18/11/2021
I want to start a less "emotional" discussion about merle Boston Terriers that does not involve an owner or their dog. The merle topic is a hot one so it's hard to post one without a discussion being sparked. It's important for everyone to know that the fact a dog is not purebred, does not make it any less of a wonderful pet for that owner. It's also important for everyone to know that pointing out facts about how merle Bostons come to be is not "bullying" or an insult. It is fact.
Here are the breeds merle NATURALLY occurs in. Chihuahua isn't included because it was added in later. The Chihuahua didn't originally come in merle either, it was added to that breed and now it's one of the breeds used to create merle Bostons, as well as Aussies and Dachshunds.
Australian Shepherd
Catahoula Leopard Dog
Norwegian Dunker
Border Collie
Old English Sheepdog
Hungarian Mudi
Cardigan Welsh Corgi
Collie (Rough and Smooth)
Shetland Sheepdog
Dachshund (known as dapple)
Beauceron
Bergamasco
Pyrenean Shepherd
Great Dane
Merle is unlike any other disqualified color because it needs one parent to be merle in order to produce merle. It is NOT recessive. So the ONLY way to create a merle Boston is to use another breed. It may be mostly Boston a few generations later but at one point, another breed was used to get the color to begin with.
For people who don't care about a dog being purebred, this is not a big deal. However when they are sold as purebred, it is a lie. Some say after 5 generations, they are again "purebred" but that is still not true. If 100 years did not wash out all of the ability for reds to occasionally crop up in a standard litter, 5 generations certainly did not wash away all of the genetics of another breed. This is why AKC won't register them. They are always through CKC or ACA or some registry that allows mixed breeding to be registered as purebred.
Here is where it becomes HARMFUL. Merle is a dangerous color to breed. Merle to merle often produces serious health complications such as sightless shrunken eyes and deafness. A simple solution would be not to breed merle to merle and the problem is solved. Right? No. There are things called "cryptic merles" (2nd, 3rd & 4th photo) where you cannot see the pattern on their coat in dogs that are red, fawn, cream, etc. With "cryptic merles" you may be accidentally breeding to a merle and not be aware of it because it's hidden. So now we're playing Russian Roulette with genetics.... not good.
Other issues associated with the merle gene are skeletal issues, reproductive problems and cardiac abnormalities. Merles with only one merle parent can still have a higher incidence of health issues than non-merle dogs. DEAFNESS IN SINGLE MERLE BREEDINGS IS 36.8%!!! In merle to merle it's 54.6! The Boston Terrier already has deafness and eye issues... why would we introduce a gene that can cause MORE?
So the concern for the breed is real. Someone may be buying a red Boston when actually it's a cryptic merle with a mixed background. AKC registration is on the honor system in most respects so avoiding the pattern itself and getting AKC registration does not always solve the problem with cryptic merles or with dishonest breeders. "Paper hanging" is nothing new in the world of breeding. You have to be even more careful with the type of breeder you choose with the addition of this color pattern.
So purposely adding in the gene to a breed that did not have it before is harmful. And though we love to see a unique color pattern and compliment people on their puppies, what sadly happens is when 400 people say how great a new color is and ask where they can buy one, it creates MORE market for producing them. People see dollar signs and sometimes don't know what they're doing and a few blind/deaf/shrunken eyed unhealthy litters later, they learn. All at the expense of the dogs and at the expense of the breed. And often adding heartache to the owners. THIS is why others strive to educate on what merle is every time one shows up. It's important to NICELY, but CLEARLY express why merle breeding is harmful and why we should not be gushing over them, begging to buy one every time one is posted.
I wish every merle Boston owner the best with their dogs and I hope they never experience any health issues. I also beg anyone breeding this color to STOP. Please just STOP. And to everyone else, please stop fueling the market for them and become educated on the many issues associated with the color.
