“Double merle” refers to a dog that inherited two copies of the merle gene , a gene that can be present in many breeds from aussies and collies to danes and catahoulas to dachshunds and chihuahuas.
What is a black bi Aussie?
Black and
white aussie
Although tri-colored is the most popular variation of this
coat color
, there are many with just black and white. These are called “black bi” Australian Shepherds, which stand for black bicolor Most of the time, you’ll see white marking on just the face, chest, belly and legs.
Are red bi Aussies rare?
The red-colored gene is recessive in dogs, meaning
red fur
must be present in both parents to make a red-colored pup. So, red merles and red combination coats such as red bi-colored and red tri-colored are also less common than black combination and blue merle coats, but not as rare as one-color Aussies.
What is a tri Aussie?
Tri Color Australian Shepherd Health This refers to Aussies with mottled coats For example, they may have a predominately red coat that is spotted with white markings across the body. Other characteristics of Merle dogs include
blue eyes
and variations in skin pigment.
Can double merles 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.
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.
What is a yellow Aussie?
Aussies people sometimes think are sable are actually yellow (The shade can vary from deep chestnut to pale lemon.) The gene for this color is separate from the one that produces sable. It is recessive, so any time yellow pups are produced, both parents carry the gene.
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.
Can you breed two tri color Aussies?
When breeding two tri’s together the result is all tri’s because both parents are tri/tri on the gene scale & only have tri genes to offer making all of the puppies tri’s. The biggest myth is to breed two merle’s together to get all merle’s. If it were that easy everyone would do it.
What color dogs make a merle?
Merle is a distinguishing marking of several breeds, particularly the Australian Shepherd and Catahoula Leopard Dog , and appears in others, including the Koolie in Australia, the Shetland Sheepdog, various collie breeds, the Cardigan Welsh Corgi, the Pyrenean Shepherd and the Bergamasco Shepherd.
How long do mini Aussies live?
Health. Miniature American shepherds typically live 12–13 years Hardwick calls them “quite a hardy breed,” but notes that they are susceptible to a few common health issues. Multidrug Resistance Mutation: The condition, better known as MDR1, is a genetic mutation common in herding breeds.
What is red Tris?
The hexahistidine-tag (His6, see His-tag) provides binding sites for three Ni-NTA moieties Tris-NTA is thus perfectly suited for non-covalent, stable, highly selective Protein Labeling of hexahistidine tags in a stoichiometric ratio of 1:1 at sub-nanomolar affinity.
What is a red merle?
Australian Shepherds come in lots of beautiful colors, including the red merle. Similar in their markings to the blue merles, red merles have mottled patches of liver and cream They may also have patches of white or copper. They have a merle gene that can change their eye color to either pale blue or odd-colored eyes.
How many types of Aussies are there?
Australian shepherd colors and patterns can vary greatly, but the United States Australian Shepherd Association recognizes these four major categories : black, red, red merle, and blue merle (merle being the genetic pattern that occurs in a dog’s coat, often appearing as speckled patches of color).
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.
What happens if you breed two merles?
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.
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.
Why do some Aussies have tails?
6. Many have naturally short tails. In addition to having a genetic predisposition for heterochromia, Aussies have a one-in-five chance of being born with a naturally bobbed tail,. Ranchers purposely bred Aussies that had these naturally short tails because they are safer when it comes to herding.
Are Aussies naturally tailless?
The Natural Bobbed Tail Australian Shepherd dogs are one of only a few breeds that can boast the rare feature of a naturally bobbed tail. While not every Australian Shepherd dog is naturally tailless, about one in five Aussies are born without a tail.
What is a minimal merle Aussie?
The last dog is known as a minimal merle. It is almost completely black with just a very small amount of merling This pattern is generally discouraged because it can “hide” the merle gene if the black covers up all the merle in the coat (particularly when combined with white markings).
Can Aussies be brindle?
Brindle is not a recognized color in the Aussie breed standard It crops up with low frequency in ranch and working Aussies who have brindled tan points, and I now have an example of one.
Can Blue Merles have brown 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. When you’re breeding a blue merle dog of any breed, blue eyes are generally considered the most desirable.
How do you get a mini Aussie?
- Mix the larger dog breed with a smaller dog breed.
- Introduce the dwarfism gene.
- Repeatedly breed from the runts of litters.
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).
Is merle a defect?
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.
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 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.
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.
Can you breed a harlequin with a Harlequin?
HARLEQUIN to HARLEQUIN: You can expect, in a litter of 7, to see 2 (likely mismarked) black or Mantle pups, 1-2 merle pups, 2-3 harlequin pups & one deaf white pup (two are statistically conceived, but one of two whites conceived generally dies prior to birth).
Can Aussies be black and white?
Australian Shepherd dogs are known for their gorgeous coats, and the Black and White Aussie is no exception Typically, the Black and White Aussie will have black markings on his face, back, and down his tail, with white over his muzzle, belly, chest, and paws.
Can Red Tri Aussies have blue eyes?
We’ve got red eye shine in both Red Merle pups in this litter, Fancy and Fenn, plus the lighter shade of blue. These two puppies will most likely keep blue eyes We see a bit of marble flecking in Fancy’s eyes so there is a possibility she will have blue eyes with specs of Hazel or green.
What does red factored mean?
A black dog, on the other hand, may produce puppies of either color if it happens to carry a liver version of the gene , referred to as ‘red factored”. Those with no liver version will never produce liver colored offspring.
What’s the difference between merle and Harlequin?
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.
What is a dilute merle?
Merles can be dilutes. Blue merles will have slate blue dark patches on a lighter blue background amd their noses and other exposed skin will be slate blue. Red merle dilutes have medium-toned dark patches on a pale background with pale liver on the nose and other exposed skin.
Can you breed a blue merle to a red merle?
No, Amy it is not safe to breed a merle dog with another merle dog Especially when one of the merle dogs in question is obviously the result of merle to merle breeding.
Can you breed a red merle and blue merle Australian Shepherd?
A breeder should be well aware of how dangerous merle dogs can be and how to do pretty, not sick when breeding Australian Shepherds. The rule is simple – NEVER BREED TWO MERLE DOGS TOGETHER! The AKC accepts Australian Shepherds that are black or grey with blue merle or cream or liver color, with red merle.
How do you make a merle puppy?
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. All non-merles are mm.
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.
Is merle the same as 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.
Is blue merle rare?
Blue merle is actually one of the rarest Border Collie coat colors This coat color can only be produced in puppies by dogs who carry the dominant merle gene.
References
https://asca.org/the-australian-shepherd/about-aussies/health-and-genetics/color-coat/
Aussie Candy Heart Mug – Black Bi-Color
https://www.hepper.com/australian-shepherd-colors/