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Melii-Morphiine — Australian Shepherd Red Merle
Published: 2011-02-25 01:11:49 +0000 UTC; Views: 9843; Favourites: 42; Downloads: 8567
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This is our female Australian Shepherd puppy, Ginger. She's a Red Merle and sister to our Blue Merle, Dakota. In this photo she is about two months old.Just trying to spread Aussie awareness. I'm surprised to find that a lot of people don't know about the breed..
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Comments: 21
This girl has sight and (likely)ear problems because she was, in fact, rather undoubtedly, the result of a double merle breeding. Its pretty difficult to get coloring like that otherwise. A tri can still be a merle carrier. Unless they were genetically tested, this would be impossible to know for sure. The ear and eye problems are easier to spot because they will be mismarked as yours is. If you see white around the eyes they will likely be blind or have severe eye problems. If an ear is almost completely white, they will likely be deaf in that ear(though it its important to note that the present of a white mismark is not a 100% guarantee, but highly likely). That's why the ASCA doesn't allow mismarked dogs to be registered.
Furthermore, a good breeder will try to ensure they do not breed dogs with poor hips. A good breeder will get their dogs eye OFA certified as well as their hips. Always search for the dog's registered name to ensure they have been tested as many will lie.
Allergies are, indeed, common to Aussies as they and several other herding breeds have a mutation of the mdr1 gene, this means you can never give them a "normal" heartworm medication and must make sure to never give them ivermectin. You also have to be a bit careful with food as they can have sensitive stomachs. However, all that considered, if you find a reputable breeder, the mdr1 mutation and sensitive stomach are the only problems associated with a healthy and well bred Aussie.
You seem to have gotten lucky though. She's a very pretty girl.
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this dog definitely looks like a double merle breeding since a true aussie should always have color completely surrounding the eyes.
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She looks like one but we met the father and mother Aussies when we got them. A black tri and a red merle. She and her brother are not double merles. She was just the odd one of the litter, I guess.
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Hi,
I'm thinking of getting one but I don't know a lot about the breed.
Can you tell me what it is like to have one?
Thanks
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Oh sure! We've had a total of 3 Aussies so far, and these are the similarities I've noticed between all of our pups:
They are very energetic, they need lots of space and exercise or they get very antsy. They're herding dogs, so if you have any small animals or children around they may want to "herd" them. This means they may nip at legs or ankles or nudge/poke with their nose to get whatever it is they're focused on to stay with them or go in a certain direction. The nipping is never to draw blood or hurt, just to get attention. It can really sting, though. They've all been very loving and protective of the family. I've yet to meet any truly "aggressive" Aussie. However, they are powerful dogs and are springy. Sometimes they don't know their own strength. But on the plus side, all if this makes them really good at agility. On a personal note, our female (the one in this picture) has eye problems and allergies. Our male has slight allergies, hip problems and nerve damage (this was a side effect from Parvo and I don't think it's a normal thing among the breed). The first Aussie we'd gotten also had hip problem and a bad back.
It's always really important to look into how the dog was bred, if buying from a breeder. Double merle's often have lots of defects. A merle should have always been bred with a tri to avoid defects.
Um.. that's all I got. I hope it was at least a bit helpful! UvU
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Thank you, that was very helpful
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I have a miniature Aussie. I know that AKC snobs like to say there is no such thing, and that they're basically just mutts, but if they ever met my Kaylee, they would retract that statement. Immediately. Love this photo. Love Aussies. Love frisbee.
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She has a lot more brown on her back now. I don't think she's a double merle. My aunt said her mother was a blue merle and her father was a red tri.
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She's gorgeous 
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OMG! So cute! I NEED this dog! I want to eat her up because she is SO cute! ^ ^
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She is very cute! I have Shepherds, too. So I know what wonderful companions they make
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You are very welcome!
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I'm sure if she could talk she would thank you for the compliment.
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She isn't much of a cuddler. Whenever anyone tries to hug her she groans and bumps them away. ha ha. <3
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oh i know how to hug her (give her a sedative)
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