It is good to be aware of the health implications of a lack of pigment particularly around the ears and eyes. Are Pattern Whites the Same as Double Merles? This is called a heterozygous merle. The white and gray patterns that appear on a black Aussies make them appear to have a blueish cast. He has also learned to recognize my hand signals for come, cookie, and sit. You'll also receive a free copy of the ebook Good job. Merle is a dominant trait. Make sure you engage your dog in regular walks or exercise sessions to maintain its physical health, as well as to keep yourself in shape. Q & A Forum So, in an Mm + Mm breeding the chance for a puppy inheriting two dominant merle genes (M) is about 25 percent. So, what does the Australian Shepherd look like? Thyroid conditions often occur together with Von Willebrands disease. There is no treatment or surgery that can reverse this damage. The coat can be wavy or straight. Deshedding is very important for your White Australian Shepherd, especially when this dog breed sheds considerably. I am always amazed that if he is sound asleep, it is just minutes before he smells someone coming in the house/room. Give them a try, and you can be assured of fresh, delicious, and balanced dog foods. His eye sight is alright not perfect. We move things in our house way too much for a dog without sight. First of all lethal white is simply inaccurate. Double Merle Australian Shepherds And The Many Myths. IS YOUR PETS COMFORT IMPORTANT TO YOU? Rather than being perfectly round the irregular pupil is rough and jagged around the outside edge. Chaos is a bit of a character super sensitive nose. Genetics of Coat Color and Type in Dogs, Australian Shepherd Health & Genetics Institute, 2013. He does seem to have separation anxiety and we cant leave him lose when were not home. Depending on the location, pedigree, coat colors, and breeder, the price of a White Aussie can range from $400 to $1,600. Trick was getting up and out without waking him. A Lethal White Australian Shepherd is the offspring of breeding two Merle Australian Shepherd. The problems that arise have to do with the underlying genetics that result in physical disorders rather than a concern about appearance. They are the best imo! He has only gotten loose once without someone right behind him. Go Foxy! The Australian Shepherd sheds continually, but regular grooming can help keep shedding to a minimum. Why Is A Double Merle Called A "Lethal White"? A healthy Australian Shepherd can live to between 12 and 15 years of age. Dogs with two copies of the merle gene are called homozygous merles, or double merles. I would ask her to bark and he would come running from where he was. What Does "Merle" or "Double Merle" Mean? SSelf - completely solid color Finnegan passed two years ago and Chaos is missing his buddy as his companion. Mine is an esa dog. He has two older dogs to keep him company, one being just a few months older. Australian Shepherd. American Kennel Club. How is Jessie? The same checks should be applied if youre considering buying a white Australian Shepherd mix or pattern white Australian Shepherd. Also, the White Aussie iscautious and mistrustful of strangers. Genes can be either dominant or recessive. We rescued him. We always woke to tell him we were leaving the room so he would race through the house looking for us. We just adopted a white Aussie that was 5 months old. Also, areas that you would expect to be dark such as eye rims and noses are instead pink or pink-spotted. The genetics involved can be very complex with both double merles and pattern whites. Just like humans, these dogs also require time and training to get used to water or even learn to swim. If you take on an Australian Shepherd, you must be prepared to provide him with plenty of exercise and mental stimulation. These odds for causing a puppy to be born permanently deaf and/or blind are too high. Deafness resulting from a merle to merle breeding usually develops shortly after birth. Aussies can have coats of red merle, blue merle, red or black. Beware that bathing more frequently, however, will becounterproductiveand may strip off natural oils protecting its skin. Degrees of white colour are determined by the permutations and combinations of these genetic factors. Despite their name, they are not the same as Australian Shepherds, nor do they originate from Australia. Mine is just learning about his neighborhood and is acclimating to his new world. Chaos is food oriented so tricks and discipline are easier. Brushing times may be extended for a thicker coat or a younger dog. I want my dog to listen and come every time I call! Many health conditions and diseases are genetic and may impact the life expectancy of a White Aussie, as well as its future offspring. Back to Australian Shepherd Health Issues. The Australian Shepherd, or Aussie as theyre affectionately known, does not actually originate in Australia! Site Blog, Training & Care Ebook This sentient creature is a darling addition to our family! To see what a typical, white double merle looks like, check out this video of a white Australian Shepherd, Alfred. The same lack of pigment cells that results in hearing loss affects the development of the eyes. They may be more likely to occur with parents who already have excessive amounts of white in their coats but that is not always the case. This work is licensed under the the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License. MM - Homozygous merle (Double merle - Lethal White). In