# Check out the colour of these!



## Emma (Apr 29, 2011)

Not strictly speaking cockapoos, but their very close cousins, hehe! Spoodles but look at the colour of these! 
http://www.dogsandpuppies.co.uk/blue_merle_sproodle_puppies/advert/144943
Emma x


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## Laura(L)Izzie (Sep 9, 2011)

They're beautiful! They actually look blue which I love  Cute Spoodles  x


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## Emma (Apr 29, 2011)

I was kinda interested to see the colour of this imported poodle they have, would love to see that. Emma x


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## Laura(L)Izzie (Sep 9, 2011)

Act like you're interested & they might send you pictures of the parents?  x


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## Emma (Apr 29, 2011)

Lol! I would love to, but u are talking to the worlds worst liar! Emma x


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## Soo (Dec 16, 2011)

ooooh that wee merle poodle needs to get some cocker girls.......


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## Laura(L)Izzie (Sep 9, 2011)

Haha fair enough Emma, I suppose it does say no time wasters as well, although you could just genuinely be interested in the breed to see if it's 'right' for you  x

& yeah get them breeding cockapoos instead of Spoodles  LOL


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## Sezra (May 20, 2011)

Beautiful colouring but I am not sure I would want a Springer cross based on the couple of Springer Spaniels I know. Fab dogs but they are surprisingly strong and definitely live up to their name!


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## Enneirda. (Mar 5, 2010)

The sire can't be pure poodle if he's a merle. Poodles don't carry the gene for merle, so the merle gene has to be brought into the gene pool by another dog. Cockers though can be merle, so a merle cockapoo (from the moms side) isn't uncommon.

Many sites that have merle poodles will swear up and down that "Poodles do come in the Merle Coat Pattern! Studies have been conducted and it has been proven that Poodles do infact carry the Merle Gene." But (oddly enough) they can never seem to pull up these studies. I can guess why.  Often people will pull in another breed, like a pom or a small aussie, that is, or carries, merle. Then the pups can be bred back to poodles, and after enough gens, the resulting dogs can appear as full poodle. But it is not. 

Here as some obvious mixes being advertised as 'pure bred poodles'. :argh:

This pup has a insanely block-y muzzle http://www.utopiapoodles.com/FancyMerles/shal_fancy.jpg
This dog is very long (poodles should be square) http://www.mysticalmerles.com/inside/images/stories/poodlemoms/img_0614.jpg
Another block muzzle http://www.poodlepleasure.com/merlin.jpg
The worst coat I've seen in years for a 'pure poodle' http://www.mysticalmerles.com/inside/images/stories/100_7531.jpg
Too high of ears (should be level with the eye) and a very low set tail http://photos.worldpetmarket.com/859/pet_859_3.jpg

Now don't think I'm bashing the color. I think they're insanely adorable. I love merles, and I love poodles. I'd love a merle poodle!  My beef is with dogs that are not tested, not show, not trialed, obviously ill bred, yet being advertised as 'pure merle poodles' and totted as the greatest think _evers!!1_. Serious pet peeve of mine. 

Outcrossing for traits isn't too common, but it can work great. There are Boxers with natural bob tails from letting one and only one naturally bob tailed corgi into the lines long ago, and now you can't even tell. And dalmatian breeders let in a pointer once, to fix there gallstone problem. It worked!

But this is not line crossing a amazing poodle with a amazing merled dog, just to grab the color, then breeding true again tell the resulting dogs are show quality again (fur type and body) yet merle. This is finding a new fab to exploit.


Oh man that got huge. :XD: Sorry. Hope it helped someone at least...


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## Emma (Apr 29, 2011)

Interesting. I have to say I kind of wondered why they didn't just use a merle springer. Emma x


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## JoJo (Mar 2, 2011)

Lovely colouring


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

Lovely pups but...

...merle genes are deadly - litterally - breed two animals carrying merle together and a quarter of the litter are likely to be double merle. A high percentage of double merle dogs will have their hearing or eyesight affected - or maybe both - and maybe to the extent of seriously deformed eyes with little or no sight and no hearing. 

Even if a breeder is responsible and makes sure THEY only use one merle parent there is no telling what puppy owners will do and with no records kept it is quite simple for a dog to carry merle without it showing so the liklihood is once merle is introduced then at some stage blind and/deaf pups will be born.

How very sad to introduce such a gene just for the sake of pretty pups and making money from selling them


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## Rufini (Sep 9, 2011)

Interesting to learn new stuff about merle, I honestly thought it was just a pretty colouring!

I know I might be shot down a bit here but... I soooo prefer solid colour cockapoos *hides behind desk* I love the chunky look of them


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## Soo (Dec 16, 2011)

Oh, thats not good about the merle genetics :-(

Just googled as always want to learn more and found this

http://www.lethalwhites.com/doublemerle.html

interesting if sad reading.


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## Emma (Apr 29, 2011)

Omg! I had no idea I thought they were just a pretty colour! Feel bad now. I have always thought merle collies had funny eyes. That must be why. Emma x


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## Enneirda. (Mar 5, 2010)

Some merle dogs are fine, so no need to completely avoid them. If bred right they'll be able to hear and see just fine.  Just be sure the breeder knows the lines perfectly, so you can be sure the dog won't have health problems. And pay extra attention, a rare(er) color like merle is often a prized dog for bybers.

