Double Merle Danger

Everyone seems to love the look of a Merle dog. I get requests for a merle puppy at least 4 times as often as for a solid, bi or tri color puppy. Some people just concerned with making, money, may think that breeding two merle dogs together will increase their chances of having merle puppies. They would be correct, in fact, on average 75% of their puppies would be merle and only 25% would be bi, tri or solid color puppies, as compared to breeding a merle dog to a non merle dog where only 50% of the puppies would be merle.

 So where is the problem?  If a puppy inherits the merle gene from both parents giving him two merle genes, he will be double merle sometimes referred to as a lethal white. On average, 25% of puppies from a merle to merle breeding will be double merle.  When a dog has two merle genes they will usually have birth defects as well.  Most often these birth defects affect their eyes and ears, some being blind and/or deaf and some even being born without eyes in their sockets!

 It is not just out of ignorance that some backyard breeders produce double merle puppies but also some unethical breeders will knowingly produce double merle puppies to add to their breeding program.  When a dog that is double merle is bred to a solid, tri or bi color dog they will produce a litter of all regular merle puppies, making the litter more profitable.  It is also believed by some breeders, although not proven, that a breeding of this type will produce the best merle patterns and higher quality show puppies.  So these breeders will sacrifice the health and well being of this breeding dog as well as any littermates that inherited two copies of the merle gene, just for more profitable litters and the possibilities of producing the perfect show dog!  

 In order to discourage the unethical practice of merle to merle breeding some kennel clubs will refuse to register litters from the breeding of two merle dogs.  Unfortunately the AKC is not one of these clubs and does not take a stand against merle to merle breeding, so deliberately producing double merles for breeding programs is not discouraged and will continue.  The double merle puppies are the ones that suffer and some may even have to be euthanized.  This can make people look down on breeders in general, so ethical breeders can also suffer from unfair bias against them.