gspman,
I am not refering to what an 'ee' dog can produce when mated. I am stating that an 'ee' dog is unable to produce dark pigment on itself. 'ee' prevents dark pigment from being produced, therefore the dog is lacking in dark pigment producing lemon,yellow,pale nose on that dog.
Hope that was clearer.
 

Here is the link posted earlier. Hope it helps.
There are other links I can post, but this one does seem to be the most simplistic.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breed_type_(dog)

www.mabekennels.com/index.htm 

On the topic of Rarer Colors, here a web site that has white GSP's and are bred to patched GSP's and all the puppies are patched. No Solid White's.

Looking at site, their whites came from patched and solid liver parents. How does genetics do this?

Close look at the whites, they do have slight off color that resembles patches. Is this a off color gene?

No telling where this will end....I have been breeding GSP's for about 15 years and have ran into something that brought me to this sight. I just whelped a litter. Sire was Black roan Dam was white and liver ticked. 3 of the 8 pups are white with a lemon to fawn color. 2 white and blacks 1 liver and white, and 2 liver roan. What the heck is up with these 3 odd balls??? I know what I think what do you guys think. Yes both dogs are akc registered. the dam has had multiple litters, sires first time and I personally didn't raise him.

So the GSPCA Health and Welfare committee has been working with UC Davis on a coat color test to address this very thing. Below is the content of a recent email from the Director of H&W, Leita Estes, that I think addresses your question well. You can also find info about this at
www.vgl.ucdavis.edu/services/coatcolordog.php