addition to these problems there are the very serious and generally more obvious conditions we discuss below. great articles and info. Thus, they can pick up a number of commands fairly easily and are highly popular among farmers for their herding instincts. ( The pinball wizard ). We are currently looking for another rescue preferably deaf with seeing. Female Aussies are a little smaller, weighing between 40 and 55 pounds. Our fenced back yard is her favorite place so far. When the door is open, he sits at the door and waits for either his leash to be put on or a rope so he can sit on the front porch. Removes loose hair: reaches through the topcoat to remove loose undercoat hair without cutting skin or damaging the FURejector button: just push the button to release hair with ease. Tell us your Aussies tale in the comments box below. The same is true for dogs with visual impairment or blindness. With Finnegan, we could tell her it was alright and she would communicate to Chaos. We have done cat rescue for years, mostly special needs (blind, deaf, both, tripodsyou name it). Hope youre enjoying her ! All of the family know not to let him out or off a lease. Shes adapting to life with a bunch of cats though she can be food aggressive so I have to be careful with that. I dont trust him with anyone until i have seen his reactions as he doesnt communicate his fears as a hearing dog. Specifically, the stria vascularis is affected. We have recently adopted a white double Merle we have named Foxy. With her nervousness and deafness, I doubt she would have been adopted. Hes happy and healthy, although either extremely hard headed or not very bright. This tool is designed to remove huge amounts of undercoats and loose fur. For deshedding, we highly recommend theFurminator Undercoat Tool. Dog Training Index I am glad to read from others that it is okay for their deafie not to be petted by everyone who wants to! Get Australian Shepherd Info, Website Updates, Special Offers, and Cartoons FREE GIFT There is also a wide range of possible combinations. Lethal white is a misnomer as it is not actually fatal in dogs, unless you consider that puppies born double merle are often culled. NAS/Mini Breeders Dir. Ensure you understand the factors that individually affect the price range. As well as their striking coat colors, Australian Shepherds have a wide range of eye coloration. They can even have split eyes, in which half the eye is one color and the other half is a different color! He walked away out the door at a cottage and kept walking I am thinking he thought we were behind him. The breakdown in this chain of events occurs in the conversion of the mechanical energy to electrical impulses. For a healthy White Aussie, we recommend that you bathe your poochonce every 4 to 6 weeks. My Everyday Dog Training Tools We know whats involved. Australian Shepherd Art. I adopted a blue Merle Aussie mix that is deaf about a month ago. Just do it. We got childrens locks and locked up the pantry. If you notice your White Aussie displaying some form of aggression, it is highly likely that there are certain triggers at play. It isadvisable to add dental water additives. Double merles usually have pale blue eyes. Can a Short-Haired Australian Shepherd Really Be a Purebred Aussie? Believe it or not, search engines may be responsible for perpetuating the phrase "lethal white". Here is what you can expect from White Aussies. This is also common with other dog breeds that do not brush their teeth routinely. when we first brought him home, he took quite a bit to calm down at night. Males weigh between 50 and 65 pounds. Finnegan must have coached him to then go to the pantry so they feasted on boxes of cereals, noodles, etc. He was house broken when he arrived at our house. During the last few months of Finnegans life (she passed from a brain cancer), Chaos religiously scrounged for food and brought it to her in our livingroom. Double merle dogs are often deaf. Guide To Australian Shepherd Training & Care. We recommendPet Platefor all dog food needs. Well, thats not proven, but perhaps these dogs have more of a tendency to jumpiness because of their impaired sight and hearing. I'll spare you the graphic and heartbreaking pictures here, but if you would like to have a look you can find photos of microopthalmia, anopthalmia, hypoplasia, starburst pupil, irregular pupil and eccentric pupil on The White Aussies website here. Many pets right after a bath they try to find a Reduces stains, brightens colors and leaves the coat feeling soft and looking fresh. The health consequences vary from mild to severe affecting hearing and/or vision. I purchased a white Aussie a few months back. This condition is called Overo Lethal White Syndrome (OLWS). Aussie Breeders Directory And, of course, as much-loved family pets! She did have to come show me! These dogs are often bred from two Merle Australian Shepherds together. The duration can be further reduced to15 minutes from the usual 30 minutes. Merle Ocular Dysgenesis refers to a group of eye problems associated with merle to merle breeding. Glenn and Diane, I recently rescued a white Aussie who was for sale in a pet store. So, what's so bad about white Aussies? Most deaf dogs are like hearing ones. All Australian Shepherds have a mid-length, double coat with some feathering on their legs, chest, and tail. He is truly amazing dog. Also Its Pernounced Like (BRINU) But Spelled Bryna. Their lifespan is the same as any Australian Shepherd. So, are double merle, white