Trying to understand sheltie colors/breeding..

I'm still trying to figure out what a sable merle is. I know what it is genetically, but I'm not sure I could pick one out of a bunch.

 

I found this really cool website about dog genetics, but shelties are mentioned quite frequently throughout the pages. If you like reading about genetics, I highly recommend it. It has a lot of pictures and explanations!

http://www.doggenetics.co.uk/index.htm

Merles have diluted patches, so a black dog (tri color or bi black) with the merle gene will have grey patches. A sable with the merle gene will have patches of lighter color brown. You know how you said you wouldn't be able to pick one out? It is my understanding that this is why some people take issue with breeding sable merles. If you breed two sable merles accidentally because you couldn't tell they were both merles, you can end up with double merle puppies, which means those puppies could have health issues. Not good. But a breeder can be extra cautious and make sure they only breed a sable merle to a black dog or a sable that didn't have any merle parents.

 

Yes that is one reason many people don't like Sable Merles, they can be very hard to recognize. They are more obvious usually at birth and become less obvious as they age.

Example: This is Pike. He is a Sable Merle from a Blue Merle and a Pure for Sable. He was obvious at birth. He had 2 Mahogany Sable littermates.
Pike only has 2 obvious spots but the key is the faded mask and silvering around the ears. The Picture with Justice shows the obvious difference.
Pike has 2 brown eyes and is pointed in AKC conformation.
http://www.sheltieforums.com/album.php?albumid=180&pictureid=1996
http://www.sheltieforums.com/album.php?albumid=180&pictureid=2020

This is Ember and her sable merle brother Brodie.
http://www.sheltieforums.com/album.php?albumid=180&pictureid=1923

and Ember and her sable merle sister MACH Duchie UD
http://www.sheltieforums.com/album.php?albumid=180&pictureid=1929

 

He could've fooled me!

 

for me the best looking sable merle who pulled it off flawlessly was BISS AM/CAN CH Laureate Santana ROMC. Having seen him in person his coat was light but not washed out or blotchy like you see with Sable Merles.

 

Of course, there are some really obvious sable merles out there
http://hopeshelties.webs.com/486573_10150959213103283_991073763_n.jpg
http://hopeshelties.webs.com/556625_10151332958343283_1592759546_n.jpg
http://hopeshelties.webs.com/1176156_10151757793493283_708447503_n.jpg
They may not be very popular as they are very obvious sable merles with the conformation people, but all of the agility people seem to love their coloring. Many think they are red merles like seen in Border Collies or Aussies.
The only real issue I've run into is the one idiot breeder in my area who thinks they look like brindles

 

Lark is the second and third photo. The other is Breeze as a puppy. I dont have any side photos of her other than as a little puppy that show her merling well.