That's the part that I don't quite understand. How much white to make it white-factored?
Two other questions:
I thought merles always had blue eyes. But the merle that I'm looking at (see thread "Having Second Thoughts" where I posted a picture) has brown eyes. She also has alot of white - does that make her white-factored?
Bacca has white legs, ruff and belly - except for a large tan spot on between his front legs and small tan spots on his legs. Not that I plan to show him, but would these spots be considered a defect in the show ring?
Just curious.
It sounds like she could be white factored. The only way to tell would be to breed her.
Merles can have merled eyes. The same thing that changes the pigment in the coat can also change the pigment in the eyes.
On Bacca, nope. Not a defect! My family calls them freckles. Luke's great-grandmother had lots of tan spots on her white legs (she was a tri-color.) Some dogs have lots of freckles, some dogs have none. It's definitely not a defect.
the thing i get confused on is bi factored tri color...i dont understand that
all i understand is...Bi black, Bi Blue, Blue Merle, Sable, Sable Merle and Tri color and all the CHW and double merles
when you start saying Bi factored Tri or Tri factored blue merle, or mixing up everything i get all confused
GeeRome explained everything wonderfully. The only thing I would add is this (if I'm wrong with the merle part, GeeRome, please correct!)
Pure for sable = ay/ay = can only produce sables
Tri-factored Sable = mahogony sable = shaded sable = ay/at = can produce sables and tri's
Bi-factored sable = ay/a = can produce sables or bi's
Tri-color = at/at = can produce tri's
Bi factored tri color = at/a = can produce bi's & tri's
Blue merle = at/at M/m = can produce tri's & merles
Bi Blue merle = a/a M/m = can produce bi's & merles
Bi-factored blue merle = at/a M/m = can produce bi's, merles & tri's
Bi black = a/a = can produce bi's
Pure for Sable merle = ay/ay M/m = can produce only sables or merles
Tri-factored sable merle = ay/at M/m can produce sables, tri's or merles
Bi-factored sable merle = ay/a M/m = can produce sables, merles or bi's
Double blue merle = at/at M/M = can produce only merles
Double bi blue merle = a/a M/M = can produce only bi's & merles
Double pure for Sable merle = ay/ay M/M = can produce sables & merles
Double tri-factored Sable merle = ay/at M/M = can produce sables, tri's, merles
Double bi-factored Sable Merle = ay/a M/M = can produce sables, bi's Merles
Now, while it says that a tri-color can only produce tri colors, when bred to another dog, you can get different colors. I'm only talking about (strictly) what that dog can pass on.
Since a tri-color can only pass on at (the tri-color gene at/at ), that's all it can produce. But if it's bred to a pure for sable ( ay/ay ) you can only get tri-factored sables (ay/at) since each parent only contributes half.
Now, breeding a bi-blue merle (a/a M/m) to a bi-factored tri color (at/a), you can get a bi-factored tri color (at/a), a bi-black (a/a m/m) or bi-blue (a/a M/m) or a bi-factored blue merle (at/a M/m). You can't get a tri-factored tri-color (at/at), since only one parent has the tri-color gene. All the puppies will either be bi-colors or bi-factored.
Likewise, if a pure for sable (ay/ay) to a bi-factored Double blue merle (at/a M/M), you can get a tri-factored sable merle (ay/at M/m) or a bi-factored sable merle (ay/a M/m.) Since the dog is a pure for sable (ay/ay), it can only produce a sable. Since the second dog is a double merle (M/M), it can only produce merles.
Breeding a Double Bi Blue Merle (a/a M/M) to a tri-color (at/at), you will only get bi-factored blue merles (at/a M/m), since each parent gives half of their gene. You get the bi gene and the merling from the Double Bi Blue Merle, and the tri-color gene from the tri-color.
Color headed whites (white factoring) can be used in place of the double merles, as it works the same, I believe. You have to have two genes for it to fully express itself (which is the color headed white.) When it's not fully expressed (half the gene), it generally shows up as a large ruff, white legs, and white belly/down the stifles.
I still don't undestand the coloring of those pups in question?? 
This is why I wouldn't get into breeding !! You have to know what to breed with what color to perfect the Breed. I love Tri and Blue Merles . And am totally amazed at how different Sable and Whites can look.
I'm just going to continue to support the "good breeders" who seem to know what they are doing. 
I'm with you, Barb...glad I have a good breeder!
