In today’s entry on my blog, which has the following title: Can A Double Merle Be Healthy?, I’d like to talk about the following topic, which is suggested by the following title: I will provide you with all of the information that is highly pertinent to the position that you are interested in, so please don’t hesitate to ask me any questions. I have high expectations that you will find this post to be of a great deal of benefit to you and that you will agree with me on this point.
double merles
, despite their deficiencies, are generally quite healthy dogs capable of living long, otherwise normal lives And they are no more aggressive, unpredictable or untrainable than hearing and sighted dogs.
Merle Aussies: What happens if you breed 2 merle Aussies
Many people are unaware, but when two merles (of any breed) are bred together, each puppy has a 25% chance of being born as a double merle These puppies have
excessive white coloration
– lack of pigment – and this coloration causes loss of hearing, vision, or any combination of the two impairments.
Double Merle: How do I know if my dog is double merle
Dogs with the
double merle gene
may be/have: All white in color, or have patches of merle/mottled coloring on the top half of their body – their head, back, and base of the tail. Light-colored paw pads. Have light blue, green or brown eyes, perhaps even eyes that are different colors.
Can you breed two
merle australian shepherds
together?
If you don’t want to produce homozygous merles in your litters, it’s easy to avoid doing so: Don’t breed two merles together.
Rarest Australian Shepherd Color: What is the rarest Australian shepherd color
Red merles are far less common than blue merles because the red-colored gene is recessive in dogs, meaning both parents have to have it for their offspring to inherit the coat. Red is the rarest color in Aussies generally, although the red merle coat is one of the more common red-colored coats in the breed.
Double Merle: How do you know if your Aussie is a double merle
A dog that inherits two
dominant versions
of M is a double merle. In Australian Shepherds these dogs usually will have excessive amounts of white, be deaf in one or both ears, and have serious and generally blinding eye defects In a few severe cases the eyes have been missing altogether.
Double Merles Blind: Why are
double merles
blind
Double Merle dogs are highly likely to suffer from hearing and vision impairments and in some
cases complete blindness
and deafness. Deafness and hearing impairment happens due to lack of hair pigment produced in the inner ear. Double Merles can also be blind or have vision problems due to congenital eye defects.
Merle Dogs: Why are merle dogs more expensive
In a nutshell, merle dogs are expensive because puppy buyers are willing to pay a lot of money for them The pattern is very sought-after, and the more demand there is, the
higher breeders
can set their prices. In addition, merle breedings can be quite rare in some breeds.
What is a
harlequin merle
?
Harlequin is a pattern seen in Great Danes resulting from the complex interaction of the Merle (PMEL17) and Harlequin (PSMB7) genes on black pigment The dominant Merle gene by itself produces dark spots on a dilute background on eumelanistic dogs.
Double Merles: What do double merles look like
Double merles are usually largely white and have pink noses as they are albinos. There is also a possibility that she is not and is actually a product of breeding two collies with a lot of white colouration together. This can produce a pup with a large amount of white (or all white coat).
Can you breed two merles?
Merles:
A double merle is created when two merle dogs are bred together It doesn’t matter what color merle or what breed they are. If two merle dogs are bred together, each puppy in the litter has a 25% chance of being born a double merle. A double merle inherits the merle gene twice.
Ghost Merle: What is a ghost merle
Dogs with cryptic merle (also called phantom or ghost merle) typically display little to no merle pattern and some may be misclassified as non-merles The cryptic merle alleles occur in the lower end of the range (typically from 200-255, however, this range and designation varies by study).
White Ears Deaf: Are all Aussies with white ears deaf
Not every dog with too much white is deaf , so there are probably additional genetic factors which determine whether the dog is deaf. However, if breeders make efforts not to produce puppies with white on or close around the ears they can significantly reduce the frequency of deafness in the breed.
Double Merle Aussies: How long do double merle Aussies live
How long will they live? A lethal white Aussie will live the same lifespan as a regular Aussie, usually 12 to 15 years The genetics (other than the double merle gene) in their family line will dictate the health and length of their life.
Red Merle Aussie: Can you breed a red merle Aussie to a Blue Merle Aussie
There are NO OTHER CHOICES on the puppy applications for the breeder to mark on the registration documents at time of transfer of ownership. Breeding merle to merle is unacceptable as each puppy has a chance of being born blind & deaf as a result.
Merle Dogs: What is wrong with merle dogs
An autosomal, incompletely dominant trait, merle coat coloring predisposes dogs to inherited deafness When inherited in the homozygous state, the merle mutation causes dogs to be white and have an even greater incidence of deafness, blindness and sterility.
Merle Dogs: Are merle dogs inbred
No. Don’t do it The merle pattern is produced when a dog has a single copy of the M< allele. All merle dogs have the genotype Mm, meaning they have one allele for merle and one allele for non-merle.
Merle Dogs: Do all merle dogs have blue eyes
No, the merle gene does not always cause blue eyes The merle gene causes the lightening of pigment in patches throughout the body. If these patches do not coincide with the eyes, the dog will have brown eyes instead. They may also have multicolored eyes.
Phantom Aussie: What is a Phantom Aussie
Cryptic merles are sometimes referred to in Aussies as “phantom merles” but cryptic merle is the correct terminology. The merle mutation is a bit of inserted DNA called a SINE (short interspersed nucleotide element) that can change in length from one generation to the next.
