Is merle in dogs dominant or recessive?

Is merle in dogs dominant or recessive?

Merle is actually a heterozygote of an incompletely dominant gene. If two such dogs are mated, on the average one quarter of the puppies will be "double merles", which is the common term for dogs homozygous for merle, and a high percentage of these double merle puppies could have eye defects and/or be deaf.

What dogs have 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 ...

Is merle incomplete dominance?

Merle is an incompletely dominant coat color pattern characterized by irregularly shaped patches of diluted pigment and solid color.

Can a dog carry the merle gene and not be merle?

A cryptic or phantom merle is a dog which phenotypically appears to be a non-merle (solid-colored) or a dog that has very faint patches of merle that can go unnoticed. Animals that do not present the merle phenotype may possess the merle genotype and subsequently produce merle offspring.

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.

Are Merle dogs unhealthy?

Yes – merle dogs can be just as healthy as dogs that have a solid color. They have the same life expectancy, they are just as strong and athletic and smart as their counterparts without the merle gene. In lines with responsible merle breedings, all offspring will be healthy and live a long life.

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.

What is the difference between Brindle and merle?

Brindle is a coat pattern and not a color, and has a wild-type allele which is the product of at least two recessive genes and is rare. ... Merle and black are dominant genes. A blue merle has two blue genes as well as one merle but can carry others as well. Read more on Brindle.

What kind of dog has a merle pattern?

• Miniature Australian Shepherd puppy with merle pattern. Phenotype: The merle pattern is characterized by irregularly shaped patches with diluted pigment while other patches on the coat are fully pigmented in color.

Which is the gene that causes Merle in dogs?

• The gene that causes merle in dogs is called PMEL17 or SILV. The merle color pattern is what scientists call “incompletely dominant.”. It shows up when a dog gets just a single copy of the merle allele.

Can a recessive red merle breed a double merle?

• Recessive red and merle can be a tricky combination to work with when breeding dogs. The risk of breeding double merles by accident is always present. Heterozygote is “an individual having two different alleles of a particular gene or genes, and so giving rise to varying offspring”.

Can a double merle dog be at a dog show?

• In a ‘Mm’ dog, a tan color is not necessarily diluted. So, a blue merle dog may still have tan points. ‘MM’ dogs will be mostly white, with patches of color. Double merle dogs are not accepted at dog shows. Merles are generally split into the blue merle dog and the red merle dog based upon the type of melanin produced.