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WORDS
OF WISDOM
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I have been given direct written permission
from Malcolm B Willis to reproduce his article "Merle Chihuahuas -
time to call a halt" on my website. Please do not use it unless you
obtain written permission from the author himself.
"Merle Chihuahuas - time to call a halt" by Dr. Malcolm B. Willis,
(First published by "Our Dogs" on Feb 17, 2005)
Coat colour in the Chihuahua is quite complex because a range of colours
is acceptable in both varieties. One colour that does not exist naturally
in the breed is Merle.
Merle is a gene that causes patches of lighter colour (usually greyish
blue) to appear in the coat. There are two alleles which are termed
MM (merle) and M+ (non merle) with merle being dominant to non merle.
All breeds carry the merle gene but most have the non merle M+ in
duplicate and are thus homozygous for non merle. The dominant merle
gene is found in Shetland sheepdogs, Rough Collies, Border Collies,
Australian Shepherds, Dachshunds (where it is called dapple) and a
few other breeds. A variant exists in Great Danes and Australian Shepherds
carry Tweed which is a variant of merle. The Chihuahua does not have
MM and all Chihuahuas should be M+M+.
Recently a number of Chihuahuas that carry merle have appeared in
USA and are gaining some credence as fashion accessories and the like.
Most reputable breeders are against the gene and it would be fair
to say that it must have come in through a crossing… probably with
Dachshunds. Since the AKC would not register crossbreeds as Chihuahuas
one has to conclude that somewhere Dachshunds have appeared in pedigrees
as Chihuahuas… with false names? Crossbreeding for a specific purpose,
such as Dr Cattanach's work seeking to bring a docked tail into the
Boxer, needs to be done under KC approval and supervision so that
pedigrees remain correct even if more than one breed is involved.
I have no evidence of that in the Chihuahua merle situation.
In case some of you feel that another colour would be fine it is crucial
to point out that merle is a dangerous gene. The homozygous merle
MMMM is usually white and has very often impaired hearing and sight.
For this reason some Kennel Clubs do not recognise merles and many
KC's and breeders do not mate merle to merle. Merle to merle would
be MMM+ to MMM+ which would give rise (in large numbers) 25% MMMM
50% MMM+ and 25% M+M+ and clearly there are serious problems with
the 25% homozygous merles. The popular belief is that heterozygous
merles MMM+ are quite normal.
However some thirty years ago Hannover workers showed eye problems
in merle Dachshunds (Wegner and Reetz, 19751 Dausch et al, L977) sperm
imperfections (Treu et al, l976) and impaired hearing (Reetz et al,
1977). These problems were found in homozygous merles and also heterozygous
merles. Hearing faults ranging from complete deafness to slight hardness
of hearing occurred in 54.6% of homozygous merles and 36.8%of heterozygous
merles. Based on this work and their own work on eye failings Klinckmann
et al (1936) suggested restricting the breeding of merles on welfare
grounds.
This means that the long held belief that MMMM dogs had problems but
not MMM+ is not true and thus merle is a gene that would be best eliminated
as a defect and certainly not introduced to new breeds where it does
not really exist such as the Chihuahua.
The KC should ban merle as a colour in Chihuahuas and not register
any merles on the grounds that it is a serious defect but also because
any merle Chihuahuas may have false pedigrees later back if the crossing
with Dachshunds is how the gene was introduced. It may be impossible
to prove this but DNA testing might be helpful. On the other hand
non merle dogs M+M+ regardless of ancestry are safe as regards merle
because they cannot have it. If a dog has all four grandparents merle
but is non merle then it cannot carry the merle gene. On the other
hand if it carries Dachshund "blood" it will run the risk of carrying
Dachshund problems that may not exist in Chihuahuas at present.
Aside from fashion accessory (God save us!) there is no gain and some
loss to be made from the merle in the Chihuahua and thus it needs
a combined effort by all kennel clubs to eradicate the gene from the
breed.
Let me state that I have a vested interest in that my wife has Chihuahuas!
*Since writing the above article I have come into possession of a
report issued by the Board of Directors of the Chihuahua Club of America
Inc to members of that club (dated1st May 2004). This has also been
circulated to members of the British Chihuahua Ciub.
