-
If
your
going
to put
it on
your
website
then
make
sure
you
know
the
FACTS!
-
You
know
who you
are!
-
I
try
very
hard
to
keep
updated
on
new
discoveries
in
the
genetic
world
and
work
very
closely
with
some
very
astute
-
and
high
profiled
geneticists.
There
is
no
reason
but
laziness
to
put
things
on
websites
that
is
nothing
but
conjuncture,
outdated
- and even worst PROVEN wrong some years ago. Not only do these folks use an outdated and proven wrong article
- that has been modified by just about every person that ever posted it on their website but most of them still have outdated
- information on the brindle gene as well.
-
-
What I
already
KNEW
is
published
below
-
Excerpts
from:
-
Deafness
and the
Merle
Gene
George
M.
Strain,
PhD
Professor
of
Neuroscience
Louisiana
State
University,
Baton
Rouge,
LA
-
Results
from
classical
genetic
studies
in the
last
century
identified
at
least
ten
genetic
loci
that
determine
coat
color
and
pattern,
represented
by the
letters
A, B,
C, D,
E, G,
M, P,
S, and
T.2 Two
of
these
genes,
S (piebald)
and M (merle),
have
been
linked
to the
appearance
of
congenital
hereditary
deafness...
Many of
the
breeds
that
carry
merle
also
carry
piebald.
Whether
it
linked
to S,
M, or
other
causes,
congenital
deafness
has
been
identified
in
nearly
90
breeds,
nearly
all of
which
carry
piebald,
merle,
or
both....
Relatively
few
studies
of the
merle
gene
have
been
published,
most
coming
from
studies
of a
breeding
colony
of
merle
dachshunds
kept at
a
university
in
Hanover,
Germany.
From
these
limited
studies
of an
inbred
population
in one
breed,
subsequent
authors
have,
unfortunately,
extrapolated
the
reported
findings
to
apply
to all
merle-carrying
breeds.
Current
work in
our and
other
laboratories
and the
experiences
of many
breeders
have
shown
that
the
actions
of
merle
have
usually
been
over-stated.
Hearing
was
tested
using
the
brainstem
auditory
evoked
response
(BAER),
determining
the
threshold
to
click
stimuli
under
sedation.
Any
threshold
above
20 dB
was
considered
to be
abnormal,
not
because
that is
an
accepted
standard,
but
because
one of
their
non-merle
dogs
had a
20 dB
hearing
threshold.
Only
one dog
– a
double
merle
male –
was
totally
deaf in
both
ears
(threshold
> 90
dB) and
none of
the
dogs
were
totally
deaf in
only
one ear
(unilaterally
deaf).
Looked
at this
way,
true
bilateral
deafness
occurred
in 9.1%
(1/11)
of the
double
merles
and
0% of
the
single
merles.
... the
hearing
loss
reported
in
these
dachshunds
that
can be
attributed
to a
genetic
cause
is much
lower
than
stated
in the
published
English
abstract
of this
German
publication.
Breeding
two
merle
dogs is
not
recommended.
Homozygous
Dominant
MM (Double
Merle)
is
defective,
often
with
deafness
and
perhaps
blindness
(including
the
possibility
of
small
improperly
formed
eyes
(Willis,
1989
p.229)).
Sensory,
neurological
and
immune
system
defects
can
occur
in dogs
from
merle
to
merle
breedings.
The
eye’s
appearance
may be
distorted,
lack of
the
reflective
substance
(tapetum
lucidum)
that
lines
the
back of
the
dogs
eye,
night
blindness
and
other
visual
problems
can
occur.
Deafness
or
hearing
loss
has
also
been
noted.
White
in
excess
or
dilution
in a
dog of
any
color
can
result
in
hearing
problems.
Deafness
in
double
merles
appears
to
result
from
the
absence
of
melanocytes
in the
ear.
The
hearing
apparatus
fails
to
develop
properly
if
melanocytes
are
absent
from
part of
the
lining
of part
of the
apparatus
of the
inner
ear
(Strain,
1996).
Double
merle
twice
dilutes
dark
coat
colors,
and
double
merle
have
almost
white
coats
with
patches
of
faint
color.
Blue
merles,
Chocolate
merles,
and
Sable
Merles
are
heterozygous
(Mm).
However,
they do
not
have
these
defects
like
the
double
merle
(MM)
even
though
they
have a
copy of
the M
allele.
Merle
to
Non-merle
is the
"safe"
breeding,
it does
not
produce
double
merle
(MM)
individuals.
*************************************************************************************
For
those
of
you
who
do
not
understand
technical
or
long-drawn
out
articles
...
-
Here
are
the
facts!!!!!!!!
- By BAER STANDARDS 0% of single merles and only 1 of 11 double merle actually had hearing problems.
SHAME
on
those
of
you
who
try
to
deceive
others.
Fact
is
that
SINGLE
Merles
have
not
been
shown
to
have
any
more
hearing
issues
than
the
traditional
piebald.
-
Please
do not
believe
what
you
read on
gossip
boards
as
these
kind of
folks
spend
more
time
gossiping
than
they do
on
researching
- or
keeping
documentation
on
their
own
dogs to
know
what
the
facts
are
within
the
genetic
world
and
their
own
bloodlines.
-
-
- The
only
merles
studies
in Rat
Terriers
that
I'm
aware
of
were
ones
done on
my own
dogs
and ALL
of my
merles
(*single
merle)
-
-
some
122
over 26
years
have
shown
to be
completely
normal
in both
eyes
and
hearing.
- I
don't
think
you
have to
be a
rocket-scientist
to do
the
math!
-
My Dad once
said
-
"Those
that don't
have enough
sense to
use their
brain
have "2"
holes to
blow wind
through!"
It's ironic
how MANY
that
continue to
put down
those who
breed
Merles are
the ones
that have
the most
dogs with
health
issues
SEE for
YOURSELF -
CLICK HERE
such as
PLL,
Luxating
Patellas
and
other
health
issues
.
Don't buy
one based
on color
and/or
pattern.
-
- Don't buy one based on Champion Titles.
- Many Championed dogs have extensive health issues - yet they continue to breed these dogs!
-
Click Here
- Proof -
Seeing is
Believing
-
- Buy one based on HEALTH
- PROVEN HEALTH
|