There are no dogs mentioned in the article...that is why id love to see pics of what she is referring to for each one for color..im a visual person so I like to see the shade difference in each one!
Merle to Merle Breeding is Ok as Long as You're Ok With the Outcome??
- Thread starter Mikos_Mom
- Start date
There are no dogs mentioned in the article...that is why id love to see pics of what she is referring to for each one for color..im a visual person so I like to see the shade difference in each one!
There are no dogs mentioned in the article...that is why id love to see pics of what she is referring to for each one for color..im a visual person so I like to see the shade difference in each one!
Yes there are a couple... here's a photo of Steely Dan, who is mentioned.
http://www.pedigreelines.com/dog/show/name/merriley's-steely-dan
And here's Tiger Rag, who is also mentioned.
http://www.pedigreelines.com/dog/show/name/hannalore-tiger-rag
k9kreationz
Forums Celebrity
I'm not a breeder, but for myself, I think of it it this way. If I have a genetic disorder and so does the man I want a child with and chances were that we'd have a disabled child (physical/mental), I probably wouldn't have children with that man, because I wouldn't want to chance it. It has nothing to do with caring for a special needs child, it's more about giving a child a fighting chance in this cruel world.
Same goes for dogs.
Same goes for dogs.
ohh noo those are the color patterns..I was referring to the colors themselves of pigeon, pewter, powder, and silver...I wanted to see the variation in each shading...
I have no issues with Blues. There are just as vigorous as their black littermates. However, if one delves into breeding them one needs to know what they are doing.
One trend that does disturb me is the movement towards these really light merles who are so light at birth that you can't tell if they are white or not as well as dominos. We really need to get away from these dilution or we will start to see issues in even our regular merles.
This is a very good article for those interested in merles to read.
http://everythingsheltie.com/theoriesofcolor.html
Ember says "Hey!!"
I 100% agree and thanks for the link to the article, which although I have read before, couldn't remember where - so have now saved
BarbV
Forums Celebrity
So this begs me to ask the question again: Should we be breeding merles at all, given that they carry some less than desirable genes? Or should they be phased out entirely?
Playing devil's advocate again.....we all know sables and tri's that carry some less than desirable genes as well. Mostly, the best breeders will stop the line if that is the case. Unfortunately, not all.
This is a huge question and no right answer. And obviously beyond the scope of this forum. But it does beg the question as to how breed standards evolve and who influences and decides.
Playing devil's advocate again.....we all know sables and tri's that carry some less than desirable genes as well. Mostly, the best breeders will stop the line if that is the case. Unfortunately, not all.
This is a huge question and no right answer. And obviously beyond the scope of this forum. But it does beg the question as to how breed standards evolve and who influences and decides.
The way I see it… If you're breeding sables or tris… or any colour for the matter… and you're striving for the healthiest, hardiest, soundest and most even-tempered dog possible… then you're doing the right thing. You're doing the best you can for the dogs and the breed.
This business of dominoes, diluted merles, etc. is the equivalent of mad science IMO. You're playing "cook" and you're just trying to create something that hasn't been seen before and that will bring you some sort of notoriety… at the expense of the dogs and the breed. The difference between playing "cook" with ingredients is if the recipe turns out terrible… welll then you just throw it away… But if you breed blind, deaf, defective dogs… well then you just throw them away too. Oh hang on… there really is no difference!!!
This business of dominoes, diluted merles, etc. is the equivalent of mad science IMO. You're playing "cook" and you're just trying to create something that hasn't been seen before and that will bring you some sort of notoriety… at the expense of the dogs and the breed. The difference between playing "cook" with ingredients is if the recipe turns out terrible… welll then you just throw it away… But if you breed blind, deaf, defective dogs… well then you just throw them away too. Oh hang on… there really is no difference!!!
HopeShelties
Forums Enthusiast
No, merles should not be excluded entirely. Merles in and of themselves aren't bad. Sure, merle to merle can create problems, but those of us who aren't doing merle to merle breedings shouldn't be punished because certain people choose to breed merle to merle. And, it is generally not a problem breeding merles. Problems usually only show up when you are fooling with the shades of blue which contain the least amount of pigment, and harlequin types.
I am the proud owner of a deep powder boy (with the most beautiful cast of blue to his coat, not a silvery cast or any rust), a pewter girl, and what I think is going to develop into a powder blue (as coat darkens as puppies age it seems).
I am the proud owner of a deep powder boy (with the most beautiful cast of blue to his coat, not a silvery cast or any rust), a pewter girl, and what I think is going to develop into a powder blue (as coat darkens as puppies age it seems).
We'd love to see pics!!!!
This is exactly what I was talking about!! Why is anyone "fooling" with a living, breathing thing? It's not for the betterment of the breed... it's playing mad scientist with dogs!!
danisgoat
Moderator
It seems that most people are agreeeing that merles are fine and hearty, as long as they are not bred for dilution.
So, I don't believe that they should be phased out entirely at all.