What is a merle Great Dane?
The merle great dane is a color variation of the original breed that features a light gray coat with darker gray splotches of color. While this color isn’t considered rare, it is unique and beautiful. Great danes are considered gentle giants. They are moderately playful, affectionate and good with children. They will guard their home. great danes generally get along with other animals, particularly if raised with them, but some individuals in the breed can be aggressive with dogs they do not know.Great Danes aren’t one-person dogs, unlike some large breeds that were supposed to only bond with one person. Great Danes don’t fit into this category, and they can get along with strangers, children, and other pets.The Great Dane is generally recognised as being the largest breed in terms of height – but Irish Wolfhounds and English Mastiffs as worthy contenders too.The Great Dane is huge, and that’s no accident. Most agree that his pedigree is a combination of English Mastiff and Irish Wolfhound, though we do know what the Great Dane is a very old breed.
What is the difference between a merle and Harlequin Great Dane?
Dogs with insertion lengths of 78 to 86 base pairs are normal merles with a mosaic pattern of normal and diluted areas like most merle Danes. Dogs with an insertion of 81 to 105 base pairs are harlequin merles and have large areas of white along with areas of fully pigmented coat. Dogs that have two copies of the merle gene variant, inherited from both of their parents, have an increased risk of problems with their eyes and ears, causing blindness and/or deafness.Sometimes, merle dogs even have unusually light eyes or heterochromatic odd-colored eyes. The nose and paw pads can also be lighter. Unfortunately, the Merle gene is linked to several severe health conditions that can affect the dog’s quality of life and makes breeding merle dogs an ethical quandary.An autosomal, incompletely dominant trait, merle coat coloring predisposes dogs to inherited deafness. When inherited in the homozygous state, the merle mutation causes dogs to be white and have an even greater incidence of deafness, blindness and sterility.A merle dog has problems making eumelanin pigment, causing random patches of dilution in the coat. Most normal-looking merles are Mm, as two copies of the merle gene (MM) generaly results in double merle. Double merles have large amounts of white in their coat and deafness and eye abnormalities are common.Dogs with cryptic merle (also called phantom or ghost merle) typically display little to no merle pattern and some may be misclassified as non-merles. The cryptic merle alleles occur in the lower end of the range (typically from 200-255, however, this range and designation varies by study).
Can you breed two merle Great Danes?
If two merle dogs are bred together, each puppy in the litter has a 25% chance of being born a double merle. A double merle inherits the merle gene twice. One copy of the merle gene causes a marbling effect on the coat and creates lighter spots throughout the solid color coat. The merle gene is responsible for some of the most stunning coat colors in the dog world but also some nasty side effects like deafness and blindness.An autosomal, incompletely dominant trait, merle coat coloring predisposes dogs to inherited deafness. When inherited in the homozygous state, the merle mutation causes dogs to be white and have an even greater incidence of deafness, blindness and sterility.These costs may increase as the dog ages and requires more medical attention. Due to the rarity of the gene, merle dogs are more expensive than non-merle dogs.Merle dogs with one merle parent have similar life expectancies as their solid-coloured friends. However, if a merle dog has two merle parents, there is an increased risk of some health issues, mainly to do with eyes and ears which can potentially lead to dog blindness and/or deafness in dogs.Do merle dogs have health problems? Dogs that have two copies of the merle gene variant, inherited from both of their parents, have an increased risk of problems with their eyes and ears, causing blindness and/or deafness.
How much is a merle Great Dane?
Average Great Dane Puppy Price Range The average price of a Great Dane puppy from a reputable breeder ranges from $1,200 to $2,500. Rarity and Demand: Merle is a rare color pattern in French Bulldogs. The unique appearance of Merle French Bulldogs makes them highly desirable, leading to higher prices. Breeding Costs: Breeding Merle French Bulldogs requires careful selection and often involves genetic testing to ensure the puppies are healthy.The merle Great Dane is a color variation of the original breed that features a light gray coat with darker gray splotches of color. While this color isn’t considered rare, it is unique and beautiful.What’s the price point you can expect for a merle dog? The quick answer is – somewhere between $800 and $2,000, with an average of $1,300. Where exactly your puppy falls in this range will depend on his breed, pedigree, health and other factors.The quick answer is that a well-bred merle dog with one copy of the merle gene will be as healthy as a solid-colored dog. If a dog is a so-called “double merle” however, he is likely to suffer from vision, hearing and skin problems.Harlequin and blue Great Danes cost more due to their rarity and higher demand. Breeders may charge a premium for dogs with these coat colors compared to more common options, like fawn or black.
What is the rarest color of Great Danes?
Imagine a Harlequin Great Dane with fawn-colored patches instead of black ones, and you’ll get a perfect idea of what Fawnequin looks like. These are among the rarest of Great Danes we’ve seen. We’ve also heard them described as non-conforming by AKC sticklers, but we ignore those folks. Great Danes are prone to an eye condition called entropion. Entropion is an eye disease that many dog owners are unaware of until their dogs are symptomatic and the eye damage has already been done.Unfortunately, Great Danes can inherit or develop a number of different eye conditions, some of which may cause blindness if not treated right away, and most of which can be extremely painful!Most Great Dane puppies are born with blue eyes that change to brown as they mature. Dapple-coated harlequin and merle Great Danes keep their baby blues their whole life. These large dogs make loving, protective watchdogs and are surprisingly adaptable to homes of all sizes.
Are Great Danes intelligent?
Are Great Danes smart? Great Danes might not be as smart as Border Collies, but they are pretty bright dogs. In fact, they ranked as the 44th smartest breed out of a total of 208 breeds. The bottom line: Some great Danes have the potential to react aggressively toward their human caretakers if the circumstances are right. This is particularly true if proper socialization, training, care, breeding and supervision are not followed, or if the dog is handled in a reckless manner.They may be big dogs, but they are also smart dogs. The average Great Dane is considered to be as clever as a three-year-old human, and studies have shown that they are able to understand up to 250 words and gestures. They are also very quick to learn new commands.Since female Great Danes mature faster than males, they are thought to be easier to train. You can hold their attention longer during training sessions. They’re calm, loving, and affectionate dogs that do well with children and are gentler during play than males.They are generally considered to be gentle giants and good-natured family pets. But, as with all breeds, Great Danes can become aggressive. They are extremely territorial dogs and can attack with little warning. A Great Dane bite can have a serious and life-altering impact on victims.