Merle (dog coat)

Blue merle Border Collie puppy

Merle is a pattern in a dogs coat, though is commonly incorrectly referred to as a color.^[1]

Description

Merle can affect all coat colors but the colors most commonly seen that are affected are brown and black, when affected by merle they are usually called liver and blue, though some call liver red. Dogs who are recessive red can still be affected by merle, but the patches are either hardly seen or if the dog is a clear recessive red, it is not visible at all.^[2][3] Combination's such as brindle merle exist, but are not typically accepted in breed standards.^{[citation needed]}

In addition to altering base coat color, merle also modifies eye color and coloring on the nose and paw pads. The merle gene modifies the dark pigment in the eyes, occasionally changing dark eyes to blue, or part of the eye to be colored blue. Since merle causes random modifications, however, both dark-eyed, blue-eyed, and odd-colored eyes are possible.^[4] Color on paw pads and nose may be mottled pink and black.^[5]

Breeds

Merle is a distinguishing marking of several breeds, particularly the Australian Shepherd, and appears in others, including the Koolie, German Coolies in Australia, the Shetland Sheepdog, various Collies, the Welsh Corgi (Cardigan), the Pyrenean Shepherd, the Bergamasco Sheepdog, the Old English Sheepdog, and Catahoula Leopard Dog. In Dachshunds the merle marking is known as "dapple".^[6] It is also present in the Pomeranian and Chihuahua, but is a disqualification according to the FCI standards. In the American Pit Bull Terrier, and Cocker Spaniel breeds it is not a recognized color. The merle gene also plays a part in producing harlequin Great Danes.

Genetic basis

Merle is actually a heterozygote of an incompletely dominant gene.^[7] If two such dogs are mated, on the average one quarter of the puppies will be "double merles", which is the common term for dogs homozygous for merle^[8] , and a high percentage of these double merle puppies could have eye defects and/or be deaf. Knowledgeable breeders who want to produce merle puppies mate a merle with a non-merle dog; roughly half the puppies will be merles without the risk of vision or hearing defects associated with double merle dogs.^[9]

In January 2006 scientists at Texas A&M University announced the discovery of a mobile genetic unit called a retrotransposon, responsible for the merle mutation in dogs.^[10]

A phantom merle or cryptic merle is one with such small patches of merle—or none at all—that it appears to be a non-merle.^[11] This is commonly seen in dogs who are recessive red, clear recessive reds in particular, though patches can still be seen in certain red dogs. ^[12] In America, a dog with the phantom merle coloring is described as being "cryptic for merle."

Health issues

The merle gene is often associated with congenital deafness, with merle dogs being more likely than other dogs to be born deaf. Dogs with two copies of the merle gene (homozygous merle) have an even higher chance of being born deaf.^[13] The suppression of pigment cells (melanocytes) in the iris and in the stria vascularis of the cochlea (inner ear) leads to blue eyes and deafness. An auditory-pigmentation disorder in humans, Waardenberg syndrome, reflects some of the problems associated with heterozygous and homozygous merle dogs and genetic research in dogs has been undertaken with the goal of better understanding the genetic basis of this human condition.^[10]

A Great Dane mix homozygous for merle displaying bilateral micropthalmia.

Ocular Defects

Dogs who are homozygous for the merle pattern gene often have visual and auditory deficits.^[11] These dogs are sometimes referred to as 'double merle' and sometimes incorrectly referred to as 'lethal white.' Ocular defects include micropthalmia, conditions causing increased ocular pressure, and colobomas, among others.^[14] Double merle dogs may be deaf or blind or both, and can carry ocular defects in blue or colored eyes.^[15] Currently no studies have been done to prove whether or not the merle gene effects the eyes, causing blindness.

Auditory Defects

One study done by a German researcher showed that out of 38 dachshunds, they found hearing loss in 54.6% of double merles, and 36.8% of single merles. However, this percentage was based on one of the dogs and its hearing range, not the standard. The actual results were 9.1% of the double merles was deaf, that percentage being one, and 0% of the single merles were deaf.^[16] Another study done by Texas A&M University found that out of 22 double merles, 8 were completely deaf and two were deaf in one ear. Out of 48 single merles, only one was deaf in one ear, none were completely deaf.^[17] Another study done with 70 dogs, 15 of them were Catahoula Curs and 4 of them were deaf, whereas the other 86% of double merles in other breeds were deaf.^[18]

Deaf, blind, and deaf and blind dogs can have good lives when properly cared for. There are a variety of internet groups dedicated to supporting carers of such dogs. Deaf dogs can compete successfully in agility^[19] and there are many anecdotal reports of deaf/blind dogs earning their Canine Good Citizen certification, working as therapy dogs, and competing in dog sports like tracking or Nosework.

