merle cockers

[dab_20]

I just came upon a picture of a merle cocker the other day. I was just wondering how they get the merle gene into a cocker spaniel. :confused: I heard someone say that there shoulden't be merle cockers. Why not?

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a22/dab_20/Katie-RobVlbr.jpg

[Suki Wingy]

becuase it is not an accepted color, but they are cute. There are other just as cute dogs in shelters though. You can do just as much with a shelter dog as a merle cocker. I am not saying any more on this thread because I don't want to get into a fight.

[dab_20]

I know. I just don't know very much about gene's because I am not old enough to understand it. I was just curious.

[Suki Wingy]

what do you mean you're not old enough to understand it? It is my favorite thing to learn and I can't be much older if even than you- I'm a sopomore in HS. I'll see if I can find a site on the merle gene.

[Suki Wingy]

I found this
http://www.countrycockerspaniels.com/info.html
I haven't read it yet, tell me what you think.
ok, edited to add this http://bowlingsite.mcf.com/Genetics/Merle.html
I like that site.

[Husky_mom]

i found this site www.merlecockers.com

[dab_20]

ok thanks. i am younger than you are suki wingy. i am still in middle school. but i am in high school next year. **YAY**

and about that first website you didn't read. um its about what merles are. the person who wrote that acctually breeds merles. Why would they breed a dog that could never be showed or registered? i am going to show my parti cocker in 4h.

[Suki Wingy]

only 2 yrs at most.

[dab_20]

only 2 years what?

[Suki Wingy]

older than you

[dab_20]

OH lolz. i am slow. but i think merle is a really pretty color. like in aussies and stuff.

[lv4dogs]

Why would they breed a dog that could never be showed or registered? i am going to show my parti cocker in 4h.

I'm guessing they want the almighty american dollar!
I haven't read the site either but I don't think it takes a genius to figure out why a breeder would breed dogs that can't be shown. :(

[dab_20]

oh and also. is there certain rules about registering partis? because i don't know if mine would be the right color to show. (im not registering him)

he's a black and white parti with little tiny spots all over him. which i found out is called ticking.

[dab_20]

its sad what ppl do to animals for money.

[lv4dogs]

I just browsed her site. Sounds like a BYB, she also breeds cockapoos & only offers a 1 year health warranty. All reputable breeders offer at least a 2 year warranty as some helth deffects can not be deteced until they are 2 years of age. There are a few other reasons that lead me to believe that they are a BYB, but those stick out the most.

[lv4dogs]

oh and also. is there certain rules about registering partis? because i don't know if mine would be the right color to show. (im not registering him)

he's a black and white parti with little tiny spots all over him. which i found out is called ticking.

There probably isn't many rules about registering a parti but there is usually guidlines for the colors when you show them. If you show a dog you usually have to register them.

I don't know about cockers but just for example, an Aussie can not have white on his/her body, only on the face, neck & legs & the white on the neck must stop at the withers. etc...

[dab_20]

yep i guess you can't trust everyone who sounds professional, huh?

[dab_20]

i guess i could find out about it on dogbreedinfo.com. in 4h they dont need to be registered to show. (since it is for kids) its not really showing, more like obedience. you can even show mixes.

[cali]

accepted and possable are 2 entirly different things, the border collie standards says they should not be mostly white, they simpley dont exept mostly whit BCs, in the real world mostly white BCs are VERY common and there is nothing at all wronge with them, brindle is not accepted either, but they come it that too. this is the same with any breed, just because a a colour is not accepted hardly means the colour does not exist.

[poofy]

I never knew any of that , thanks.. :D

[Jessika]

Why would they breed a dog that could never be showed or registered?

Some breeders don't breed for conformation, some breed for working, and when you're working looks play no role (fur color, etc) in how well a dog performs. :)

[dab_20]

Yep, I suppose thats true for alot of breeds. But cockers are barely used for hunting anymore. (that I know of)

[lute]

the merles are pretty cute, but i don't agree with breeding for merles. same goes for merle danes and chihuahuas. i agree with everyone else here that people should breed for accepted colors.

[dab_20]

yep i do too. than ppl can show them. i mean, its fine with me if someone buys a merle cocker, dane, etc. but breeding them is not good. besides you can go to a shelter and find a dog just as cute and kind!

[Flatcoatluver]

Actually cockers are still very commen in hunting or atleast where i live.

[IRescue452]

There are lots of merle cockers. I thought it was a normal cocker colour. English cockers come in merle all the time. Most breeds have colours people don't know about because the AKC chooses to only accept colours they like.

[Suki Wingy]

colors that are historically correct.

I know I said I wouldn't post in this thread but I have almost no self control(:rolleyes:) You should register your pup because if you ever want to do agility or obediance it makes it a whole lot easyer. I'm doing 4H conformation with Niño.

[Vette]

Oh my goodness.. i had no idea there was merle Cockers!
adorable!

anymore pictuers? :D

[dab_20]

well we have no reason to register him. it doesn't make him anymore important or better than he is now. besides, i can do agility and obdience in 4h, and he doesn't need to be registered.

VETTE: here is a link to lots of merle cockers: http://images.google.com/images?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official_s&hl=en&q=merle%20cocker%20spaniel&btnG=Google+Search&sa=N&tab=wi

[bckrazy]

"well we have no reason to register him."

Honestly, is that true or is he just not registerable because his parents aren't registered? Not to offend you. I think that if you're going to buy a "purebred" from a breeder, they should at least have papers for the puppies so that you can track their lines and be sure that your pup IS indeed purebred. Registration isn't making your dog better or worse, it's making sure that the breeders are responsible enough to improve the breed by breeding registered, confirmed, purebred dogs.

meh ;) no comment about merle Cockers. I've never seen a merle Cocker, though it does sound like a BYB scheme to me (I can already see it in the Classified ads ~ "RARE unregisterable Merle Cocker Spaniel Pups"). From the Cocker Club article, it sounds like people might have added the color in by crossbreeding with another breed of dog that carries merle. I know there are PLENTY of other BYB's doing this to breeds such as Pit Bulls... they cross in Catahoula's and Aussies sell those pups as "Merle Pit Bulls". I have seen ROAN patterns in Cockers, but I would not consider that merle. Merle is obviously not a registerable color, and is considered a flaw (like Merle Danes and white Boxers can't be shown) and people should not be breeding Cockers FOR merle coloring.

heh.... this pic from your link is not a merle Cocker, its a red merle Mini Aussie :)

http://www.toprocktrainingcenter.com/images/studentphotos/merle.jpg

[dab_20]

i know. not all the pics are cockers- doesnt take a genius to figure that out. lol... well i don't know much about registering, so thanks for that info. his parent's weren't registered, ( i am not sure of that so i will ask my friend about that today) so I guess we can't register him. and i got him from a BYB by the way. so they aren't responsible breeders i guess. it was my friend's puppy. he just happens to be healthy so far. what really makes me angry is we found out they hadn't even wormed him!! but he needed a home and he has turned out to be a wonderful puppy.

my brother has a white boxer puppy. he doesn't know anything about how they aren't showable, so he got the puppy. it costed like 400 dollars. he fell for that "RARE white boxer puppies" thing.

[PJ's Mom]

The merle cockers are cute, but I'll stick with my blonde cocker. ;)

When we bought Peej, we got his papers, but never botheed to register him. He's a pet, we never bred him, so we didn't think it really mattered. :)

[dab_20]

peej is absolutly adorable. if you look in the 'pics of molli and sammy' thread.... you can see my cocker puppy!