The report highlights the fact that historically the breed has permitted
any colour. I am in favour of such policies which contrasts with some
breeds where specific colours are frowned upon or disqualified for
no logical reason beyond historical legacy or personal dislike. Thus
the Newfoundland standard accepts black-and-white and brown but not
brown-and-white, or Tibetan terriers should not be liver. There is
no logic in such rules but merle is biologically dangerous and not
like any other colour.
A colour associated with eye and hearing defects should be selected
against, however attractive some people may consider the merle variant.
Moreover, the argument that it has been around about 10 years plus
does not explain whence it came. There are suggestions that merle
can lie hidden (camouflage merles) but merle is a dominant and thus
any merle must have at least one merle parent, however pale the pattern
is expressed. There is a need to DNA test merles and compare these
with DNA tests on Dachshunds whence it appears the colour infiltrated
the Chihuahua breed. Are we to breed Chihuahuas or crossbreeds?
REFERENCES
Dausch, D. et al (1977) Dtsch. Tierarztl. Wschr. 84: 469-75
Klinckmann, G. et al (1986) l . Vet.Med. A. 33: 674-88
Reetz L et al (1977) Dtsch.Tierarztl.Wschr. 84: 273-7
Treu, H. et al (1976) Zuchthyg. 11: 49-61
Wegner, W. & Reetz,l. {1975) Tierarztl prax, 3: 455-9.
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Currently
we are shoring up our breeding program to ensure we will continue
to breed healthy non Merle and only purebred Chihuahuas. We have brought
in the lines we feel will take our breeding program to the next level
for many generations to come. We are working with older established
responsible long time breeders of Chihuahuas, who have the same belief
as we do, that our Chihuahuas, remain untainted by the Merle gene.
In this day and age, it is frightening to see just how many Merles
are being bred into the gene pool.
Buyer
Beware.
It
is your responsibility to do your homework on the breeder you choose
to buy your next pet, show prospect or breeding prospect from.
If
your considering buying or breeding Chihuahua's, we recommend these
links below to help you make the right decision.
Chihuahua-Merles
BioMed
Central
Minnie
Aussies Health-Merle
Deafness
Genetics
Merle
Coat
Merle
Small Dogs In Australia
Genetic
Testing for the Merle Gene
HARGER CHIHUAHUA'S
"SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS AND OUR ETHICS"
In my experience as a Chihuahua breeder and rescuer, I have come to
learn many lessons. I began my journey of Harger's Chihuahuas in Oct.
of 1993. Educating myself from not only watching the AKC video on
conformation in Chihuahuas, but read as many books I could get my
hands on about foundation kennels, lines, and the care and raising
of Chihuahuas. I decided that I would find a Chihuahua to show. However,
I had to start with what my local resources were because there were
no show breeders in my area.
I purchased a little guy I named Paco from a local pet breeder. Paco
met what I felt was the closest I could get to good conformation.
I later gave Paco to my sister Melissa. Paco passed away in 2005 at
the ripe old age of 12. My first experience in the Chihuahua ring
with him was fun and I learned very quickly, do not wear heels, wear
flats, especially on dirt!
The folks that showed back then seemed so nice and willing to help
and even introduced me to a person who was willing to co-own a show
dog with me and teach me about breeding and showing.
That was okay for a little while and I learned a lot...but most of
what I learned came from the School of Hard Knocks. I found that raising
Chihuahuas was no easy feat. Nevertheless, this is how one learns,
and I was like a sponge asking all the questions I could think of
whenever I found anyone who would share their training or breeding
secrets with me.
Coming out from under the control of my mentor was necessary. It was
important for me to go into the direction of what I had envisioned
for my own breeding program.
I was so excited when I learned about a little fellow who was for
sale from a breeder in New Mexico (Sha-Ring Chihuahuas) and so my
husband flew there to pick him up and bring him back home to Nevada.
We named him "Sha-Ring Harger's All That Jazz" because we felt that
in our hearts we did indeed have "All That" and more! "Jazz" has proven
himself an outstanding showman in the ring as well as an awesome producer
for us. We are so blessed.