I'd love a merle and white bc one day like this. It and a lightly marked B&W large standard poodle are my dream dogs. Maybe a dobe too, but I fear the health problems they often have.

http://www.hazardgeographer.com/images/Blue2_RS.jpg

Or a merle corgi. I LOVE the look and smarts of corgis! 

http://samhaincardigans.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/p3172865.jpg


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## mandym (Jun 5, 2011)

I have a merle cockapoo,she is from calafornia usa.problems only arise from a merle to merle mating,any good breeder would do their homework on this first though.merle poodles at one point years back will have another merle breed introduced to produce the merle colour but that is the case with many breeds,ie the long hair chihuahua was made by crossing a papillon ith a short coat chihuahua,many breeds were originally crossed to produce different looks and colours.the father of these pups is a stunner,i saw him on stud dog site.my merle is a beautiful healthy girl,i just love her xxx


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## Enneirda. (Mar 5, 2010)

Ruth, no need to hide. I won't shoot you down.  I'd be shooting myself if I did lol. I prefer spotted dogs! Always have. Gotta have some white! even three colors if possible.


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## Laura(L)Izzie (Sep 9, 2011)

Nice to see you back mandy! Is your IP address thing sorted now? xxx


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## Enneirda. (Mar 5, 2010)

Mandy, do you have the link to the pictures of the merle boy? I'd love to get a look at him.


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## mandym (Jun 5, 2011)

Laura(L)Izzie said:


> Nice to see you back mandy! Is your IP address thing sorted now? xxx



yes i just tried it a few mins ago and it worked yipee!! its sad that its just the bad side of merles being shown here,merle to merle mating is a big no no but i did my homeork before i got pyper and her breeder sent me a huge email before i bought her explaining it too,pyper is just the same as any other cockapoo but has an unusual colour too,thats all xxx


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## Laura(L)Izzie (Sep 9, 2011)

mandym said:


> yes i just tried it a few mins ago and it worked yipee!! its sad that its just the bad side of merles being shown here,merle to merle mating is a big no no but i did my homeork before i got pyper and her breeder sent me a huge email before i bought her explaining it too,pyper is just the same as any other cockapoo but has an unusual colour too,thats all xxx


Yay  & yeah I know, I suppose some people just want to make sure everyone is aware just incase, as some people won't know. But obviously msot of the time they'll be bred properly & the dogs won't have any health problems due to bad breeding, Pyper is gorgeous  xxx


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## mandym (Jun 5, 2011)

Enneirda. said:


> Mandy, do you have the link to the pictures of the merle boy? I'd love to get a look at him.


He is on breedyourdog.com


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## Enneirda. (Mar 5, 2010)

mandy, I searched for a poodle male, in all areas of the world, with the keyword merle. It didn't pull up any dogs at all.


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## Soo (Dec 16, 2011)

http://www.breedyourdog.com/dogs_av...ords=&rpp=10&searchdogs=1&order_by=&x=30&y=13

Scroll down and you will find him, his name is Merlin

I had a nosy yesterday and spotted him.


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## mandym (Jun 5, 2011)

I just went on and found him straight away,he is beautiful x


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## JoJo (Mar 2, 2011)

Yep I have seen him .. he is wonderful looking


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## Enneirda. (Mar 5, 2010)

Oh. He's more handsome then I thought he'd be! Pretty good fur too, and he would appear to have a nice square lean frame. 

Nice that he's PRA as well. 

I'm sad that he's a Utopia dog, they don't show nor test their dogs -that I've found- and they don't have any gen on this males parents. (so seizures and the such can't be known tell the dogs older) While they do seem to take good care of their dogs -groomed, not stir crazy looking ect- I still wouldn't ever get a pup out of him nor his breeder, after my poodle came down with seizures I'm insanely gun shy about breeders that don't test. 

"well known US breeder" made me laugh a little. I've only seen them because I looked for merles very specifically, and I've never heard them mentioned on any of my many poodle forums.


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## wellerfeller (Jul 12, 2011)

I have had a look too as I have never seen the merle markings in a poodle. He does look lovely but from what info I could find it generally said that there is no way a 100% poodle can carry or show the merle gene and that some other breed being bred in is is resposible for it. All articles said that poodles should only ever be a solid colour and that even parti is considered a mismark.


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## Enneirda. (Mar 5, 2010)

That's what I read too Karen, that the merle gene isn't actually possible in the poodle. And I definitely believe merles are crosses, just google 'merle poodle' and you'll be shocked by all the long frames, fat muzzles, and thick bodies. Half of them don't look poodle at all. 

Parti was actually quite the common color in the past, then the AKC got a hold of them. http://www.caninehorizons.com/Parti_Poodle_History.html It has been found to of been treated the same as solid years ago. The reason parti is only just popping up is because it's a receive gene, and people would avoid them in breedings, and drowned any spotted pups so as not shame their kennels.  No they're favored thought, so they are coming back.


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## wilfiboy (Sep 18, 2010)

Merlin is such a handsome boy you can certainly see where the beautiful Pyper gets "half" her looks... what colouring was her mum???


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