Australian Shepherds more prone to stress or nervousness? Merle refers to the pattern in the coat and is not a color. While on the other hand double merle or homozygous merle removes the implication that these dogs do not live long. Check out this video to see why! Agility Training Index, NEW Dog Product Reviews All of these coat colorings can come with or without white markings and copper points on the legs, tail, ears, and face. He accustomed and sleep beside Finnegan until he was comfortable sleeping on his own. The outer coat is comprised of long, coarse guard hairs that act as a shield against wind and rain during the winter. So we didnt have to think twice about a deaf dog. The breed can also be found working as service dogs, guide dogs, therapy dogs, and search-and-rescue dogs too. Our teddy is deaf and sight is alittle off but hes seriously the best dog ! In another trigger instance, if it feels cornered or it encounters a complete stranger, it will let its protective instincts take over. Wet Cat Food Feeding 101: How Much Food To Feed Everyday, their association with loci for white pigmentation, Seamus Cherry Blossom Whitening Dog Shampoo, Seamus Cherry Blossom Professional Hypoallergenic, Whitening and Brightening Shampoo, FURminator Undercoat Deshedding Tool for Large Dogs Long Hair. Many double merle dogs have a combination of the defects mentioned above in each eye. Its her safe spot. It actually sounds quite nice, an Australian Shepherd with a snowy white coat. Deafness in dogs can pose a safety concern. Without these cells, this interpretation doesnt happen correctly, and the dog is therefore deaf. Since the merle allele affects pigmentation a dog that would have had patches of white or light areas with a single inheritance becomes predominantly white with the double. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The Happy Puppy Site is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk, The Happy Puppy Site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, Prevalence of Deafness in Dogs Heterozygous or Homozygous for the Merle Allele. Were it not for the health problems that result from this condition white Aussies might have just been another coloration category. Some dogs have eyes of different colors, for example, one green and one blue. This double whammy of the merle gene results in a homozygus merle or double merle puppy often referred to (incorrectly) as a lethal white. With that in mind, it could be accurate to say that double merle dogs do have a tendency to be more edgy and tense than their fully sighted, hearing cousins. Itwas originally a working breed that came from the Basque region of Northern Spain, Europe. So you could have one eye almost of normal size with an irregular pupil while the other eye is smaller with a starburst and eccentric pupil. White Australian Shepherds are not aggressive but very friendly and sociable. He is smart and wants to stay right with me throughout the house, even accompanying me to the bathroom when I am taking care of my business. Dog Nutrition Index NEW Aussie Clubs, Template Design by Cre8ve Online|Mega Menu by Gerry Davis. So, when you buy an Australian Shepherd puppy, always check that the breeder has not mated two dogs with merle coloring so that their offspring cannot inherit a double merle gene. These dogs shed their fur twice a year, and shed heavily, especially during summer and winter. About UsContact UsPrivacy PolicyTerms & ConditionsDisclaimer. Alleles of the S locus such as the Irish Spotting, Piebald Spotting and the Extreme Piebald Spotting are responsible for determining which areas of the dog will be white. He now sleeps touching one of us sleeping on our foot or something. During the hot summer months, the outer coat protects the dog from the suns UV rays. Okay, back to Australian Shepherds. Our little girl had already been in 3 homes. Your Australian Shepherd will need grooming at least once or twice a week to prevent the coat from becoming tangled and matted. In hot weather, airflow through the undercoat keeps the dog cool. SwExtreme piebald spotting creates very little color on white background. Make sure that both parents do not carry the merle gene to be sure that your puppy wont inherit the double merle gene combination. Say we have a merle Aussie who has a gene pair of Mm. Why Is A Double Merle Called A "Lethal White"? He runs to get his leash when he thinks we should be walking. Hip dysplasia is a conditionwhere the socket of the hip joint fails to form normally. Well look that this in greater detail later in this article. These dogs are usually healthy, although some are born with merle-related deformities. We are so glad we rescued this dog before she was sent to a shelter. Each walk or session can beat least 30 minutes of exercise every day. However, some studies have shown that depigmentation can be linked to nervousness in some animals. Inheritance of gene pairs can seem complicated to the non-breeder. Just dont move the furniture around. While this occurs in other dog's, double merles are particularly suceptible to hypoplasia. We also recommend the professionally formulatedSeamus Cherry Blossom Whitening Dog Shampoothat containscoat conditioners, optical brighteners, and coat cleansers. Thats because the merle gene affects the development of the dogs ears and eyes. Dog Training Videos As a consequence the nerve cells of the cochlea begin to die resulting in permanent deafness. Its a lot of work, but I cant wait to see how far she can go! Hearing