell ended his article with the following: "The 'red' Elkhound, however, is now history....or is it? Apart from a few in the U.S., none has been reported in Norway in the past 25 years. But how many breeders, and there are many in both Europe and America, would admit that his or her bitch got a 'Red' puppy? Would it not rather be removed in such a way that nobody hears of it? The fact that such a color variation should crop up, however, is not unnatural when we take the total gene reservoir into consideration. We should not exclude the possibility of mutation, but I would like to know how many ancestors of all our lovely, grey-coated Norwegian Elkhounds has a (red) skeleton in the cupboard!" We know today that the red gene is carried as a simple recessive to the black. If Mr. Campbell could have had access to the AKC Stud Book information, I'm sure he would have been amazed at the frequency of carriers in this country. I feel it is fair to assume that the Norwegian dogs which our carriers decended from produced carriers which remained in Norway and perpetuated the gene there also, or do we assume that the breeders of Norway were able to do something that in America we are unable to do; i.e., eliminate all carriers or test breed and prove that the offspring of carriers were not carriers? Could this have been done without knowledge as to how the gene was genetically transmitted? I cannot believe that all carriers were eliminated in Norway or any other country any more than they have been here! The fact that no reds have been reported in Norway in the past 25 or 30 years does not discount the possibilities of their occuring. Referring back to the standard of 1950: It is more explicit as to what was both desirable and undesirable. It specifies that the underwool is to be "Pure light grey". Today in this country we find many Elkhounds which do not conform to what is desirable. We find the occurance of large white spots, sooty feet and legs, and the most undesirable of all, underwool which can only be described as tan, beige, or yellow. Our standard is very explicit as to what color the underwool is to be-"pure light grey". Many breeders try to explain away this color, (as dead coat) and in some cases it may be possible, but it is unlikely that any dog would remain this color year round. It is more likely that dogs which carry this tan or beige underwool year round are truly this color. The fact that the standards of the past allowed for, and referred to, the ground color as light brown or yellow makes the occurance of this color no surprise. But it is a fact that our standard requires that the underwool be "pure light grey". If Elkhounds which are black/beige, black/tan, or black/yellow are allowed in the conformation ring, why not the red/grey? SEARCHING Having access to complete AKC Stud Book Registry of the breed, I have been able to trace the History of the Red Variety in this country: and after several years of research, now have an extensive file of reds and carriers. I have noted many brindles, fawns and black/browns listed. Brindle is considered black, with a ground color of either tan, brown or grey. There is no way of being certain just what color or combination of colors these actually were. I have found many questionables over the years but I will restrict this discussion to the red/grey, brown/grey and tan/grey variety. THE FIRST IN THE COUNTRY At the time the foundation dogs started arriving in this country, the Elkhounds of Norway were evidently many varieties and combinations of colors. It appears that the first priority of the breed in Norway was in it's hunting abilities. In the first few years of registrations in this country many of the elkhounds were listed as brindles, some were brown/gray, and some had no color designated. Many were apparently carriers of the red gene. These first arrivals were obviously considered worthy stock to establish the breed in this country; many were considered to be of exceptional quality by the Norwegians themselves. It obviously was unknown at that time how the red gene was transmitted. When a red/grey was bred to a black/grey (homozygeous dominate black) all offspring would have been black/grey, but all would have carried the red gene. It is likely that the breeders of these litters felt that the black/gray had eliminated the red altogether. Since the black and grey would have been more common, wouldn't they have been considered more reliable for breeding and so most preferred? The early registrations show that reds and carriers were used for breeding, and since on an average half of the carrier's offspring were carriers, and all offspring of a red were carriers, the gene was perpetuated. If the breeders of Norway had been opposed to the red color at that time, I'm sure these dogs would not have been brought into this country. Among the first of this variety