My golden retriever is 鈥淒udley-nosed鈥�, meaning it has a pink nose rather than a black one. Such noses were first noticed in bulldogs from Dudley in Worcestershire, UK, hence the name. If this is a genetic mutation, how could it jump to other pure-bred dogs?
鈥� Dudley nose is caused by a mutation in the gene that affects the synthesis of the pigment that causes dogs鈥� noses to be black. Although first noted in bulldogs, it appears in other breeds as well.
Dudley nose only occurs when a dog is homozygous, or has two recessive alleles for the mutation. This means a pair of dogs could have black noses but be carriers of the mutation and so have Dudley-nosed puppies.
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Dog breeders are encouraged not to breed Dudley-nosed dogs, but there is no way to stop carriers being used in breeding, unless DNA testing is carried out. This is how Dudley nose can spread to puppies among pure-bred dogs.
Nicky Rudling, Waltham Chase, Hampshire, UK
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This article appeared in print under the headline 鈥淩ose nose鈥