White great dane (pic)

**Spiritwind** · 05-02-2008, 11:51 AM

Originally Posted by shepgirl

I was just as surprised when I read that. What is it with people that they have to breed all white dogs when they aren't true to form? Do they sell them as rare and make more money? I could never take a chance if I had a white Dane like this one, and go out and try to breed it. Think of the poor pups and the health problems they might be born with - that's who pays the price, the pups and it's heartbreaking.

Ok.. first I just want to state this again.. I personally would NEVER breed merle to merle and risk getting these double merles... however like I've said before, yes I do know people who have bred merle to merle.

Did they do these breedings to sell them as rare and make more money?? NO they did not! At least not the ones I know of... I can personally guarantee you this was not the case. The person who bred the double merle collie above has been breeding/showing collies for over 40 yrs. She has some of the top winning dogs in the US. Her dogs do coformation, herding, obedience, agility and anything else they want to do. They are healthy, long lived dogs.

Now can't speak for the Great Dane (expect if the white you get is from a merle to merle breeding it would be the same as with collies - don't know about harlequins though)...

But when you breed a double merle (like the dog above) to a Tri-color (or you can do sable too, if you don't mind sable merles) you will get a litter of 100% normal blue merles. The vision and hearing problems do NOT affect the offspring of a double merle when bred to a tricolor or sable (unless you breed a double merle back to a blue merle).. the vision ahd hearing problems are caused by the doubling of the merle gene.... so it is NOT passed on to the offspring....

Blue merles are my personal favorite color!!.. I have a rough/smooth blue merle and tri-color collie litter due early June!!

Also.. kind of to a slightly different topic from what leansnslobbers wrote... while I know danes are, what the only breeding the breed with harlequins??? is that correct???... and geneticly collies don't have harlequins, however there are some lines of Collies, where the rgular blue merles are SOOO light they appear to be the same color as harlequin great danes (white with black patches on the body.. only the collies also have the tan markings on their face)... I think they are beautiful!!!... I will have to try to find some pictures...

But also like what leansnslobbers wrote about the harles and white danes... same goes for the double merle collie above... they are appear white, but geneticly its a (blue) merle...