Pigment Spotting
General
Pigment spots are small spots on a dog where the coat is less thick, thus giving the appearance of small colour spots, usually pink or grey in colour. They are most commonly seen on the muzzle, but on some dogs they can also be visible on the chest and/or ears, or even all over the dog.
Pigment Spots in Petz
There are two ways that pigment spotting is represented in petz - either with small, untextured paintballs, or with textures. Pigment spots, when paintballs, may be flesh (light pink), grey, dark white, or these colours combined, and they must be textureless or use a special skin texture to give that 'skin' look. Colours and placement of paintball pigment spots must look realistic. When using textures for pigment spots, be careful to use a texture that is representative of and matches the dog's pigment colour. Most pigment spotting textures are suitable for all colour dogz - some exceptions are shown below. If unsure, ask and a UKC steward can help!
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| A variety of pigment spotting textures. These textures are acceptable for and realistic of dogz with any pigment | Pigment spotting textures that are only acceptable for and realistic of dogz with liver pigment | Pigment spotting textures that are only acceptable for and realistic of dogz with black pigment |
Pigment Spotting Grading
Different dog breeds are divided into different grades of pigment spot amount. The different grades are:
- Grade 0 - No pigment spots are allowed in this breed.
- Grade 1 - Allows a small amount of pigment spots on the muzzle.
- Grade 2 - Allows a small to heavy amount of pigment spots on the muzzle. Pigment spots may also be present on the chest.
- Grade 3 - Allows pigment spots all over the dog.
For all grades, unless otherwise mentioned, pigment spots may only appear on white areas. Meaning, if the dog has no white on the muzzle, it may not have pigment spots there, even if it's allowed for the breed. Pigment spots also may appear only on shorthaired and/or shaved areas of a dog, never on longhaired parts.
Graded Breeds
Here is a listing of what breeds may have what type of spots in the different groups. If a breed is not listed, then it is a Grade 0 breed and pigment spots are not allowed. Furthermore, if a Grade isn't listed under a group, then no dogs in that group are accepted in that grade. Breeds and separated by their groups.
Additionally, any restrictions outlined in individual breed standards override the grading system outlined here. For example, Beagles are listed here as allowing Grade 2 pigment spotting, but the standards further specifies that pigment spots are only allowed on the front of chest and the belly - the latter information takes precedence.
Gundog
Grade 1
- American Cocker Spaniel
- Bracco Italiano
- Brittany
- Clumber Spaniel
- English Cocker Spaniel
- English Setter
- English Springer Spaniel
- Field Spaniel
- German Longhaired Pointer
- German Shorthaired Pointer
- German Wachtelhund
- Irish Red and White Setter
- Kooikerhondje
- Large Munsterlander
- Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
- Portuguese Pointer
- Small Munsterlander
- Welsh Springer Spaniel
- Wetterhoun
Grade 2
- Braque du Bourbounnais
- English Pointer
- Old Danish Pointer
Hound
Grade 1
- American Foxhound
- Basset Hound
- Bluetick Coonhound
- Borzoi
- Cirneco Dell'Etna
- Dachshund (longhair/shorthair)
- Drever
- Dunker
- English Foxhound
- Hamiltonstovare
- Harrier
- Ibizan Hound
- Karelian Bear Dog
- Norbottenspets
- Pharaoh Hound
- Portuguese Podengo
- Saluki
- Treeing Walker Coonhound
- West Siberian Laika
Grade 2
- Azawakh
- Beagle (very light pigment spotting allowed on throat/front of chest and belly)
- Sloughi
- Treeing Walker Coonhound
Grade 3
- Basenji
- Chart polski
- Galgo espanol
- Greyhound
- Hungarian greyhound
- Whippet
Pastoral
Grade 1
- Australian Shepherd
- Border Collie
- Cardigan Welsh Corgi
- English Shepherd
- Great Pyrenees
- Icelandic Sheepdog
- Maremma Sheepdog
- Pembroke Welsh Corgi
- Rough Collie
- Shetland Sheepdog
- Smooth Collie
Terrier
Grade 1
- Jack Russell terrier (Shorthaired)
- Parson Russell terrier (Shorthaired)
- Rat Terrier
- Teddy Roosevelt Terrier
- Welsh Terrier
Grade 2
- Smooth Fox Terrier
Grade 3
- American Staffordshire Terrier
- Brazilian Terrier
- Bull Terrier
- Japanese Terrier
- Miniature Bull Terrier
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Toy
Grade 1
- Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
- Chihuahua
- English Toy Spaniel
- Japanese Chin
- Papillon
- Pekingese
- Pomeranian
- Toy Fox Terrier
Grade 3
- Chinese Crested
- Italian Greyhound
- Lowchen (shaved areas only)
Utility
Grade 1
- American Akita
- Boston Terrier
- Canaan Dog
- Dalmatian
- German Spitz
- Norwegian Lundehund
- Tibetan Spaniel
- Miniature Poodle (shaved areas only)
- Standard Poodle (shaved areas only)
- Toy Poodle (shaved areas only)
- Multicoloured Poodle (shaved areas only)
Grade 2
- Danish Swedish Farmdog
- French Bulldog
Grade 3
- English Bulldog
- Peruvian Hairless Dog
- Xoloitzcuintle
Working
Grade 1
- Aidi
- Anatolian Shepherd Dog
- Appenzell Mountain Dog
- Austrian Pinscher
- Bernese Mountain Dog
- Caucasian Ovtcharka
- Central Asian Ovtcharka
- Great Dane
- Greater Swiss Mountain Dog
- Greenland Dog
- Kuvasz
- Landseer
- Pyrenean Mastiff
- Siberian Husky
- Spanish Mastiff
- St. Bernard
- Tatra Shepherd Dog
Grade 2
- Boxer
Grade 3
- American Bulldog
- Dogo Argentino
Examples
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| A blue sable dog with shading in the classic pattern, with white in the irish spotting pattern and a standard mask. A Grade 1 amount of pigment spotting is present on the muzzle | A chocolate sable dog with shading in the minimal pattern, with white in the piebald pattern and a standard mask. A Grade 2 amount of pigment spotting is present on the muzzle and the front of the chest | A blue brindle dog with white in the piebald pattern and a standard mask. A Grade 3 amount of pigment spotting is also present on the white over the entire dog |
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| A solid liver dog with white in the piebald pattern. A Grade 3 amount of pigment spotting is also present on the white over the entire dog | A blue brindle dog and white in the trim pattern. A Grade 2 amount of pigment spotting is present on the front of the chest | A solid black dog with white in the extreme white pattern. A Grade 2 amount of pigment spotting is present on the muzzle and the front of the chest |
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| A solid cream dog with white in the piebald pattern and a standard mask. A Grade 2 amount of pigment spotting is present on the muzzle and the front of the chest | A solid isabella dog with white in the irish spotting pattern. A Grade 3 amount of pigment spotting is also present on the white over the entire dog |
