Merle to Merle Breeding is Ok as Long as You're Ok With the Outcome??

[Mikos_Mom]

I just read this on a breeder's website (in the section explaining coat colours)...

If you are not prepared to care for handicapped puppies, merle to merle breedings should not be attempted.

So what are we to take from this?... That if you ARE willing to care for handicapped puppies, then merle to merle breedings are ok?

Don't get me wrong... I think the people that care for handicapped (blind and/or deaf) dogs are to be commended, because those dogs are here and there's nothing that can change things after the fact. But to breed in a manner that almost guarantees them, and they say "well it's ok because I'm ok with handicapped dogs" is crazy. IMO.

 

[corbinam]

I've always wondered what breeders' stances are regarding this practice.

I know of at least one well-known breeder/handler that has a totally white dog. From my understanding (limited) wouldn't this dog have to have been a product of merle to merle? This dog is a widely used stud dog and can be seen in MANY AOAC pedigrees.

 

[ClantyreSheltie]

I've always wondered what breeders' stances are regarding this practice.

I know of at least one well-known breeder/handler that has a totally white dog. From my understanding (limited) wouldn't this dog have to have been a product of merle to merle? This dog is a widely used stud dog and can be seen in MANY AOAC pedigrees.

There are more than a few ROM double merle stud dogs.

 

[tofu pup]

I've always wondered what breeders' stances are regarding this practice.

I think it's unnecessary and wish it would end. There's a fallacy (which you can see in the first post in this thread) that if a breeder is "experienced enough" or "educated enough" they will somehow (though sheer force of will?) avoid producing dogs with health issues in their merle-merle litters. I suppose that an "experienced enough" breeder would be more apt to euthanize defective puppies once they were found to be blind or deaf - but really, that doesn't sound like a fun way to go about breeding dogs.

There is a double-standard in which merle-merle breedings are despicable when done by BYBs, but acceptable when done by well-respected breeders. But the outcome is the same: the risk of blind, deaf puppies. I'm afraid it makes breeders as a group look bad. When the "outside world" finds out that these dogs are being produced (and their owners are being rewarded with stud fees), the reaction is predictably negative.

Is there any amount of "education" that will show the general public that the production and promotion of double merle stud dogs is ethically acceptable? I suspect not - and that should tell us that, perhaps, this is not something that we ought to support.

 

[lovemyshelties]

Our Zoey is the result of a double merle mom and tri-color dad. I heard from a reputable Sheltie breeder that one should never breed a double merle. I wonder if this is why our Zoey is such an anxious, over reactive mess. My husband was trying to do the right thing (got her as a birthday present), but I wished he had waited so we could have gotten a pup from Jade Mist Shelties. Too late now, but all I have to say is beware. I won't go this route again.

 

[Justicemom]

I will never/would never do a merle to merle breeding. I don't care if they are the 2 greatest merles to walk the planet.

To breed any dog with the KNOWN(25%) possiblity of producing handicapped puppies is wrong, I don't care who you are. The goal of responsbile breeding is to produce healthy, well adjusted puppies that are an improvement on the previous generation. In this day and age when we know better, just tells me that ones focus on winning and money is greater than the welfare of their puppies. JMHO.

 

[corbinam]

I will never/would never do a merle to merle breeding. I don't care if they are the 2 greatest merles to walk the planet.

To breed any dog with the KNOWN(25%) possiblity of producing handicapped puppies is wrong, I don't care who you are. The goal of responsbile breeding is to produce healthy, well adjusted puppies that are an improvement on the previous generation. In this day and age when we know better, just tells me that ones focus on winning and money is greater than the welfare of their puppies. JMHO.

Well let me take your opinion one step farther...would you ever breed one of your dogs to a dog whose kennel bred merle to merle?

 

[HopeShelties]

I don't believe in breeding merle to merle, but I wouldn't have a problem using a kennel who had done merle to merle breedings as it has no affect on the breeding I am doing. I also don't have a problem breeding *to* a double merle with a tri or bi (say Shadow Hills Polaris) if a dog has the qualities I am looking for. Again, the double merle male being a double merle would have no affect on the resulting puppies. I do have two dogs who are from people I know have done merle to merle breedings- Kai from a small breeder in Indiana, and Blaze from Belmark..

 

[Justicemom]

Well let me take your opinion one step farther...would you ever breed one of your dogs to a dog whose kennel bred merle to merle?

I know people who have done merle to merle breeding in both the sheltie world and collie world and have asked them about it. Some admitted it was a mistake and have such changed their mind about the practice. Some continue forward and see nothing wrong with the practice. It is whose who have the latter attitude that I would not go to.

We need to grow and learn from the infomation out there. To continue on and say "well this is the way it has been done in the past" is not acceptable. I have done things in my past that I wish I wouldn't have(I can't change them) but it is my actions going forward that matter. I do have dogs that go back to kennels who have done merle to merle breedings but I have purchased them from people who have not.

 

[tofu pup]

We need to grow and learn from the infomation out there. To continue on and say "well this is the way it has been done in the past" is not acceptable. I have done things in my past that I wish I wouldn't have(I can't change them) but it is my actions going forward that matter.

I think this is the crucible that the entire dog fancy finds itself in today. Do we hunker down and continue to insist that "this is the way it's always been", or do we take a step back and really consider our actions? And then, do we change what we're doing? One way leads to changes, the other, to almost-certain extinction.