Merle is
a genetic pattern that can be in a dog’s coat
. Merle comes in different colors and patterns and can affect all coat colors. The merle gene creates mottled patches of color in a solid or piebald coat, blue or odd-colored eyes, and can affect skin pigment as well.
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 …
Do all merle dogs have health problems?
Is the merle gene bad? As long as a dog only has one copy of the merle gene, this is not bad or unhealthy at all. The
problems only arise when a dog has two copies of the merle gene
and is a double merle – then he will experience an array of health issues.
What happens if you breed two merle dogs?
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.
Is merle a genetic mutation?
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.
Can the merle gene be carried?
The dog
can pass either allele on to any offspring
. Dog has two copies of the recessive “m” allele and is negative for Merle. The dog will always pass on a negative copy of the Merle allele to all offspring.
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. … If early in development, two distinct populations of cells may be present throughout the dog.
Why are merle dogs bad?
It is known that merle coated dogs have
a slightly increased risk of hearing problems
, possibly due to the Silv gene. So when a dog inherits two copies of the gene, the risks of hearing problems would seem likely to double.
How do you know if your dog is a 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.
Do merle dogs go blind?
On the most severe end,
the Merle gene anomaly can cause blindness
. The front or back of your dog’s eye can be impacted; though the condition can impact both parts. Merle Ocular Dysgenesis is the name used when the entire eye is impacted.
Cryptic merles are
either liver or black
, usually with one or a few small areas of merle. However, since you can’t see what color coat would have been anywhere there are white markings, there will be some cryptics which appear to be non-merle.
Are dogs with blue eyes deaf?
Blue eyes, resulting from an absence of pigment in the iris, is common with pigment-associated deafness but is not, in and of itself, an indication of deafness or the presence of a deafness gene; however, in several breeds (Dalmatian, English Setter, English Cocker Spaniel, Bull Terrier), dogs (and cats)
with blue eyes
…
Are merle colored dogs more expensive?
Merle dogs of any breed are likely to be more expensive than solid-colored dogs
, even though a lot of responsible breeders try to change that. Depending on how rare the merle pattern is in the breed and how much the standard price for a puppy is, your merle dog might cost up to $3,000.
Can you breed 2 merle Aussies?
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
.
Are merle pitbulls rare?
While merle does occur naturally in some breeds, it is not recognized as a color for Pitbulls. … Breeders have generally been breeding out this trait for some time, so
it is rare in purebred dogs
. Some breeders mix Pitbulls with other merle breeds to reintroduce the merle gene.
What is a tri color dog?
The tricolored dog is a
pooch that has three distinct colors
, such as brown, black, and white, or blue, black, and gray. … Brindles may also have three colors, but they are blended together or striped, while merle is a more marbled pattern with dark patches of color on a background of the same color.
