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About Merles
Merle is a dominant dilution gene.
Meaning...it lightens what ever the coat color would otherwise
have been. However, the pattern is not spread evenly over the
coat, but leaves patches of undiluted color scattered over the
dog's body. These areas can, and often do, include the nose, lips, and eyes.
Also, the dilution pattern seems to work primarily on the
darkest pigment in the coat, so any tan on the face stays even.
There is only a Merle gene. Merle is not a color; it is an effect
on a color. A blue Merle is genetically a black puppy who inherited the
Merle gene. A chocolate tri Merle is a chocolate Tri,
who inherited the Merle
gene... and so on. Merle effects the lighter colors such as buff or sable in the
same way. It is there -- you just can't see it as well as the you can
in the darker colors such as black or chocolate.
These are called phantom or cryptic merles.
I personally produce Merle Party's and Merle Solids.
Merle acts on the black pigment in the iris of the eye just as it
does on the coat, so Merle dogs will sometimes have one or
both -- or part's of -- blue eyes. Most normal colored pups in a litter with merles, who did not
inherit the merle gene, will never produce it unless they are
bred to a Merle. You need at least one parent to be a merle... to produce a Merle.
Unfortunately, the gene that produces this beautiful pattern,
can also cause serious problems for a dog that inherits two
copies. Homozygous merle's...those that inherit two Merle
genes—almost always have defects in sight and hearing.
A homozygous Merle puppy produced from a Merle to Merle
mating may be deaf and/or have eye problems ranging from
slight to complete blindness. 25% of a litter produced from a Merle to Merle breeding can be
homozygous merle's. However, the Merle pups produced from a Non-merle cocker
bred to a Merle cocker, will usually be sound, having none of
the sight or hearing problems associated with Merle to Merle
breeding.
Debby and Wayne's Smokie
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There are a few breeds who are expected to have Merle
coloring. In general...the Australian Shepherd, and the
Catahoula Leopard Dog are the most famous.
Now... I don't claim to know how the Merle gene was 1st
introduced into the cocker spaniel. Nor at this point do I care
how or why it was introduced. People will debate this issue for
years...and I see no indications now that the Merle cocker will
ever be accepted by the ASC (American Spaniel Club).
Even though we are allowed to register our Merle cockers with
the AKC, we are instructed to classify them the one color or
pattern they most resemble. That color or pattern is of course...
the roan. It is not fair to us Merle breeders, nor is it fair to the
producers of the beautiful roan cocker, who by no fault of their
own, are having the Merle cocker confused with their beloved
pattern.
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