FAQ's:
Q: I just bought a cocker that the breeder said was a roan. How do I know if it really IS a roan or a merle?
A: Look at the pedigree or get one if you don't have one and see if you can trace it to known merle cockers. If still confused, please send a photo and/or the pedigree to us at Camelotcockers@aol.com.
Q: Are merle cockers purebred?
A: 1. Yes
2. No
3. Maybe
The jury is still out on this one.
1. Yes because IF the merle gene was introduced, it was back in May of 1988.Genetic experts say that a dog is considered purebred after 4 or 5 generations. Most merles now are at 12 generations or more from this breeding.
Yes, the merle gene is an ancient gene and is present in all dogs although not activated in all breeds, unless it mutated, which could be a possibility in the merle cocker.
2. No - Others say a dog of another breed was introduced to the cocker gene pool in 1988 and they feel the merle cocker is not purebred even after almost 20 years.
3. Maybe - Again, it could be a genetic mutation that happened
Q: How did merle cockers come about?
A: No one knows for sure, and no one will probably ever know for sure. It could have been a mutation from 1988, actually the dog in question was born in 1979, 28 years ago. Whether this was a mutation, or something jumped the fence, no one will ever know for 100% certainty. All merles go back to this breeding. If it does not, then it is a fudged pedigree.There has been a case of somebody attempting to say that their merle does not go back to this breeding. This breeding was done with fake papers from another female, and not the female that was actually the dam and who did go back to Rusty Butch.
Q: I have a pedigree on my merle. How do I find out if it goes back to Rusty Butch?
A: Check your pedigree!
Q: If I have a cocker that is a normal color, but after looking at the pedigree, I see that there is a merle in there a few generations back. Can it be safe to breed my cocker even though it isn't merle? What are my chances a merle will pop up?
A: If your dog is not a merle nor are it's parents, your dog is as safe as any dog without merle in the pedigree. The lethal gene is only carried on the merle gene,if your dog is not merle, then there is no lethal gene nor will your dog ever produce merle, unless it is bred to a merle.
Q: My dog isn't a merle but it's mother was. Can I breed/show this dog?
A: If your dog is not a merle cocker, and it is an allowed color and quality for conformation, then yes, it is perfectly fine to show your dog or breed it. If your dog is not merle, then it does not carry for merle and is as normal as any cocker whose parents are any other color.
Q: I have a cocker but it's a normal color but it has 2 blue eyes. Is this normal? Is this a merle?
A: It is not the norm for a cocker to have blue eyes. Chances are it is probably a merle cocker. Sometimes the only place merle will show up much is the eye color. There is also a dilute gene in cockers than can also turn a cocker's eyes blue or lighten them significantly. The best thing to do to know for sure is to look at the pedigree or ask the breeder of your dog if one of it's parents were merle. If still uncertain, you can have your dog tested to see if it is a merle at Genmark.
Q: I have a cocker that has double merles behind it. I thought all double merles would die when born?
A: No, this is not true. Some double merle pups can die soon after they are born or be born dead. But we are finding that double merle cockers seem to be fairly healthy and have not really presented with any unusual problems when bred together. It is still not a good idea to breed 2 merle cockers together because of the lethal gene when 2 are bred, there is still a chance problems could happen.
Q: If I bred 2 merles together, would I have all merles in the litter?
A: No, from research, you can have as many merles from a merle to non merle breeding as you can from merle to merle and without the potential health problems.
Q: Are there any health problems associated with merle cockers?
A: There have been occasions of some merle cockers having iris coloboma, which is a basicly a misshapen pupil, which generally cause no eye problems.
Other than that, there could be a possibilty of deafness when breeding merle to merle or merle to very white open marked cockers. Any other genetic problem is a problem that could be considered normal to any color cocker.
Q: How do I know if my dog is a hidden merle? I want to breed it.
A: You can get a genetic test now to see if your dog is a merle at Genmark. Another thing to do, is test breed your merle to a non merle dog. If no merles appear in the litter, your dog is not merle.
Q: How many merles are in a normal merle to non-merle cocker litter?
A: It varies. Some have had only 1 or 2 merles in a normal (5-6 pup) litter, some have had 70-80% merles.
Q: If the non-merle cockers in a merle litter are bred, will they produce merles?
A: NO. Only merles can produce merles. The only way a non merle can produce merle is to breed it to a merle.
Q: Because merles can carry a lethal gene, I am terrified that I may get or breed to a dog that has a merle in it's pedigree.How can I feel safe?
A: The only way merle can carry and produce the lethal gene is to breed it to another merle. If there is no merle to merle breeding, there IS NO LETHAL GENE.
It takes two to tango, so to say. If your dog is not merle, you do not have the lethal gene nor do you have to worry about it. The gene stops with the merle.
If you have a dog who has a merle 3 generations back, but the offspring of that merle in your pedigree is not merle, then there is no lethal gene. That gene stopped 3 generations back. It is NOT recessive and cannot be carried and then produced. Even if this was a double merle breeding, if your dog is not merle, there is NO LETHAL GENE and you are safe.
