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What Are The Odds Of An All Merle Litter?

by Candi
(Braxton, MS )

My blue merle Aussie just had a solid merle litter! 4 blue merles and 3 red merles to be exact! She was bred to my black tri male.

How common is it for an aussie to give birth to a litter of all merles? 3 red merles and 4 blue merles to be exact! My blue merle Lucy was bred to my male black tri and lo and behold, all merles! I just knew she would have at least one tri colored pup but we were so surprised!

What are the chances of this happening?

Comments for What Are The Odds Of An All Merle Litter?

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As a breeder, shouldn't you know this already
by: Anonymous

They obviously both had a merle gene in them so you got 2 merle genes together for each puppy. As for having the red merle puppies, both parents had to have had a red gene in them as well.

Odds
by: Anonymous

I believe she said what are the odds. I didn’t see any questions regarding how it was possible genetically. Genetically she could have had one blue and red and the rest tri and the genetics would still be the same as having a litter of merle.

Phantom merle
by: Anonymous

This only happens with merle to merle breeding.
The blk tri is a phantom merle.
Have it tested ...it's bad breeding merle to merle...deaf and/or blind pup will happen

odds of all merles
by: Dazzle

the odds of a all merle litter is rare, I have had it happen to me and yes I know the bloodlines and they are a red tri male with a blue tri female and I have 7 all merle in color.. the idiot who said it had to be merle to merle to get this color well put it thisaway they are clueless..

"Double Merle" Comments
by: Anonymous

She literally said she bred a blue merle to a tri, how hard is it to read before assuming she bred double merles? And a black mask isnt something to worry about. You're thinking of Lethal White and none of them have that.

not just a double merle thing
by: Anonymous

My Aussie just had an all merle litter when bred to a Standard Poodle with NO merle, so it is possible without having merle in both parents or the threat of lethal whites or all that. I just don't know how rare it is.

Double merle to non merle breeding odds
by: Bridget

If a double merle is bred to a non-merle, the puppies will all be merle because they all inherit one merle allele, which is dominant. This is the only safe breeding for a double merle parent because double merle dogs typically have vision and hearing problems. I don't know the odds in any other combination though.

it happens
by: Anonymous

all merle litter comes from breeding a double merle to a non-merle

All Merle but one
by: Anonymous

I’m happy I got 7 merles out of 8 pups and my Mini and standard merle got my red and white Aussie pregnant, only one looks like my tri blue eyed Mini, I wondered how rare this is and I thank God thru Jesus that my higher end AKC dog had 7 merles out of the bunch!

Completely Possible!
by: Anonymous

It is uncommon, you are correct, but it is definitely possible. Speaking of the odds, with an Mm dog (merle gene is dominant) and an mm dog, there is a 50% chance of getting a merle puppy. Odds are not always exact, though, the same way that even though there is a 50-50 chance of giving birth to a boy or a girl baby, some families consist of all girls or boys. My girl had a litter of puppies and 4 were merle. Congratulations!

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