(click for larger image)
All his puppies are blue merles.
And many are superior show dogs.
But he’s blind--because he’s a double merle!
This dog was intentionally bred to produce only merles.
He may have outstanding conformation, but he can’t see.
This story reminds me an Ursula Le Guin story called “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas.” In this story, Omelas is a land of utopian joy and great culture. It is way beyond Lake Wobegon. It is such a wonderful place to live and be fully human.
However, to keep things so perfect, a child must live in perpetual darkness and filth. His life is as miserable as those of the other citizens are wonderful.
When some people find out the truth about the source of their wonderful lives in Omelas, they can stand it no longer. Their joy is nothing but illusory. They cannot rationalize the child’s suffering anymore. It pains them so much.
So they walk away.
This was the second short story I read in undergrad. And it moved me. It has shaped my political conscience in way that probably will always keep me a bit left of center, but it also has shaped my ethical sense. If I see people excited and happy about something, I instinctively look for the dark side. There is always a dark side.
These collie breeders who are extolling the virtues of the puppies produced from this double merle are the citizens of Omelas. They sing the praises of the progeny– and use it all to justify the father’s defect.
It is truly perverse.
I just hope there are some good collie breeders who can walk away from Omelas.
Let’s not encourage people to breed double merle studs for this purpose.
It’s not something that we should be celebrating.
It’s truly a travesty. A macabre spectacle that appears to upset no one.
It garners only praise in the collie community.
It makes me a bit nauseous.
Working dog people could stand to “live and let live” a little more when it comes to show dogs. You do your thing and we’ll do ours. Who is to really to say which philosophy of dog breeding is better?
Merle is a very important trait to preserve in collies.
Working people? The bloggers questioning Wlyndlair’s motive are not of working stocks. They don’t even do trials!
Let me get this right: so you approve of people keeping white blind dogs as studs as a way to justify breeding all-merle litters? Sorry, you can breed merle to non-merle, and still get merle litters. What’s the moral justification for having a guaranteed all-blue litter?
There’s nothing to be lost if you don’t breed double-merle. After all, the M gene is a semi-dominant trait. Breeding Mm to mm will always produce a partial litter of merles. Breeding a MM to mm will produce an all-litter of merles. The problem is: is it worth the sacrifice?
So, unless people ban the merle phenotype, why is it a trait that need to be preserved by keeping white dogs? It’s a dominant trait, and it’s flashy. It will always be around.
Merle is really that important? I beg to differ. Any gene with a potentially lethal content is not worth preserving, in my opinion. And it’s not even attractive. Dog shows and immoral breeders should be banished forever…….
Exactly what is it about merle that is so important?
It’s actually a very troubling color because it can be cryptic, and breeding merle to merle is not wise. It’s done more often than it should be, but it’s not wise.
The only gun dogs that come in merle- and by gun dog, I’m being generous– are American cocker spaniels.
Blindness is just one thing you can get from a double merle. You can get deaf dogs too, and dogs with no eyes at all. Dogs with no ear canals.
Several breeds have been attempted that have been made up of only merles, like the harlequin pinscher. It died out fast. The catahoula people learned the hard way on this lesson, too. There were once many effed up double merles in catahoulas. It’s hard to bay hogs when you’re deaf and blind.
If you have to have a merle, why not breed a single merle. You won’t get 100 percent merles in a litter with a merle parent. But you’ll take out the risk.
I would never want to outlaw merle to merle breeding (although i think I may have at one time said it– when I was dumber.).
if being blind were the only problem you could bet with double merles, I’d still be a bit leery of it.
I don’t think we should be fawning over it.
