How do I know if my dog is double merle?

How do I know if my dog is double merle?

In a double merle, the marbling/lightening effect is doubled and the coat becomes predominantly white. Double merles also have a very high chance of being deaf, blind, or both because they lack pigment where it would normally be.

Can you test for double merle?

Merle coat and breeding Double merle dogs are dogs with two copies of the classic merle (M) allele. These dogs are often dramatically depigmented, as you can appreciate in the pup below, and can have significant visual and hearing impairment. ... A double merle dog will test “M*M*” with Embark.

How do you identify a merle dog?

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.

Can a double merle look normal?

And double merles don't look like merles. Instead, they're mostly white with merle patches. But the main reason you want to avoid producing MM dogs is that they often have visual and auditory problems.

Why is double merle bad?

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 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 is merle breeding bad?

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.

Are merle dogs rare?

The merle gene is quite rare among Dachshunds, and not seen too often. It can appear in all three coat varieties: long, short and wire-haired. The AKC breed standard specifically states that merle is an allowed coloring. The smaller and more even the spots are, the higher these dogs score in conformation shows.

Can a double merle be healthy?

The quick answer is that a well-bred merle dog with one copy of the merle gene will be as healthy as a solid-colored dog. If a dog is a so-called “double merle” however, he is likely to suffer from vision, hearing and skin problems.

What happens to a dog with a double merle gene?

• One copy of the merle gene causes a marbling effect on the coat and creates lighter spots throughout the solid color coat. Image 1. In a double merle, the marbling/lightening effect is doubled and the coat becomes predominantly white.

What kind of coat does a double merle dog have?

• The term “double merle” refers to a dog with two copies of the merle gene. When a dog has two copies of the gene, the effects of the genetic modifications are doubled. Instead of the coat being partially lightened with patches of lighter color, most of the coat turns white.

What happens to an Australian Shepherd with 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. The effects can range from moderate to severe.

Can a double merle dog be blind or deaf?

• Once the black color gets diluted too much, you start noticing white or pink colored skin on a dog (particularly Australian Shepherds). This is essentially how double merle dogs start to become blind or deaf because the merle gene doesn’t only affect the outside coat color.