Merle
is a very controversial issue in Cockers, and no one seems to know exactly
where it came from.
What we DO know,
is that merle cockers are here, have been around awhile and will probably
be around for some time to come.
The merle cocker isn't just
a puppy mill, creative color breeder, or back-yard breeder concoction anymore.
Merle
is in most lines and ALL varieties of cockers.
Breeders are breeding their
merles to champions and champion lined dogs.
Many Show breeders are ignoring
the issue as they feel they don't have to worry about merle showing up
in the pedigrees.
These people are very
wrong.
All it takes
is someone to breed a merle to a show dog and you will have merles.
AKC is having merle cocker
breeders register their merles mostly as roans. This is detrimental for
the roan breeders, and other colors as merle can often be disgusied in
some colors or patterns.
*NOTE
Many
Cocker breeders seem to think that all merles are registered as roans.
THEY ARE NOT!
AKC
tells breeders to list the merle as the color it most closely represents.
May do register them as roan.
BUT
they are also registered as silver, buff, tri, and all other colors. NOT
JUST ROAN!
YES
it affects EVERYONE!
Some
ASC members and cocker breeders are confused, thinking merles and roans
are the same thing, or that merle comes from roan. IT DOES NOT!
It
would be hoped that fanciers would know enough about color genetics in
cockers to know this since they ARE breeders.
Your silence is only going
to be fuel for the fire that YOU don't think it needs to be recognized
because maybe you don't really think it's purebred after all and don't
care.
THAT is the WRONG
move
Whether we like the merles
or not, they are here and in our pedigrees
What we ABSOLUTELY HAVE
to do, is to demand that these merles are listed with AKC AS MERLES!
Contact the parent club,
and GET THEIR ATTENTION! This is not a political
issue or a color issue. and we don't want it to turn into one!!!
This is a HEALTH
issue! Cockers already have enough genetic health problems in the lines
without "accidentally" breeding 2 merles together and adding a LETHAL
gene to it. If the merle gets into inexperienced/unknowing hands, you not
only have the lethal gene to deal with but the plethora of other health
issues as well.
This is an ISSUE
that
The
American Spaniel Club MUST NOT STICK THEIR HEADS IN THE SAND ABOUT!!
This
link is to a letter written by the past President of the American Spaniel
Club
about
his views on merle. Please read and take action!
We HAVE to get the
merle listed with AKC as a merle, and not as some other color.
Contact ASC, AKC, your breed
clubs and discuss it! Demand the merle gets recognized as what it is and
listed as a PATTERN.
Add this button and link
to your websites to tell others about the merle cocker and it's being MISREPRESENTED
as a ROAN!
AKC will NOT register
these dogs as merle unless ASC ok's it!!
We have spoken with AKC
about this on numerous occasions, and merle owners have sent in photos
of their cockers, and
AKC has assured us that is is TIME, and they are contacting ASC about this.
Keep it up!
Right click on image and
save as: notroansign.JPG
Link to http://merleinfo.com/getinvolved.html
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