Whence came the merle gene in American cockers is an unanswered question, as far as I can determine. It is a fairly recent innovation; none of my cocker references prior to the 1960s ever mention it, nor does Dr Little in his well-known book on coat color in dogs (if I remember correctly– don’t have the book at hand here). One suspects introduction from some other breed, although it could, possibly, have been a random mutation that was bred on, similar to the albinoid white Dobermans.
im truly shocked anyone would think it was fine to breed double merles, and that this collie is a show dog that wins and he is used as a stud, he is blind arent show dogs supposed to be perfect how is being blind perfect. im not insulting the dog he is beautiful but like my beautiful double merle RESCUED deaf and partially sighted sheltie he shouldnt be here. yes i do think my dog shouldnt have been born, i love him and he is a fantastic dog and i wouldnt let him go anywhere now, but he still shouldnt have been bred. he is neutered to make sure he never breeds, this collie as lovely as he is should not be used as a stud. I am just a pet owner by the way bill i dont show, i wouldnt in a million years cause frankly the morals of some show people shocks me, and i dont run round with working dogs either. Yes to a certain extent we should let each other live and let live but why should our dogs suffer for the pleasure of humans. The trouble is i guess that to many humans , dogs are just one more possision that they can do what the hell they like with.
He’s never been shown, because of his blindness. But his puppies are.
sorry that should be possesion.
It seems the co owner is a partner in Click & Clack’s law firm.
Dewey, Cheatham, and Howe.
That’s very disturbing. I don’t know what else to say.
It’s ok though guys, he’s a great example of the current ring fashion and his kids win lots of ribbons! That’s what really matters in the end!
The parents of this dog are a sable merle and a blue merle. It is at least possible that this was an unintentional M/M breeding. (I am giving these folk the benefit of the doubt here). One can argue that Avalanche should have been neutered regardless, but if it WAS an unintentional M/M breeding, that may be a bit harsh. I don’t see anywhere where Avalanche has been used as a stud to any merle bitch. One would think that if the breeder really were fixated on merle that they would have only merles (they don’t) or be ok with using Avalanche or any of their other merle dogs with merles (I don’t see any other instances, although I could have missed them). I like the merle color myself and wish there were some way to get the “painted dog” color into dogs, but I’m very glad that my own breed doesn’t have merle as an issue as it eliminates any temptation. It’s sad that merle is a semi lethal gene. It’s not unique (paint horses types don’t mix and Appaloosa apparently also has issues).
Peggy Richter.
This was not unintentional.
This dog was promoted heavily as a puppy.
Seems too much malice aforethought to be an accident.
They don’t need to breed him to a merle bitch. As a double merle, he will throw all merle pups.
When you say that the dog is blind does that mean completely blind? The reason I ask is that I have come across what is called a “Wall eyed” collie. Usually just one eye and to me, the ignorant layman, it looks awfully like the eyes in merles, and it was never mentioned that the dogs were blind in either eye. I have several scars on my hands to remind me that there seemed to be temperament issues that went along with the wall eyes. Or maybe they just didn’t like small boys. Couldn’t eat a whole one anyway.
I’m bound to say the “we’ll do our thing, you do yours” view could never justify what appears to have happened in this case.
I hope the comment below was meant to be ironic.
It’s ok though guys, he’s a great example of the current ring fashion and his kids win lots of ribbons! That’s what really matters in the end!
Some of the double merles are born with no eyes.
http://www.lethalwhites.com/eyes.html
What is really interesting is how variable it is. I think it’s Catahoulas where you don’t see the problems associated with double merles.
Catahoulas do have problems with double merles:
http://www.donabney.com/issue_merle.php
But it does vary from breed to breed how severe the problems are in double merles.
It’s interesting that breed would have some effect on the severity of the problem. you’d think that the mutation would do the same things regardless of the type of dog.
Maybe there is something within the breed that varies the penetrance.
Glencuan, that is literally the defense of people who accept this kind of practice. He has a beautiful headpiece! Just look at his profile! That makes it all ok!
Not all of us collie breeders agree with this practice. We won’t breed merle to merle and we won’t support breeding to a double dilute. This is an issue that the collie fancy is going to have to deal with and believe me, you have our attention. We are an old and respected breed and egos run large – but ultimately the utmost concern we have is for the health and the future of the breed. I believe we’ll work this out.
It is not so much whether or not breeders will do merle-to-merle breeding that is the problem; it’s the inner circles who hide behind closed doors, and sweep the issue under the carpet upon discovery.