Dog Coat Color Tests
Introduction
Mammals have two pigments that are the basis of hair color: eumelanin (black) and pheomelanin (red or yellow). The gene involved in the production of these pigments in many species including dogs is Melanocortin 1 Receptor (MC1R) which is also called Extension. Other genes modify these pigments to produce the variety of colors and patterns found in the domestic dog. The Brown gene, Tyrosinase-Related Protein 1 (TYRP1), is a modifier that dilutes black pigment to brown but does not affect red pigment. Other genes involved in dog coat color include Agouti (ASIP) which organizes the distribution of black and red pigments, Beta-defensin (CBD-103) which is unique to dogs and responsible for dominant black, and Dilute (MLPH) which dilutes black and red pigments. Other genes that add white patterns and dilute colors are also present in dogs but are specific to certain breeds. Below are expanded descriptions of the genetic tests offered by the Veterinary Genetics Laboratory for dog coat color.
ORDER TEST KITS - Allow 5-10 business days for test results.
Detailed Coat Color Information
MC1R Gene
MC1R Gene. The three common alleles (variants) of this gene are melanistic mask (Em), black (E) and red (e). A forth allele, EG, is unique to Afghan and Saluki breeds. Em and E are dominant to e, therefore a dog must have 2 copies of e to be clear red/yellow. Some breeds are fixed for either black or red pigment, such as the Large Munsterlander for black and Irish Setters and Golden Retrievers for red.
Melanistic face mask is found in a variety of breeds including but not limited to Afghans, Akitas, Boxers, French Bulldogs, German Shepherds, Great Danes, Greyhounds, Pug Dogs and Whippets. For Pug Dogs and Boxers the trait is fixed, while it is variable in other breeds. Dogs that are overall eumelanistic (black, blue or brown) may have the mask but it is indistinguishable from the body color. Dogs with white muzzles may have the mask gene but expression is overridden by white spotting patterns. The mask phenotype is caused by the Em variant (allele) at the MC1R gene. Em is dominant to the black E and red e alleles.
The VGL offers tests for Black/Red and Melanistic Mask. These two tests can be requested together or individually, as appropriate to the breed of dog.
The Black/Red DNA test is specific for the E and e variants. It is useful for those breeds that have both black- and red-colored dogs such as Dobermans and Labrador Retrievers.
References:
Schmutz SM, TG Berryere and AD Goldfinch. TYRP1 and MC1r genotypes and their effects on coat color in dogs. Mammalian Genome 13:380-387 (2002)
Schmutz SM, TG Berryere, NM Ellinwood, JA Kerns and GS Barsh. MC1R studies in dogs with melanistic mask or brindle patterns. Journal of Heredity 94:69-73 (2003)
Newton JM, AL Wilkie, L He et al. Melanocortin 1 receptor variation in the domestic dog. Mammalian Genome 11:24-30 (2000)
1. If only Black/Red tests are requested, results are reported as:
E/E: 2 copies of black cannot have clear red/yellow offspring.
E/e: 1 copy of black, carrier of clear red/yellow. Can produce clear red/yellow puppies, depending on the genetics of the mate.
e/e: clear red/yellow.
2. If only the mask test is requested, results are reported as:
Em/Em: 2 copies of mask are present- dog has mask
Em/N: 1 copy of mask is present- dog has mask
N/N: no copies of mask are present
3. If both black/red and mask tests are requested, results are reported as:
Em/Em: 2 copies of mask are present- dog has mask
Em/E: 1 copy of mask is present- dog has mask and carries black
Em/e: 1 copy of mask is present- dog has mask and carries clear red/yellow
E/E: 2 copies of black, dog cannot have clear red/yellow offspring
E/e: 1 copy of black, carrier of clear red/yellow
e/e: clear red/yellow
Brown
TYRP1 Gene. There are two alleles: the dominant full color (B) and the recessive brown (b). Two copies of brown are needed to dilute black pigment to brown. For red or yellow dogs, the brown allele does not dilute the hair color, but will change the color of nose and foot pads from black to brown if two brown alleles are present.
Brown results are reported as:
B/B: Does not carry brown - cannot have brown offspring
B/b: 1 copy of brown present - carrier
b/b: 2 copies of brown present - black pigment (if present) is diluted to brown, red/yellow dogs have brown noses and foot pads
References:
Schmutz SM, TG Berryere and AD Goldfinch. TYRP1 and MC1r genotypes and their effects on coat color in dogs. Mammalian Genome 13:380-387 (2002)
Schmutz SM, TG Berryere, NM Ellinwood, JA Kerns and GS Barsh. MC1R studies in dogs with melanistic mask or brindle patterns. Journal of Heredity 94:69-73 (2003)
Newton JM, AL Wilkie, L He et al. Melanocortin 1 receptor variation in the domestic dog. Mammalian Genome 11:24-30 (2000)
Dilute
A recessive mutation in the melanophilin (MLPH) gene was identified as the cause of color dilution phenotypes in the dog. Two alleles (variants) are described: the dominant full color (D) and the recessive dilute (d). Two copies of dilute are needed to lighten black pigment to grey (often called blue) and red pigment to cream (also called buff). A diagnostic DNA test identifies the specific variants of the MLPH gene.
Results from the DILUTE test are reported as:
D/D Full color, no dilute gene present
D/d Full color, carries 1 copy of the dilute gene
d/d Dilute, 2 copies of the dilute gene
Reference:
Drögemüller C, U. Philipp, B. Haase, A-R Günzel-Apel & T Leeb. A noncoding melanophilin gene (MLPH) SNP at the splice donor of exon 1 represents a candidate causal mutation for coat color dilution in dogs. Journal of Heredity 98(5):468-473 (2007).
Dominant Black
The wide variety of coat colors in mammals is achieved by the production of two pigments, eumelanin (black) and pheomelanin (red or yellow). In most mammals, the switching between these 2 pigments is controlled by MC1R and Agouti genes. In dogs, original coat color research of pedigrees suggested that a third gene, named Dominant Black (K), was involved. This gene produces dominant black vs. brindle vs. fawn colors in breeds such as Great Danes, Pugs and Greyhounds among others. Researchers recently have discovered that dominant black is due to a mutation in a Beta-defensin gene (CBD103).
The Veterinary Genetics Laboratory offers a test that can assist owners of black dogs to determine if their dogs are homozygous for dominant black or if they carry brindle or fawn.
Results are reported as:
K/K 2 copies of dominant black are present, no brindle or fawn offspring will be produced
K/N 1 copy of dominant black is present, brindle or fawn offspring can be produced, depending on the genotype of the mate.
N/N Dog does not have the dominant black mutation.
Reference:
Candille Sophie I, C B Kaelin et al. A beta-defensin mutation causes black coat color in domestic dogs. Science 318, 1418 (2007) DOI: 10.1126/science.1147880

 pixie - The GSPCA is pushing both the color and dilute tests and are building a database to track the dogs that are carriers.  That is where I got the info I posted above.  You can see all the recommended tests and tests to consider that we are doing with shorthairs. The results are also being freely communicated via the shorthair dlist, gsp-l, and the DB will be available as well.  Of course, this relies on the dogs being tested and the owners sharing the results.

www.gspca.org/Health/testing.html

It's been in the breed all along, just the same as the "Z" Modifier that creates the Cinnamon coloration that some are so quick to dismiss as cross breeding, without a shred of reference material supporting their position to counter the reference material that says it HAS been in the breed all along WITHOUT cross breeding.

"all along" states that the genes have been in the breed from its creation.
Is there proof of this?
Since not all dogs have the gene, which ancestors should we be looking for as possible carriers?



 

Upon further thought,
how many GSPs have tested as having Z?
Does the Z go beyond theory in the GSP?

Can facts be provided?
Can Z and little e be proven to date back to the origins of the breed?

It would be interesting to know what theories are being set forth and as to whether it was the Schweissel(sp) hound, the fox hound,etc. that may have contributed these genes.
The gene pool is rather small in Germany and europe, it would interesting to see supporting data on the occurance in the studbooks.

I would enjoy being part of a team that would track the pedigrees of the affected dogs.