Mismarked Aussie: What is a mismarked Aussie
Dogs with excess white markings , sometimes referred to as mismarks, or over-marked. Australian Shepherds with too much white are usually healthy(exceptions noted below). There are entire breeds that allow far more white than typical of Aussies.
Merle Australian Shepherd: Can you breed a merle poodle to a merle Australian Shepherd
It is highly recommended against breeding Merle to Merle , (as in both parents carry one copy of the Merle gene), you will end up with 25% of the puppies being Double Merles, which have a chance of being blind and/or deaf.
Double Merles: Do Double merles have pink noses
Sometimes double merles are even born completely white. The nose is generally mostly or all pink , and the eyes are generally wall or blue (see eye and nose pages). This Dachshund is a blue (black) double merle with tan (called a double “dapple” in this breed).
Can a dog carry merle and not be merle?
Merle:
A cryptic or phantom merle is a dog which phenotypically appears to be a non-merle (solid-colored) or a dog that has very faint patches of merle that can go unnoticed. Animals that do not present the merle phenotype may possess the merle genotype and subsequently produce merle offspring.
Eye Problems: Do merle dogs have eye problems
The most severe abnormalities occur in homozygous merles with an excessive white hair coat involving the head region. There are other, more serious ocular problems associated with the Merle gene. Microphthalmia is a congenital defect characterized by a small eye Severely affected dogs may be blind at birth.
Merle Puppies: Do merle puppies change color
Merle Dog Puppies Merle coloring can become darker with age So, be aware that those white areas on your merle puppy may start to look grayer as your dog ages. But other than that, a merle dog puppy will have all the attributes of an adult of the breed.
Red Merle Australian Shepherds Rare: Are Red Merle Australian Shepherds rare
Red is a recessive gene, so that means it is a rarer coat color than the other Aussie colors Aussies can inherit one of two coat patterns.
What is the difference between Harlequin and merle?
Difference:
Harlequin dogs have white between the darker patches of merle Merle dogs often look “marbled.” They have grey coloration alongside black spots. Harlequin dogs also have the merle gene. However, instead of the larger grey patches, their harlequin gene makes their base coat entirely white.
Popular Aussie Color: What is the most popular Aussie color
The black tri Australian Shepherd is one of the most popular coat colors of the whole Australian Shepherd breed. Since black is the dominant color, their eyes are still light to dark brown.
What makes an Aussie a merle?
Aussie:
The breed standards state that Australian Shepherds can come in some combination of two basic body colors (black and liver), one pattern (merle), and two trim colors (white and tan.) Of these, the pattern merle is described as two “colors”: Blue merle and red (liver) merle.
Merle Gene Dominant: Is the merle gene dominant or recessive
Merle is dominant , and so denoted by the capital letter M. Non-merle is recessive, and denoted by m. There are a number of different merle alleles, which are dealt with on their own page here.
Can you breed a merle and Harlequin?
Harlequin:
No, you cannot breed Merle and Harlequin Great Danes because of the production of double merle Great Dane offspring.
Merle Puppies: How much do merle puppies go for
Merle pitbulls are rare and cost more than other Pitties. Merle pitbull puppies can cost thousands of dollars. Their price usually falls between $2,000 and $5,000 , which is more than five times the cost of regular pittie puppies. Pedigrees can cost over $10,000 because of their bloodline.
Merle Dogs Hypoallergenic: Are merle dogs hypoallergenic
Does Being Merle Affect The Hypoallergenic Trait? Good news for all you guys suffering from allergies: merle poodles are hypoallergenic ! Still, some dog experts might claim that the merle poodle isn’t hypoallergenic because of its coat color; it’s because the poodles, in general, don’t usually trigger allergies.
Is merle a defect?
Defect:
Yes – merle dogs can be just as healthy as dogs that have a solid color They have the same life expectancy, they are just as strong and athletic and smart as their counterparts without the merle gene. In lines with responsible merle breedings, all offspring will be healthy and live a long life.
Cryptic Merle: What is a cryptic merle
A phantom merle or cryptic merle is one with such small patches of merle—or none at all—that it appears to be a non-merle This is commonly seen in dogs who are recessive red, clear recessive reds in particular, though patches can still be seen in certain red dogs.
Is merle the same as brindle?
Brindle:
Like merle, brindle is also a coat color pattern , it is often described as being “tiger-striped.” The stripes are irregular and dark against a lighter base color that is often fawn, brown or gray. The brindle coat pattern is found in several dog breeds including great danes, bulldogs and boxers.
Piebald Dog: What is a piebald dog
A piebald or pied animal is one that has a pattern of unpigmented spots (white) on a pigmented background of hair, feathers or scales Thus a piebald black and white dog is a black dog with white spots. The animal’s skin under the white background is not pigmented.
Merle Gene: What breeds carry the merle gene
The Merle pattern can be seen in various breeds, such as the Australian Shepherd Dog, Australian Koolie, Border Collie, Dachshund, French Bulldog, Louisiana Catahoula, Labradoodle, Miniature American Shepherd, Miniature Australian Shepherd, Pyrenean Shepherd, Rough Collie, Shetland Sheepdog, Welsh Sheepdog, Cardigan.
Sources
https://www.australian-shepherd-lovers.com/double-merle-km01.html
https://happydogsmuncie.com/2018/05/19/double-merle-awareness/