all-white Shelties

sable merle

Okay thanks for the clarification!

Thanks for the pictures calliesmom your shelties are both gorgeous. I think Sandy may grow up to look like Cranberry; his father is a dark mahogany sable and he is showing signs that he will have the blue in stripes down his shoulders. Actually, this explains something else I've noticed. My childhood dog, Sunny, was a beautiful sable sheltie and he had deep liquid brown eyes so dark it was hard to see the pupil. Sandy's eyes are also brown but I am sure they are a lighter shade; they have a slightly golden tint. Every time he looks at me I can see the pupils. None of my family members believed me they were sure I remembered wrong. I didn't know until now that the merled gene can cause variation in eye colour!

 

Well if we're throwing in pics and such...

http://s800.photobucket.com/albums/...usketeers/?action=view&current=P5150016-1.mp4

There's my color-headed white sable merle girl! I love this video... Abbie still bites Duncan's nose when they play. You can see it isn't hard or anything, just a dominance thing.

 

She has settled in nicely hasn't she

 

Light brown eyes aren't related to the merle gene. Blue eyes or blue flecks are. Light brown eyes can occur in any color and is considered a fault. It can look quite striking though. Smudge has that color eyes. Works for him.

 

I love my mangy sheltie!

Smudge Halloween pictures:
http://twosheltiesandafatchick.shutterfly.com/holidays/94
http://twosheltiesandafatchick.shutterfly.com/holidays/135

Smudge in his trusty pink hat:
http://twosheltiesandafatchick.shutterfly.com/smuff/101

Smudge a week or so ago with his Kong Wubba bear:
http://twosheltiesandafatchick.shutterfly.com/smuff/200

 

Looking good Mr Smudge

 

I just want to say that, not all white shelties are double merles, and even double merles are not always blind or deaf. I recently saw an ALL WHITE, no color whatsoever, sheltie, AKC and out of show lines (it was a show breeder) that was out of two colored parents (black/tri and blue merle), which was totally healthy, could hear/see fine, etc. I personally spoke to this breeder, and it is a beautiful sheltie.

The breeder I bought my first sheltie from (a male sable/white), had had several white shelties in the past, and my boy had 4 in his pedigree. NEVER from merle-merle breedings and this is dna documented.

A double merle is breeding Merle-Merle... and YES so called "reputable" breeders purposely (opposite is back yard breeders, who do not know this will happen- uneducated) create double merles, the intention being is that all offspring from that dog will be Merles. They do not care about the poor dogs sight or hearing, or happiness. I must note that not all double merles are ALL white, in fact most have color, just not any on the face, pretty much the opposite of a color headed white, which has its whole face colored.

I disagree with double merles, but not with white shelties.
Just wanted to give my input.
Brianna

 

All of your information has already been covered.

I think all (or at least most) people on this board are against double merles (and merle to merle breedings), but I don't know of any who are against color-headed whites (except the ones that are against them because they're against breed standard).