When Popularity & Profit Win Over Responsible Breeding. W R I T T E N BY : H A L I S E L E RT, S t a f f W r i t e r
We’ve all seen dogs that are just so cute, dogs that you just can’t but help to look at and squeal in glee. Whether it be their color, their size, the pattern of their fur— they’re just different and adorable. What we typically don’t think about is what genetic mutation got them to be so cute. What sacrifice did the person breeding their parents make in hopes that the puppies would be extra cute? Extra cute always means extra money... right? A lot of times, breeders have specific looks they’re trying to achieve in their puppies. The hope is that a litter of puppies will be unique looking, and therefore bring in a lot of money. Whether this unique factor is a specific pattern, color, size, or build-- different is more marketable, and oftentimes, a driving force behind a person’s choice to begin breeding dogs.
Breeding for Color The idea from this article came from a puppy that is just so cute, nobody can handle it... Wonder! Wonder was surrendered to Eunoia Rescue in January because despite how stinking cute she was, she was worthless to her breeders. Wonder is completely deaf and blind, which her breeders knew was a substantial risk. This is because Wonder is a double merle puppy. Merle dogs are commonly known for their multi-colored, splotchy coats (think Australian
Wonder, born blind and deaf, is what is called a double merle, who have 50% chance of some type of impairment. Photo by Mackenzie Ivey.
Shepherds and Catahoula Leopard Dogs), but the merle gene can result in blue eyes, and lighter skin pigmentation as well. Although merle dogs have been around for centuries, and are breed standard in the breeds mentioned previously, the genetic mutation was not identified, or given a name until 2006. Once the gene was discovered, it was not long before the mutation was exploited, and began being introduced artificially into breeds where it was not yet seen before like English and French Bulldogs, Chihuahuas, Pomeranians, and Pitbulls. Breeders of merle dogs need to be cautious when breeding, because if two merle dogs are bred, their puppies have a 25% chance of inheriting the merle gene twice— resulting in a double merle dog, like Wonder. Double merle dogs have a significant risk of being deaf, blind, or both— some studies have shown that the risk is over 50% of some sort of impairment. This risk comes despite breed, so owners who have a merle dog that is not altered need to be cautious!
