merles

[Guest lamper/gatherer]

my mate is keen on merles,i heard a few year ago they are more prone to being blind/deaf,anyone else heard of this.or is it just bull.?

Edited March 13, 2007 by lamper/gatherer

[Stabs 3]

I think the troubles start when you double up on the merle gene

 

http://merlecockers.com/aboutmerles.html

[Sorley x 32]

If merle is mated to merle then there is the distinct probability that you will have puppies that are blind and or deaf.

 

Merles on their own are no more prone to it then any other cross, they are just more likely to be carrying the recessive form which is why mating two together can be asking for trouble.

[Guest lamper/gatherer]

thanks,will let him know later,i think the dog he is after is a 2 blue merle cross,so chances of problems would be quite high.?

[Sorley x 32]

If the litter has already been bred then any problems will have been obvious in the first few weeks.

[Rocks 77]

I belive that it is the color on the ear. Aborder collie or bull dog with white ears is ussually deaf in the white ear and since merleing is on the white the dog would have it is similar. Breeding two merles together you get the lethal white gene were you have dead pups but any dog that has total white ear is propable deaf in that ear. As far as blind I have never seen it. Pick a puppy with solid color ears or mostly solid and you should have no problem.

[Phil Lloyd 10,739]

Edited March 14, 2007 by CHALKWARREN

[Guest lamper/gatherer]

SPOKE TO MATE,THE MATING WAS 2 MERLES,PUPS AINT DUE YET,BUT HAS DEFINATELY PUT HIM OFF,THANKS FOR YOUR HELP..