Is Blue Merle colouring OK in a dog?

[ForestWomble]

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I'm reading a book at the moment where the author gets a blue merle Australian Shepherd puppy.

I'm sure I've heard that blue merle isn't a good colour due to health or something? Or is that only in certain breeds? Or have I got it wrong completely?

(I'm just intrigued, I have no interest in having one of my own.)

 

[JudyN]

My understanding is that a merle offspring of a merle and a non-merle is generally fine, but if you cross two merles the offspring is prone to deafness and vision problems. I'm sure others will be able to give extra details though.

 

[JoanneF]

@JudyN is right, sometimes though the merle colouring isn't obvious so someone breeding a merle might breed to a second inadvertently.

 

[ForestWomble]

Ah yes, I remember reading that somewhere now. Thank you both.

 

[SuzyJay]

Breeders with Merles are advised to ask for DNA tests on potential mates .

 

[Dibbythedog]

I love this colour but didnt know about this.

 

[SuzyJay]

Merle-to-merle breeding can be disastrous. Pups can be blind, some have no eyes, deaf and deformed. Unfortunately it's not always easy to spot a merle, or dapple as they're known in dachshunds, so accidental breeding happens. Hence my comment about DNA testing prior to mating.

 

[O2.0]

Hence my comment about DNA testing prior to mating.

Or simply not mate merles at all
There's really no need, the breeds that have merles generally have plenty of other perfectly suitable dogs without the merle to choose from. Unfortunately too many people like to pass of the coloring as a price point and it has become profitable to produce that color

 

[Burrowzig]

Worth noting that the genes for sable override merle, so you can get 'masked merles' that appear sable. You shouldn't breed those to a merle, or to each other, without testing that they're merle-free - or have a good history of the dogs lines where no merles have appeared.

 

[curlydog]

Merle to merle breeding can result in pups that are blind and/or deaf. It's usually pretty obvious when you encounter one of these homozygous pups. The dog is mostly white, and the eyes themselves are malformed.

A sad thing is that some unethical breeders will deliberately breed two merle carriers for the express purpose of creating such deformed puppies. A homozygous merle stud will produce 100% merle offspring when bred to non-merle dogs. Never mind that the stud will never be able to play a game of fetch or hear a friend happily greeting him. As long as he can eat and mate, his pretty offspring will make money for his breeder.

Merle can only express on dogs which have a base color of brown or black. (Red merle Australian Shepherds are genetically brown, not red.) Merle cannot express on a dog which is white, cream, red, fawn, or apricot. In some breeds - e.g. French Bulldog, Chihuahua, Poodle - these red spectrum colors are widespread. Therefore, if fad color breedings increase the number of merles in the population, it's quite possible a lot of white or fawn dogs could be hidden merle carriers. Then, if the breeder hadn't thought to test for merle prior to the breeding, it's possible the offspring of two white poodles or two fawn Frenchies would unexpectedly come out blind and deaf. This possibility is one reason serious poodle and Frenchie breeders consider merle anathema in their breed.

 

[ola]

Merle is an established colour in some breeds so with careful breeding (as above) it is fine. The problem is it is being introduced into other breeds just to look pretty with no care at all. Having said that I have seen a fair few border collies that are white, deaf and blind and it used to be fairly normal for sheltie breeders to put merle to merle in the hope of producing a stunning coloured pup and drowning the white and faulty ones.

 

[ForestWomble]

All sounds rather complicated.

(As with all breeding) you really need to know what you are doing.

 

[ola]

Merle to merle breeding can result in pups that are blind and/or deaf. It's usually pretty obvious when you encounter one of these homozygous pups. The dog is mostly white, and the eyes themselves are malformed.

A sad thing is that some unethical breeders will deliberately breed two merle carriers for the express purpose of creating such deformed puppies. A homozygous merle stud will produce 100% merle offspring when bred to non-merle dogs. Never mind that the stud will never be able to play a game of fetch or hear a friend happily greeting him. As long as he can eat and mate, his pretty offspring will make money for his breeder.

Merle can only express on dogs which have a base color of brown or black. (Red merle Australian Shepherds are genetically brown, not red.) Merle cannot express on a dog which is white, cream, red, fawn, or apricot. In some breeds - e.g. French Bulldog, Chihuahua, Poodle - these red spectrum colors are widespread. Therefore, if fad color breedings increase the number of merles in the population, it's quite possible a lot of white or fawn dogs could be hidden merle carriers. Then, if the breeder hadn't thought to test for merle prior to the breeding, it's possible the offspring of two white poodles or two fawn Frenchies would unexpectedly come out blind and deaf. This possibility is one reason serious poodle and Frenchie breeders consider merle anathema in their breed.

I think most poodle folk think that a merle poodle is not a pure poodle. I think they look totally wrong whereas I love merle collies and shelties because it is a correct colour.
I had a discussion with someone who was selling a merle bitch which she had bred from. I pointed out that is was not very safe as she could be breeding to a hidden merle. She had never heard of this and didnt believe me. assured me that if it was not visibly merle then it could not have a merle gene. So scary.

 

[SuzyJay]

I think most poodle folk think that a merle poodle is not a pure poodle. I think they look totally wrong whereas I love merle collies and shelties because it is a correct colour.
I had a discussion with someone who was selling a merle bitch which she had bred from. I pointed out that is was not very safe as she could be breeding to a hidden merle. She had never heard of this and didnt believe me. assured me that if it was not visibly merle then it could not have a merle gene. So scary.

It is scary, this is how a lot of merle-to-merle breedings happen. Just ignorance with devastating consequences.