Something to read about Merles...a jumping off place: www.kndkennels.com/merle_rat_terriers.html
Look at the rare, exotic and unique coat pattern on this adorable baby - isn't it beautiful? Hard to believe that this coat pattern can cause a wealth of health issues, but, it can. Rat terriers are known for being one of the healthier breeds - a breed NOT associated with missing eyes, blindness and deafness. The merle coat pattern is programmed to produce these health issues and it has also been associated with abnormalities of skeletal, cardiac and reproductive systems.So why have you not heard about problems in these rare,exotic and unique merle Rat terriers before? First off they are not what merle breeds want you or anyone to know. They want everyone to think they have it all under control. Some breeders have only recently in less then ten years started cross breeding merle dogs into Rat Terriers to produce this "rare, exotic, unique" coat pattern and any so called 'merle Rat terrier' is actually a hybrid designer dog and not a purebred Rat terrier at all. Click Here For FAQ About Merle KnD asks that you please don't take our word for it. Do some research before you buy a "merle rat terrier" or before you breed merle into Rat Terriers. Not only on the merle coat pattern and it's health issues, but, on ethical breeders and registries. Please click the FQA above to learn more and get you started. Know that ethical and responsible breeders breed only to improve and preserve their chosen breed.. in this case Rat Terriers. Merle is not present in the earliest history of Rat terriers and is not historically correct for Rat Terriers - so why are we seeing them now? Only one reason - they are a cash cow for those producers whose only goal is to make money, and they snag your interest and whet the whistles of all puppy buyers and puppy lookers by using words like "rare, exotic and unique!" Waggin' Tails in The Dog Park, Deanna and The Dog Park Pack: Nugget, Shuai-Li, Mouse, Myrtle, Mable,and Caleb and honorary non-dog members of The Dog Park: Stella-Macaw, Stanley-Amazon, Miles the cat www.joys4toys.com ________________________________ From: jacehomeart <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Fri, November 5, 2010 2:16:25 PM Subject: [Chihuahuas] Merle - lots to think on I have put in a request for an adopted dog from a rescue. She is a Merle short hair. She is at the Rat-terrier rescue and they think she is part Ratter. She looks like a Chi. They don't say her size or age - I'll be talking to her foster mom soon. My grandmother had a Ratter - great dog. I was just reading about the Merle. Some of you have them. Do you know if deafness and blindness is there right at the beginning, if it is there, or if it is something that comes on? Has this ever been a concern of yours? I've been looking around at the rescue dogs in my area and she really interested me. Because she is a rescue she will be neutered and that is OK by me. They say that Merle Chi's are not pure-bred and are all on the large size. Here's Lilly. She doesn't look big - but in the end that isn't a factor for us.
