How do I know if my dog has the merle gene?

How do I know if my dog has the merle gene?

The merle gene creates mottled patches of color in a solid or piebald coat, blue or odd-colored eyes, and affects skin pigment. Recessive red dogs can also be affected by merle, but the patches are either hardly seen or (if the dog is a clear, recessive red) are not visible at all.

Is fur color hereditary?

The type and amount of melanin in hair is determined by many genes, although little is known about most of them. The best-studied hair-color gene in humans is called MC1R. Most people have two functioning copies of the MC1R gene, one inherited from each parent.

What breeds carry the merle gene?

The Merle pattern can be seen in various breeds, such as the Australian Shepherd Dog, Australian Koolie, Border Collie, Dachshund, French Bulldog, Louisiana Catahoula, Labradoodle, Miniature American Shepherd, Miniature Australian Shepherd, Pyrenean Shepherd, Rough Collie, Shetland Sheepdog, Welsh Sheepdog, Cardigan …

What determines dog coat color?

Melanocytes are the cells within the hair follicles that add melanin to the hair as it grows and determine basic coat color. The more melanin, the darker the color. The production of melanin is not always at a steady rate so the tip of a dog’s hair may be darker than the rest of the hair shaft.

What color dogs make a merle?

The merle forms of brown and black are usually called “red” (though this is not correct; red and brown are genetically different) and “blue” as patches of blue are formed throughout the coat.

Which parent determines hair color?

Is Hair Color Inherited from Mother or Father? Hair color comes from both parents through the chromosomes passed onto their child. The 46 chromosomes (23 from each parent) have genes made up of DNA with instructions of what traits a child will inherit.

Why can’t you breed a merle to a merle?

Why you shouldn’t breed two merle dogs together Don’t do it. The merle pattern is produced when a dog has a single copy of the M< allele. All merle dogs have the genotype Mm — meaning they have one allele for merle and one allele for non-merle. All non-merles are mm.