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.
Can a double merle be healthy?
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.
How much does a double merle cost?
Expect to pay at least $2,500 for a merle Frenchie or even double that for a merle Fluffy Frenchie. Most show
line border collie
cost around $1,500.
How do you tell if a dog is a 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.
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.
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.
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.
Are double merles always white?
Double merles often have a predominantly white coat Keep in mind though, that just because a dog has a white coat, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a double merle, because there are other genetic combinations that can produce a white puppy.
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.
Are double merles always deaf?
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.
How do you test for double merle?
Testing Tips Genetic testing of the PMEL gene will determine whether a dog has no copies or one or more copies of the merle insertion variant However, breeding of dogs with known merle insertion variants to each other may increase the risk of “double merle” pups with hearing and vision problems.
Can you breed 2 merles together?
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. One copy of the merle gene causes a marbling effect on the coat and creates lighter spots throughout the solid color coat.
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).
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).
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.
Can you breed 2 blue merles?
Never breed two merles But here’s where breeding can be tricky. Many breeds with merle also have other genes (at the s locus) that cause white on dogs, and this white isn’t associated with problems caused by being a double-merle.
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.
Is merle a 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.
Can merle dogs be AKC registered?
The Kennel Club has announced that it will no longer accept registration applications for merle-coloured dogs in breeds where there is no documented evidence of the colour having been well established over a sustained period.
How do you know if your dog merle?
The merle gene modifies the dark pigment in the eyes, occasionally changing dark eyes to blue, or part of the eye to be colored blue. Since merle causes random modifications, however, both dark-eyed, blue-eyed, and odd-colored eyes are possible. Pigmentation on paw pads and nose may be mottled by pink.
Does a blue eye mean a dog is blind?
Blue eyes does not indicate that your dog will eventually go blind, deaf, or have any other genetic defects Variation in pigmentation in the iris can occur for varying reasons, and doesn’t necessarily point to health concerns.
Can a dog carry merle and not be 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.
Can a double merle dog have puppies?
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. One copy of the merle gene causes a marbling effect on the coat and creates lighter spots throughout the solid color coat.
Do Australian Shepherds eyes stay blue?
At 5 weeks, their irises are a medium shade of gray and are darkening gradually. They are not the ice blue of the puppy above, whose eyes will remain blue Pups with eyes destined to be fairly light, such as amber, would have irises a lighter shade of gray than these.
Can you breed a white dog with a merle?
If you plan to breed a dog with the merle gene, you should not breed it with another of similar genetic makeup If lucky, the dog will be colorful and healthy, but there is a substantial chance that the double merle gene offspring could be blind, deaf or both. In other words, don’t do it.
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.
Do Aussies need winter coats?
Breeds with double coats include Chow Chows, Huskies, Akitas, Malamutes, American Eskimos, Finnish Spitz, Pomeranians, Shiba Inu, Australian Shepherds, Collies, German Shepherd, St. Bernard, etc. Breeds of this coat type are designed to handle harsh weather and should not need a winter coat.
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.
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 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.
Do Australian Shepherds bark a lot?
Keep in mind the average Australian Shepherd tends to bark a lot , making it a little more challenging to get him to stop barking unless you give him the ‘speak’ command or there is a situation in which he needs to bark to alert you.
At what age do puppies eyes change color?
Mature Eye Coloration It often takes nine to 12 weeks , starting from this point, for a puppy’s eye color to settle in and “stay.” The permanent eye color change can even happen as late as 16 weeks in age.
Are Australian Shepherds inbred?
Purebred dogs, including the Australian Shepherd, are commonly bred to related individuals and occasionally bred to relatives close enough that among humans such a match would be considered incest.
Are merles healthy?
Health Issues The merle gene is known to cause a number of health problems, mostly deafness and blindness, and also sun sensitivity and higher rates of skin cancer These problems are unusual in heterozygous merles (Mm) but more common in homozygous merles (MM).
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.
Can you breed a merle to a Tri?
Breeding tri to tri produces all tri’s therefore, the preferred color crosses are blue merle to black tri, blue merle to red tri, red merle to black tri, & red merle to red tri. In addition, red to red yields all reds so breeding a red merle to a red tri produces ONLY red merle & red tri puppies.
What dogs can you not breed together?
- Komonhund (Komondor-Dachshund) .
- Pitkingese (Pekingese-Pit bull) .
- Cha-Cha (Chow Chow-Mexican Hairless) .
- Great Chihane (Great Dane-Chihuahua) .
- Bappet (Basset Hound-Whippet) .
- Weimarogi (Weimaraner-Corgi) .
- Hug (Husky-Pug)
What is a lethal white Australian shepherd?
The original breeders of Australian Shepherds were ranch people with horses and dogs. The lethal white term refers to certain Paint colts that are born with a defective intestine and are unable to digest their food These white foals with blue eyes generally die of colic within hours or a few days of birth.
Why are white dogs with blue eyes deaf?
Cochleosaccular is the most common cause of deafness and is associated with coat color patterns. It is usually seen in dogs with the piebald color genes or merle color gene. It can cause deafness in either one or both ears and is seen more in association with blue eyes and a white coat.
Sources
https://spiritdogtraining.com/merle-dog-cost/
https://www.australian-shepherd-lovers.com/double-merle-km01.html