Gallery

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  Blue merle Australian Shepherd

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  Blue merle Smooth Collie

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  Blue merle Shetland Sheepdog

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  Blue merle Catahoula Leopard Dog

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  Blue merle Cardigan Welsh Corgi

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  Blue merle Mudi

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  Blue merle (silver dapple) Miniature Dachshund

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  Blue Merle Pomeranian

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  Blue merle Koolie.

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  Red merle Australian Shepherd

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  Red merle Catahoula Leopard Dogs

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  Red merle (chocolate dapple) Dachshund

References

1. ^ "What is Merle?". The White Aussies Project. http://www.lethalwhites.com/merle.html. Retrieved 28 October 2011. 
2. ^ Schmutz, Sheila. "Schmutz - Merle coat color genetics". Sheila Schmutz. http://homepage.usask.ca/~schmutz/merle.html. Retrieved 28 October 2011. 
3. ^ Presberg, Carole. "Recessive Red Merle Border Collie". Carole Presberg. http://www.gis.net/~shepdog/BC_Museum/Permanent/BCColors_Merle/BC_ColorBlueMerle.html. Retrieved 28 October 2011. 
4. ^ McDonald, Lisa. "Aussie Eye Color". Lisa McDonald. http://www.ashgi.org/color/aussie_eye_color.htm. Retrieved 28 October 2011. 
5. ^ "Merle Coat, mottled paw pads". Perfect Peks Kennel. http://perfectpekskennel.com/MerleCoat.aspx. Retrieved 28 October 2011. 
6. ^ "The Double Dapple". The Dachshund Magazine Online. http://www.dachshund.org/article_double_dapple.html. Retrieved June 25, 2007. 
7. ^ Sheila, Schmutz. "Schmutz - Merle". Sheila Schmutz. http://homepage.usask.ca/~schmutz/merle.html. Retrieved 27 October 2011. 
8. ^ "White Aussies Brochure". White Aussies Project. http://www.lethalwhites.com/brochure/WhtAusBro.pdf. Retrieved 27 October 2011. 
9. ^ "Double Merle". White Aussies Project. http://www.lethalwhites.com/doublemerle.html. Retrieved 27 October 2011. 
10. ^ ^{a b} Clark, LA; Wahl JM, Rees CA, Murphy KE (31). "Retrotransposon insertion in SILV is responsible for merle patterning of the domestic dog". Proc Natl Acad Sci U S 103 (5): 1376–81. doi:10.1073/pnas.0506940103. PMC 1360527. PMID 16407134. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=1360527. 
11. ^ ^{a b} Coile, D. Caroline (1999). "Obtaining an Australian Shepherd". Australian Shepherds. Barron's. pp. 20–21. ISBN 0-7641-0558-2. 
12. ^ Schmutz, Sheila. "Schmutz - Merle". Sheila Schmutz. http://homepage.usask.ca/~schmutz/merle.html. Retrieved 27 October 2011. 
13. ^ Strain, GM; Clark LA, Wahl JM, Turner AE, Murphy KE. (Mar-April 2009). "Prevalence of deafness in dogs heterozygous or homozygous for the merle allele". J Vet Intern Med. 23 (2): 282–6. PMID 19192156. 
14. ^ Gustafson, JP et al., ed (2008). Genomics of Disease. p. 81. ISBN 978-0-387-76722-2. 
15. ^ "Eye defects in Australian Shepherds". http://www.ashgi.org/color/eyedefects.htm. Retrieved 16 April 2011. 
16. ^ "George Strain on Merles". Merle Poms. http://www.merlepoms.org/Articles/George%20Strain%20on%20Merle.pdf. Retrieved 27 October 2011. 
17. ^ "George Strain on Merle". Merle Poms. http://www.merlepoms.org/Articles/George%20Strain%20on%20Merle.pdf. Retrieved 27 October 2011. 
18. ^ "George Strain on Merle". Merle Poms. http://www.merlepoms.org/Articles/George%20Strain%20on%20Merle.pdf. Retrieved 27 October 2011. 
19. ^ "Deaf Dogs Roundtable". http://agilitynet.co.uk/training/deaf_roundtable.HTML. Retrieved 16 April 2011. 

External links

• Merle dog coat color genetics
• Deafness in Dogs and Cats
• White Aussies Project
• Genetics of merle dogs
• ASCA. "Basic Body Colors of the Australian Shepherd". Archived from the original on 2007-04-08. http://web.archive.org/web/20070408065431/http://www.asca.org/About+Aussies/Color-Basic+Info. Retrieved 2007-05-15. : Basic, simple-language explanation of Australian Shepherd merle colorings
• Homozygous "Lethal White" Merles