What kind of dog is this?
- Thread starter Flik
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Yes there is alot of debate about the health of the merles. But I've seen some healthy ones around. But like with everything check to make sure they have health testing done. But they are an accepted color. I like them but would never breed them just from what a close friend was saying when she bred a couple of litters and the problems she had. She said she'd never do it again with the merle breedings and spayed and nuetered the merles she had and found them pet homes. They are very pretty but, i'd just never incorperate them with my lines IMO. I don't even like having blues in my pedigrees because some have the same problems as merles again IMO. But there are others who breed these colors with no problems at all. It's just a matter of opinion and good breeding.
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It is a merle chihuahua (could be mixed with something).
The controversy over merle comes from the fact that if you breed a merle dog to a merle dog, the puppies are VERY likely to be blind and deaf, because it creates a "lethal gene".
If you look into getting a merle chihuahua puppy from a breeder, be sure the breeder never breeds merle to merle dogs.
The controversy over merle comes from the fact that if you breed a merle dog to a merle dog, the puppies are VERY likely to be blind and deaf, because it creates a "lethal gene".
If you look into getting a merle chihuahua puppy from a breeder, be sure the breeder never breeds merle to merle dogs.
I always thought there was a controversy about the origins of the color though. Like in poms and cocker spaniels where merle recently showed up. Since merle is dominant, it can't really be hidden over generations but all of a sudden it's popping up in a bunch of breeds.
Has merle always been in chis then?
Has merle always been in chis then?
Thanks for all the replies!
I am looking to get a dog but not for a couple of years. I've got an 18 year old deaf cat who's extremely feisty and she'd murder me in my sleep if I brought a new animal into the house.
But now I can go read up on Chihuahuas...
(I've met exactly two, one was a hellion and the other was the friendliest little welcome wagon.)
About merles - I would never breed dogs but I wonder if it's ethical to promote them by having one?
I am looking to get a dog but not for a couple of years. I've got an 18 year old deaf cat who's extremely feisty and she'd murder me in my sleep if I brought a new animal into the house.
But now I can go read up on Chihuahuas...
(I've met exactly two, one was a hellion and the other was the friendliest little welcome wagon.)About merles - I would never breed dogs but I wonder if it's ethical to promote them by having one?
Merle is fine as long as it is not bred merle x merle.
Thanks Sapphire, that's what I was remembering. This is kind of embarrassing but a few years ago I played a virtual dog showing game that was based mostly off FCI and there were many debates about allowing merle in chihuahuas. I kind of got the impression from that that merle was an unacceptable color for the most part.
Is there another registry other than the AKC that allows merles?
The whole merle thing is very interesting to me in all the breeds it's recently starting to show up in. APBTs, Chis, Poms, Cockers come to mind.
Thanks Sapphire, that's what I was remembering. This is kind of embarrassing but a few years ago I played a virtual dog showing game that was based mostly off FCI and there were many debates about allowing merle in chihuahuas. I kind of got the impression from that that merle was an unacceptable color for the most part.
Is there another registry other than the AKC that allows merles?
The whole merle thing is very interesting to me in all the breeds it's recently starting to show up in. APBTs, Chis, Poms, Cockers come to mind.
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You're right, merle is a recent color in chis which makes a lot of people wonder where it came from.... hence the controversy. All the merle chis I've seen have been larger than standard (the one in the picture, for example, looks about 10 pounds... the standard is up to 6 pounds). Personally I wouldn't go out searching to buy a merle chi, and as the OP said, I'd be cautious about promoting them at all, "good" breeder or not.
There are breeders with ethical practices who produce merles. They don't breed for it, but it's in their lines and so they have merles one in a while.
My cousin has brother and sister chis from a good breeder. One is a tricolor and the other merle. I absolutely adore them, they have the best temperaments of any chihuahuas I have ever met.
You could go the breeder route, or you could look around on petfinder for an adult merle chi rescue. This might be a good thing to do because chihuahua puppies can be a little tricky as far as keeping their blood sugar up, potty training, etc. until they have grown some. And with an adult you already have an idea what kind of temperament it has.
These are her dogs.
ETA: about the ethics, some chihuahua breeders are extremely against breeding the merles because of the controversy over where the merle came from, and so believe the dogs with merle lines had another breed slipped in somewhere.
But, if you're looking for a nice companion, or even to compete in the AKC ring you can find breeders who produce health tested, conformation titled chihuahuas with nice temperaments. As long as those breeders aren't breeding merle X merle litters, I wouldn't feel guilty about buying a dog from them. It's so rare to find people who health test their chis anyway, I'd be ALL for supporting that.
My cousin has brother and sister chis from a good breeder. One is a tricolor and the other merle. I absolutely adore them, they have the best temperaments of any chihuahuas I have ever met.
You could go the breeder route, or you could look around on petfinder for an adult merle chi rescue. This might be a good thing to do because chihuahua puppies can be a little tricky as far as keeping their blood sugar up, potty training, etc. until they have grown some. And with an adult you already have an idea what kind of temperament it has.
These are her dogs.
ETA: about the ethics, some chihuahua breeders are extremely against breeding the merles because of the controversy over where the merle came from, and so believe the dogs with merle lines had another breed slipped in somewhere.
But, if you're looking for a nice companion, or even to compete in the AKC ring you can find breeders who produce health tested, conformation titled chihuahuas with nice temperaments. As long as those breeders aren't breeding merle X merle litters, I wouldn't feel guilty about buying a dog from them. It's so rare to find people who health test their chis anyway, I'd be ALL for supporting that.
i firmly believe that a mutation doesn't occur just once & that's it. but i would have to look hard at a breeder & see if the DNA their stock before i would believe it was a spontaneous repeat mutation.
also i don't know how it applies to other breeds, but several years ago i read that TX A&M did a study on catahoulas that showed breeding brindle to merle would produce unexpressed merles that could then produce both expressed & unexpressed merles when bred to normal solid color dogs. when bred to another unexpressed merle they produced high color double merles w/little or no health problems normally associated w/ double merle and unexpressed merles. when bred to expressed merles they produced both high color double merles & regular double merles, as well as expressed single merles.
also i don't know how it applies to other breeds, but several years ago i read that TX A&M did a study on catahoulas that showed breeding brindle to merle would produce unexpressed merles that could then produce both expressed & unexpressed merles when bred to normal solid color dogs. when bred to another unexpressed merle they produced high color double merles w/little or no health problems normally associated w/ double merle and unexpressed merles. when bred to expressed merles they produced both high color double merles & regular double merles, as well as expressed single merles.