**There is no such thing as a merle carrier. A dog is either merle or it is not merle.**
Merle is a dominate gene that weakens the primary color of the dog. This gene will often alter the dog’s eye color in part or whole (mixes it with blue). The dog’s skin, pads, lips, nose, eye lids, etc., may also be spotted, reflecting the dilution of color.
MM – a double dominant merle - This dog has two merle parents - This dog received a merle gene from each parent ***Do NOT breed a merle dog to another merle. While a merle dog from a merle and non-merle parent is healthy (Mm), merles bred to merles (MM) can throw significant health issues such as eye defects including blindness, eye deformity, deafness, skeletal issues, and weakened sperm production. This mostly occurs in the white offspring resulting from a merle to merle breeding (approximately 25% of the time).
Mm – a merle dog - has only one merle parent
mm – a dog without the merle gene present althouth it may (or may not) have a merle parent
A merle dog MUST have a merle parent. However, it is imperative for one to be careful when wanting to breed a merle dog. The safest breedings are with the darker colored dogs because it shows the merle characteristics much more readily than a lighter colored dog.
**It is easiest to tell at birth whether the dog is a merle or not – (unless a phantom merle has been produced.
Merle is a dominate gene that weakens the primary color of the dog. This gene will often alter the dog’s eye color in part or whole (mixes it with blue). The dog’s skin, pads, lips, nose, eye lids, etc., may also be spotted, reflecting the dilution of color.
MM – a double dominant merle - This dog has two merle parents - This dog received a merle gene from each parent ***Do NOT breed a merle dog to another merle. While a merle dog from a merle and non-merle parent is healthy (Mm), merles bred to merles (MM) can throw significant health issues such as eye defects including blindness, eye deformity, deafness, skeletal issues, and weakened sperm production. This mostly occurs in the white offspring resulting from a merle to merle breeding (approximately 25% of the time).
Mm – a merle dog - has only one merle parent
mm – a dog without the merle gene present althouth it may (or may not) have a merle parent
A merle dog MUST have a merle parent. However, it is imperative for one to be careful when wanting to breed a merle dog. The safest breedings are with the darker colored dogs because it shows the merle characteristics much more readily than a lighter colored dog.
**It is easiest to tell at birth whether the dog is a merle or not – (unless a phantom merle has been produced.