We had been breeding and showing four solid years by the time, we
acquired Jazz, and the lessons we learned, painful and sometimes very
unfair, taught us to grow. We learned from the mistakes and poor attitudes
of others what we did not want to represent in our lines and as a
breeder.
If you want to do this right, then it is very important that you study
pedigrees and the many different looks of dogs that you are attracted
to. Study the AKC Chihuahua Standard. Learn about movement and structure
through books, videos, and seminars. In addition, NEVER sacrifice
soundness of structure and movement for a beautiful headpiece. You
can have both if you breed correctly and selectively.
If you are ever so fortunate to find someone willing to share their
wealth of knowledge and experience in the show and breeding areas,
always listen, but remember to take everything you hear with a grain
of salt. Apply what you want to your dreams of showing and/or breeding
and leave the rest out of it.
When you have decided which lines you would like to bring in as the
foundation base for your breeding program, then the next step would
be to buy a show prospect puppy outright. Do NOT co-own. This is an
unwise and often terrible mistake to begin with. Many breeders who
start "newbies" (new folks coming into the business) like to have
them co-own with them. It ensures them that their pup is shown to
its championship and gives them control over your breeding program.
If you make prior arrangements to give them a pick puppy back from
your first litter in exchange for or in addition to the price of the
Chihuahua that they provide you, it will delay your kennel's future.
It's easy to agree to that type of arrangement in the beginning because
you are excited and just starting out. You trust the person who has
declared you worthy of their lines, time, and energy. However, in
my School of Hard Knocks, I learned first hand that it is WISE never
to place a puppy bred by you in a situation that could change dramatically.
In other words, pay cash for your Chihuahua or Chihuahua-related services
and be beholding to NO ONE.
But, if you do decide to go forward and co-own, it is wise that you
also have your kennel's name as part of the registered puppy's name,
not just the kennel name where the pup came from. You will after all,
be the one taking the Chihuahua in the ring or paying its way towards
completing its championship. If all goes the way it should and you
want to breed, that pup may well just end up as your foundation Chihuahua.
Don't you think you should have your name on him?
The reason I frown on co-ownerships in the beginning of a kennel or
show career, is that you give the breeder you got the Chihuahua from
control of your breeding and showing program. And ultimately that
also means your giving them control over YOU! I learned that once
you hand over the control of your kennel to someone else, then you
are headed for trouble. It can literally set your breeding program
back for years as it did to mine. You become not your own, but an
extension of someone else's kennel. Remember, you did not go into
this at such expense of money, and heart to meet THIS potential dead
end. It is a place where many a "newbie" ends up wiped out emotionally
and financially and unwilling to pursue their dream any further.
This is where the rubber meets the road. This is where you will find
out how strong you are, and this is where you MUST rise above and
go on...because NOW...you can do it the way YOU had always envisioned.
Isn't that what you set out to do in the first place?
I would also say this -- that to breed outside of the lines you have...if
you can, own the stud outright. However, if this is not possible,
then when using another kennel's stud, make certain that his patella's
are good, his heart is sound, and that he and his lines are free of
any disease or genetic defect.
Learn everything you can from others who have the same lines or experiences
from the stud and his breeder. Go to shows!! They are THE place to
meet the people that can help you meet the Chihuahuas up close and
personal. Disposition is also a vital part of a good breeding program.
Be watchful of the outgoing and friendly dogs as much as for the timid
and skittish ones. A wonderful Temperament is so important for that
"Special" Chihuahua.
Just be careful. Be solid in what you desire to produce. Know the
strength and weaknesses in the lines you use. This is Key. This is
your kennel's future.
I hope you can glean something here that will help you.
There are some GREAT breeders and kennels out there, but your really
going to have to look long and hard to find them. It all comes down
to lessons we learn ourselves and listening to our intuitions and
our inner heart.