to be registered in this country were: 2/ VINA (B) BROWN/WHITE VIGRID (B) BROWN/GREY VAND OF VINDSVAL (D) BROWN/GRAY KUTZKA (B) LIGHT TAN/GRAY STAR (D) BROWN/GRAY HULDA (B) TAN/GREY LADY IRISH (B) TAN/GRAY OSLO OF THE NORTH (D) TAN/GRAY LADY OF THE NORTH (B) TAN NORD VARG (D) GINGER/GRAY BILLIE (D) LIGHT TAN/GRAY VAND OF VINDSVAL (D) BROWNISH GRAY One of the first descriptions given for the Norwegian Elkhound in this country was originally printed in the "Book of Dogs" c1919  3/. The Elkhound color was described as "grizzled Buff and Brown, or Wolf colors." The author stated that, "The only one he ever saw as a single speciman shown at the Westminster Show of 1918 and that no dog in the whole show made him more envious of the owner." Was the description "Grizzled Buff and Brown" actually a description of a red? We know that Red Norwegian Elkhounds were exhibited at Westminster in 1941, by Barbara Thayer, one of the most prominent breeders of that time. Most of her breeding stock was acquired from the famous Vindsval Kennels. Her Stonewall Kennels were widely known for the exceptional Elkhounds produced there, nearly all well-established bloodlines in this country today can be traced to Stonewall or Vindsval stock. In a letter she wrote about 1942 to Mirriam Phillips of Joywood Kennels, she discussed the dogs at Stonewall including her Red one. "Then there is Bravo, Coppercoat Bravo, our brown elkhound. He is also known as the most beautiful dog in the world and is our kennel ornament since he cannot be shown, or used for breeding. He was simply too beautiful not to keep. They are really Red you know, and look like illuminated elkhounds." 4/  She spoke of Bravo and his relatives with love and admiration. I do not get the impression that she considered Bravo undesirable as an individual (quite the contrary), only that it would have been improper to use him for breeding. This is probably unfortunate since, if she had done so, she would have undoubtedly discovered carriers among her black/grays. The gene was apparently common among many of the quality Elkhounds of that period. Even if the known producers had been eliminated from breeding programs, the unknown carriers would still have perpetuated the gene. Would the quality of the breed today be as great if these producers and carriers had been eliminated? If the breeders of that era had felt that occurance of the color was so detrimental to the breed, would they have continued to breed dogs which had produced it regardless of their exceptional quality? They had to have known by this time that the gene was hereditary! I feel that they accepted the color for what it was and found no logic in eliminating either the producers of it or the quality black/grey offspring simply because a red had occured in the litter. They acknowledged the red puppies by registering them along with the rest of the litter. Would they have done so if they had not considered them worthy? Some of the Red variety which were registered during this period of time were: 2/ POSEY AV GLITRE-Brown MAGNUS-Brown IVAR-Tan/Brown TEMPO AV TELMARK-Brown WEGIE-Brown/Silver JERVEN AV VINDSVAL-Brown/Silver COPPERCOAT RUGG-Shd. Brown/Silver COPPERCOAT BRAVO-Shd. Brown/Silver COPPERCOAT SURT- Shd. Brown/Silver THORNBECK WIETEN-Brown SIGURD AV VERDAL, TANYA, TROLL & VAKTAN all registered as Brown/Gray COPPERCOAT TAFFI-Brown/Silver THORNBECK KANEL & RAV--both registered as Brown THORNBECK FANE, FJERDE, FOLKEFEST, & FRIHED--all Brown COPPER BJONA RINGESDOTTER & COPPER BJONN RINGESSEN both registered as Brown/Silver ROLF FRA NORGE-Brown THORNBECK KAFFE-Brown THORNBECK LEONORA-Brown NORMA OF BLUE HAZE, RAERTA OF BLUE HAZE, & LARS OF BLUE HAZE all registered as Red VICKA OF MESA VERDE-Red/Silver In the early Fifties the AKC changed from the Stud Book Registry to the Stud Book and only listed dogs and bitches whose litters were registered. There is no way to be certain how many individual reds were being registered after this time, but the early Fifties show registered litters out of: BING (Brown/Silver); BINJ OF SUN HAVEN (Brown/Silver); LULU BELLE II (Golden). The late fifties show JOYWOOD'S MARCIA AV LARMAR (Brown) and OLDSTREAM HILDE (Red/Buff) The past shows that the "Lever" variety has existed and that carriers were used extensively, thereby passing the gene to subsequent generations. The following list is some of the producers of this variety as noted in the AKC Stud Books through 1961. (Since there is no way to be certain just which parent the gene was obtained from, both parents must be considered.) PRODUCER       (SIRE  &   DAM in parenthesis) TROMSO (D) --(SKELVIKIN X ZISKA ) KUZMA (B)----(TRONDJEM X NARVIK) FIN (D)----(JAX S VESLA) HEIA (B)----(FIN(Grandt x Froia) X HELLA II) KJOLEN (D)---(KJOGE X SKELSKOR) TRUMBAI (D)----(TROMSO X KUZMA) OSCAR (D)---(BARUSE X VERA) OLE (D)----(SVELVIKIN X NARVIK)