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9/20/04
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Hello
Merle is a very controversial issue. It is believed that merle arrived in our breed through impure means and is not a true spaniel color, no other spaniels have merle in the gene pools, NONE. But either thru impure means orother wise they have existed in the lines since the early 80's , and can be traced to a single dog , Rusty Butch. This dog alone is the source of the controversy. There is a site dedicated to this coloartion, ww.merlecockers.com, i believe , do a search if that doesnt come up.
If you have any further questions , feel free to contact me.
Lesley
GEMSTONZ@webtv.net
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Lesley
GemstonZ Cockers
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11/21/04
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Hi. I raise merle American Cockers and although there is some controversy as to how the merle markings came into the breed, they are certainly here to stay. The blue eyes are due to a general dilution in the coloring of your dog, as the merle gene is basically a dilution gene. All dogs carry the merle gene, and it is generally either switched on or off in the various breeds, so the markings could have been "switched on" in Cockers through a mutation of the gene, or through introduction from another breed, such as a Sheltie, back 25 years or so ago. But after five generations of pure bred breeding a dog is considered "pure bred," so it really doesn't matter now how the gene came into the breed by now, and all merle Cockers are now purebred, if in a registry such as the AKC. Merle Cockers have no special health problems if they are not a double merle, so enjoy your pup!
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Lu
Suwannee Cockers
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1/24/05
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I came across a website that had information about merle colored cocker spaniels. 1 thing i do recall from the information she listed was to make sure that if you do decide to breed your dog, it is not with another merle. the affects of this could be anything from stillborn pups, to ones that are born with 1 or both eyes missing, along with other birth defects. here is the link for you to check out and i am sure as a breeder she would be happy to help with anyother questions you may have about your pup.
tara
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Tara
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