Problems In A Double Merle Australian Shepherds are medium-sized dogs, standing between 18 and 23 inches tall. However, excessive exercise for a White Aussie puppy is not always good and may do more harm than good. The degree of conduction hearing loss is directly related to the presence of pigmentation cells. Chaos would look to Finnegan to see what he should be doing. Deafness in double merles is usually caused by a lack of color pigment cells in the dogs inner ear. The white coloration of double merles is the result of a lack of pigment producting cells (melanocytes). This condition is invariably fatal. In these cases, one or both of the eyeballs is sometimes removed. Other phrases often used instead of lethal white are excess whites, over merled, merle merles, fatal whites, white merles, and rare whites. This is why you should never breed two merles of any color. Another explanation that accounts for degrees of hearing loss proposes that hair cells in the cochlea convert mechanical energy to electrical nervous impulses that get passed on through the cochlear nerve eventually making its way to the brain stem and then the brain where it is interpreted as sound. Training & Care Ebook, Deal Alerts, Coupons I prefer double merle or homozygous merle rather than lethal white for a few reasons. His safe space is under our bed as was Finnegans. Somehow Finnegan was able to teach Chaos all the important things going to the dog park and the behaviour for that barking when someone appeared at the door, playing with kids. The White Australian Shepherd is typically a medium-sized dog that ranges from 18 to 24 inches tall. Now suppose we bred this dog to another dog that was also an Mm. Kya loves the water, clean or dirty it doesn't matter to her. He is currently almost 5 months old and rings a bell to go outside. I want my dog to stop barking at everything. Smart,easily trained if you have the patience and time (and the Love of dogs as we do), anything is possible. This stems from its loyalty and is dependent on the strength of the bond forged with its owner. When you buy a puppy, always ask to see that both his parents have a veterinary certificate confirming that they are both free from this condition. This is a lifelong condition that will have to be dealt with for the 15 or more years of the the dog's life. One distinction White Aussies have over other regular Aussies istheir predominantly white coat. Tricks were easy to train to Chaos as Finnegan would model the trick and Chaos would follow. Some puppies are born deaf, others blind and in the worst cases both. Now he is just comfortable sleeping where he likes. 650 Awesome Poodle Names For Curly Companions. The diet should be rich in multivitamins, proteins, and crude fat. To curb its aggressive displays towards strangers, it is advised to provide appropriate training and adequate socialization for your pooch. Australian Shepherds are well known for their striking merle coats. When there aren't enough of these cells present a significant reduction to the blood supply to the cochlea occurs. We just find he is okay and he doesnt have to be petted by everyone who wants to. However, for those who are not acutely sensitive and have a White Aussie in the house, here are some bathing and grooming tips. Read on to find out more about White Australian Shepherds, their care requirements, temperament, and their grooming needs to see if it is the ideal pet dog for your family. We used a bathroom baby gated to keep him in until we were certain that he would piddle on the carpet. White Australian Shepherds shed considerably due to their double coats. This often happens to highly mobile and active dog breeds, like the White Australian Shepherd, and in turn, severely impacts the mobility of the dog in its later life. His right ear is white and red mixed, with a red circle circling his right eye. He would come up to me and put his front paw on my foot or let to let me know he needed to go outside and take car of his business. Does this mean that because of a lack of pigmentation that pattern whites can suffer the same health issues as double merles? Professionally formulated mild yet effective soap-free formula is ideal for HOW LONG AFTER A BATH DOES YOUR PET SMELL LIKE HE/SHE NEED ANOTHER ONE? The female Aussie weighs between 40 to 56 lbs. However, you should avoid purchasing a completely white Australian Shepherd puppy or adult rescue dog. These are called blue merles. He is just delightful! At first, it was in a corner with his face towards the door on alert. Just to let everyone on your site know, we did know she was blind and deaf before taking her in. This breeding will result in the offspring with a pink nose and with several health issues, including congenital deafness. A prevalent health problem that affects the Australian Shepherd is thyroid disease. However, some Australian Shepherds can have blue eyes even though they dont carry any merle genes at all. He is housebroken. The White Australian Shepherd is a great family dog with an unwavering friendly temperament and gorgeous coat. They love to be around their owners, and that can lead to problems if you have to go out to work all day, leaving your Aussie at home alone. They offer high-protein, grain-free diets for pets. Overo Lethal White Syndrome is not related to what happens to homozygous or double merle Australian Shepherds, Mini Aussies and many other breeds that carry the merle gene such as Border Collies, Koolies, Great Danes, and "dapple" Dachshunds.