Why risk the health of your line with Merle genes?

[omegathelast 160]

I don't see the problem, everyone knows don't breed a merle with a merle, like dont breed too closely if line breeding. I like merle and know that they are the first to go out of Hancocks kennels evrytime. Equally, I would be just as happy with a collie marked dog. Its all good.

 

Although I do see the point you are making i.e. why risk it...

Edited February 21, 2012 by omegathelast

[poacher3161 1,766]

Its some thing i could never get my head around then again it is an atractive coulour that boosted a bullshitter and a puppy farmer and both of them didnt give a feck as long as the pups were selling.

[Moll. 1,770]

Merle is a Dominant inherited gene and cannot be carried in a hidden form. A dog is either merle or it is not. Providing only one of the parents is merle you will not have any problems, otherwise Mr Hancock would have gone to the wall years ago.

 

Woodga bred his terrier bitch, both sire and dam had no merle, and non known in there recent ancestory yet some of the pups came out black/grey merle, or brown/black merle.

[Sherlock 42]

Interesting post Moll any pics . What type of terrier ? How close bred are the dogs?

[Moll. 1,770]

Interesting post Moll any pics . What type of terrier ? How close bred are the dogs?

 

Totally unrelated Sherlock, you would have to ask Woodga the breeding of the dogs. I remember he got loads of stick when the litter was born, people saying there had to be merle, and doubting the parentage etc. He is an honest man and had no reason to lie about it. He bred the bitch with the dog, and the bitch was definitely never with another dog.

Some came out rough coated, some smooth....

 

[Sherlock 42]

Moll thanks for the quick reply and the photo,there is no doubt the dog is a merle. In the wild and under domestication spontaneous mutations do occur. Maybe Woodga got lucky a DNA test could prove the parentage. Any idea what sex the pups were ?

[Moll. 1,770]

I know 2 of the merle were dogs, other than that no idea. I will PM Woodga on here, he may give you more info

 

The dam.

 

[birddog 1,354]

i think it was phil loyd in one of his books that says merle isn't always obvious it could be just one spot somewhere thats where the problem lies, the spot could be well hidden and no one knows that its merle

[fieldsman 51]

I bred a litter of Whippets last year and one of the litter turned out merle I personally have never seen it in Whippets both parents lines are clear as far as I know none that I know of in recent history I keep looking at her and thinking someone has put a micky in the line and its come out in that litter has anyone had it come out in supposedly pure bred running dogs.

Edited February 22, 2012 by fieldsman

[birddog 1,354]

I bred a litter of Whippets last year and one of the litter turned out merle I personally have never seen it in Whippets both parents lines are clear as far as I know none that I know of in recent history I keep looking at her and thinking someone has put a micky in the line and its come out in that litter has anyone had it come out in supposedly pure bred running dogs.

is there really such a thing as pure bred running dogs? deerhounds have beardie ancestors, whippets have terrier and greyhounds have bull for example

[Sherlock 42]

It's the same in canary birds one brown feather in a clear yellow pink eyed bird and it's classed as a cinnamon. I mentioned spontaneous mutation earlier but I think you would only get one young not two or three. My money is on a secret love trist. Or a slight bending of the truth.

[Wxm 1,638]

Just google it and you'll see what damage it does in a variety of breeds. Be honest, many breeders are kennel blind and won't advertise health problems in their own breeding. The strength of a kennel lies as much in the dogs beneath the ground (culled!) as those above it! And don't think for one minute that someone hasn't tried breeding 2 merles together either, the fact that you never heard about it proves my point!

 

 

going back a few years i was looking at buying a frenchie, so called a few advertised, anyway came down to 1 so they only had 1 or 2 left (advertised), so got in to convosation with them and wasnt what i was looking for, we told them we are looking for a pied 1 (any form of pied). to reply they had a pied 1 and white 1 both deaf but didnt advertise them as it would put people off buying the others . we did buy the pied 1 but, it became really hard work with house cleaning and trying to train him to hand signals and a close friend has it now. soi understand what your saying 100%

[fieldsman 51]

It's the same in canary birds one brown feather in a clear yellow pink eyed bird and it's classed as a cinnamon. I mentioned spontaneous mutation earlier but I think you would only get one young not two or three. My money is on a secret love trist. Or a slight bending of the truth.

There was only one in my litter a bitch.

[Sherlock 42]

Fieldsman are your whippets pure KC reg or are they non ped coursing dogs. There is so much dishonesty in the dog world I would not put my trust in many of the breeder peddlars, money corrupts.