Half white faced puppy

[emilyjean]

If a puppy is born with half a white face extending down the collar and a white spot on the back, what coloration would this be considered?

Also is a lack of pigment around an eye a concern for vision?

 

[tofu pup]

It's just a mismark. The "color" is whatever the base color is (sable, black). It doesn't have a special name.

I know one mismarked Sheltie with a half-white face (white all around one eye) who sees just fine; both eyes are nice and dark. I would lean towards "no" on the second question, but we have some serious color experts here who can address this much more comprehensively.

 

[emilyjean]

Thank you!

 

[Justicemom]

Is there any chance that there could be double merles? The mom is a sable merle yes. Do you have a picture of the pup?

Could just be a mismark though.

 

[emilyjean]

Nope, no possibility of double merle, all over color is sable.

 

[SheltieChe]

I have seen a litter where both sable parents resulted in mismarked puppy with white face. She is darling with either vision or hearing missing/ forgot which one/. Genetisist stated it was some kind of dilution of white factor? that happens to 1 in 800 puppies.
OTOH my pup Che is sable merle but he looks like pure for sable so if people are less experienced he could easily pass for one.
http://picasaweb.google.com/thinkactlove/ChachaDay02#5523910272554244690
http://picasaweb.google.com/thinkactlove/ChachaDay02#5523910236026697794

 

[emilyjean]

Interesting! Was your dog more merle as a pup though?

 

[SheltieChe]

this is Che at 6 month
http://s181.photobucket.com/albums/...ark/?action=view&current=2010-03-27155038.jpg
this is Che at 9 weeks
http://s181.photobucket.com/albums/x211/lindalana/ChePuppy/?action=view&current=2009-12-02144159.jpg
this is Che at 5 weeks
http://s181.photobucket.com/albums/x211/lindalana/ChePuppy/?action=view&current=2009-11-01120341.jpg
I do not have any good close up pics but one can see dark spots on his body
http://s181.photobucket.com/albums/...rthdayParty/?action=view&current=DSCN1805.jpg
I think merle could be as prominent as your beautiful girl or as subtle as Che coloring.

 

[Calliesmom]

Cranberry was very obviously a sable merle as a lil pup:
http://cranberrycallie.shutterfly.com/31
now that he's bigger (this pic is from end of July)- it's still visible:
http://cranberrycallie.shutterfly.com/392
early Oct- his other side though:
http://cranberrycallie.shutterfly.com/469

I need to add some more recent pix too- and of course, his face just screams smerle

 

[emilyjean]

It seems like sable merles tend to not have a lot of extra white. My girly has a lot of white in her. She started out pretty grey when she was a newborn, but as she grew it turned more reddish sable.

http://i685.photobucket.com/albums/vv215/emilyjeanhoney/Ernie.jpg
4 or 5 weeks, I can't remember. The breeder sent me videos every week until I brought her home. (the title is Ernie, that's what I thought her name would be until we got her, lol)
http://i685.photobucket.com/albums/vv215/emilyjeanhoney/DSC00044.jpg
^right after I brought her home
http://i685.photobucket.com/albums/vv215/emilyjeanhoney/IMG_0257.jpg
And everyone who saw my hello thread saw this picture, she was 6 months and her coloring hasn't changed much at all. I don't have any more recent pictures on photobucket, they're all on my facebook.