TO BUY A PET CHIHUAHUA
Always have a Vet check out any pup you buy within 24-48 hours and
make certain if you are purchasing a pet quality pup, that the breeder
gives you guarantees in writing what they will back up concerning
your puppy. A good breeder sells pet quality pups on a spay/neuter
contract with a limited AKC registration. They should replace or refund
if the pup has any genetic/hereditary problems that cause the pup
to be unsuitable as a pet. Pet quality and show quality pups come
from the same litters. Therefore, the same should apply with show
quality puppies...except you should get a full AKC registration, but
the same guarantees.You need something in writing as to why your breeder
feels your pup is pet or show quality. They should give first shots
and worming when necessary. You should be able to meet both parents
and grandparents if your lucky and see their kennels.Never trust a
breeder who will not let you in the door!
T-CUPS
If you hear a breeder say they have T-cups...RUN! The terminology
T-cup is nothing more than a "cute" word for "RUNT". Runts often have
health problems...yet some inappropriate breeders sell them for more
money because their small size is in demand. Unless you have a pup
that is six months old and VERY tiny, a breeder cannot tell you for
certain that the puppy will stay tiny. There are weight charts to
help us try to gauge how large or small a pup may mature out to, but
they can only estimate. There are some lines that mature earlier than
others and some pups may look on the large size when baby's, but stop
the growth spurt at a nice 5 lbs and visa versa. (This is where knowing
the line background comes in handy) If a line is known for large,
most times that is what your going to get.
COLORS
Colors in Chihuahuas vary and there are no RARE colors. Do not pay
more for a certain color unless you want to spend money frivolously.
Blue Chihuahuas should never be bred to other Blue Chihuahuas or any
dilute bred to another dilute, (self color or chocolate color) for
that matter. Your asking for skin trouble and other health issues
you do not want to see manefest.
MERLE COLOR PATTERN
Merles have Health problems! Deadly Ones! I will never bring a Merle
into our breeding program. They just are not true Chihuahuas in my
opinion. They are crossbreeds brought into the genepool to integrate
the color pattern from other breeds associated with it. So in reality,
they are mutts and do not represent a purebred Chihuahua in any fashion.
See links above to show you why Merle is Bad for Chihuahuas.
WARNING: SMALL CHILDREN & CHIHUAHUAS
These dogs are very special and extremely fragile. It is important
that young toddlers and children be supervised with one. Toddlers
can pick them up by a leg and dislocate it in a second. They can push
tiny fingers through the molera (soft spot) on their heads and cause
fatal injuries...not to mention what a Chihuahuas sharp teeth could
do when pushed to the limit of patience dealing with an unattended
and overly playful young child.
CHIHUAHUA RESCUE
I do Chihuahua Rescue. As a breeder, I feel it is my responsibility
to do rescue. So many Chihuahuas end up in pounds unseen by the public
as they may have bitten a shelter worker or person. They just assume
they are mean and often times they are destroyed when they were only
frightened to bits. This is where a dedicated and knowledgeable rescuer
comes into play. Helping every Chihuahua in need that crosses my path,
is a labor of love that I do.
I rescue here locally in Nevada, but have coordinated rescues Nationally.
I am a past Nevada Regional Coordinator and Board Member for CRT,
Chihuahua Rescue and Transport. I am a member of the Reno Rescue Coalition
and work in correspondence with our local shelters, many different
and various pet subscriptions, two local kennel clubs and many veterinarians.
I am a reference for Chihuahua and Small breed rescue and information
here locally. I am also a foster volunteer for WARF (Wiley Animal
Rescue Foundation) here and in the Lake Tahoe area, and have been
a part of large breed dog rescue as well.
IN CONCLUSION
Thank you for allowing me to share my personal knowledge and experiences
with you. What I have written above is from my own School of Hard
Knocks, and I have this disclaimer - that these experiences are my
own. I do not claim to be an expert. These are my opinions only. This
website was built to share the dogs that inspire me. If you are in
this to succeed, by breeding and showing the best Chihuahuas you can
ascertain, then you have done well. I hope you learned a lot here
and I encourage you to learn as much as you can about this wonderful
little dog...
THE
CHIHUAHUA
Lesley Harger
~Harger Chihuahuas~
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Member
of The Chihuahua Club Of Northern California
*CCNC Newsletter Editor and Committee Head for
Breed Education*
Wylie
Animal Rescue Foundation
Chihuahua
and Small Breed Rescue
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