Here are excerpts from the ASC Board Minutes and the Club Bulletin regarding
the merle cocker spaniel issue.
This has been going on for a few years now, and from even recent postings,
and all the merle education that is out there now,
they are still showing unbelievable ignorance towards the merle pattern.
2008 April Board Minutes:
From ASC Zone V :
Members wanted to know about the status of the Merle colors…I did have
copies of
the AKC director’s letter that went
to the Chihuahua Club (opens in PDF)
asking that they not vote to disqualify Merle color, as color has no
bearing on health…….etc
July-August-September 2005 ASC Bulletin:
-Merle cockers: After discussion, the board
decided to delay acting on the standard committee's recommendation
to allow
these dogs to be registered as merles by including this color pattern
on the
registration form. A dominant color cannot simply appear in a breed.
Unlike a
recessive, it can't remain hidden for generations. As guardians of
the breed, we
would be negligent if we accepted these animals simply because they
are here.
A subcommittee has been appointed to research the pedigrees and hopefully
determine exactly where and when the pattern began. Even the merle
w ebsites
say they don't know this. If it can be proven that the pattern could
not have
arisen from the mating indicated by pedigrees, the registration status
of all
merles w ould be in question. Then we would look to AKC on what the
next step
would be. Perhaps a "Z" registry like DPCA has for white dobermans.
Board Meeting Standards Committee ASC-7-2005
Standards Committee – Mrs. Speich, Chair.
Report attached. The report was rejected by Board
members.
IT WAS MOVED by Ms. Patterson and seconded by
Ms. Darke that the
Public Education/PR Coordinator prepare an educational
piece, through the website, that Merles are not Cocker Spaniels,
are not an allowed color. Suggested approaches
were: Buyer Beware! Fraudulent pedigrees, etc.
Pictures of correct colors are to be included
on the website. Further, the Public Education Coordinator
should develop a website page to educate the
public that the Merle is not a purebred Cocker Spaniel, and
does not have proper colors. Motion approved.
The Standard Committee should try to research the merle color
in pedigrees to determine if there is evidence
that these are or are not purebred Cockers.
Jan 2006 ASC Board meeting
Merle Hearing
Attendees: Bob Smith, Bill Gorodner, Sharon Reed,
Joan Stallard, Harriet Kamps, Linda Donaldson,
Barbara Shaw, Cara Burgess, Jeff Wright, Bonnie
Pike, Debbie Knight, Julie Virosteck, Gale Golden,
Bob Rubic, Anna Lee McKennon.
Jeff Wright presented his committee report on
the merle gene. It was a USDA kennel which produced
the merle cockers. Rusty Butch (whelped 1979)
was bred two bitches within same week and puppies
from those breedings, born in 1988, expressed
the merle color/pattern
In order to investigate further, there needs
to be a written request from ASC on ASC letterhead
asking for complete stud record of Rusty Butch
with colors he produced and similar complete record of
the two bitches. The letter should be sent to
David Roberts. Maybe can get registration revoked on
these two original puppies and from everything
on down. Jeff urged the Board to follow through.
Pedigrees may well be falsified – so AKC might
revoke.
Summary of Mr. Wright’s committee report:
1. color alone is evidence these animals are
not purebred
2. our breed already has many health issues –
this gene is going to add even more health
issues, including the possibility of lethal genes,
lack of eyes, deafness, etc.
3. without regard for health, this color is being
encouraged by breeding for this in various
puppy mills.
Doing nothing is not the answer. The ASC needs
to pursue this issue and do something to try to
protect the breed. AKC has allowed our Stud Book
to be compromised by their acceptance of
fraudulent litter registrations as well as by
taking it upon themselves to change color descriptions to
permit registration of colors the American Spaniel
Club does not recognize. The committee also
believes ASC needs to take a stronger stand on
merle because of the health issue associated with the
breed.
Cara Burgess. AKC won’t pull registration. Abhor
color but think we should allow them to register the
color AKC number and educate breeders and public.
Sharon Reed. Inspected kennels for AKC. Found
B/T Labrador in kennel where Labs and Dobes were
bred and was told by AKC to drop the issue. AKC
will take money. If parents are registered, AKC will
register offspring.
Bill Gorodner discussed the problem of identifying
the color by appearance alone and gave the
example that sable merle collie can look like
a regular sable collie.
Anna Lee McKennon was interested in identifying
the merle gene marker utilizing Dr. Murphy’s test.
Then having a knowledgeable vet to analyze report
to present to AKC.
Bob Smith suggested starting with ASC members
who are merle breeders in violation of the code of
ethics. He suggested that the onus was on members
to prove merles have no genetic markers from
other breeds which are legitimately merle.
Barbara Shaw suggested approaching ASC members
asking them to participate in a study of the
merle gene. Bill Gorodner suggested that there
are enough roan cockers to show difference in gene
between merle and roan.
At the close of the hearing, Ms. Torgerson moved
that Board follow Mr. Wright’s recommendation and
request information from AKC on the stud records
of Rusty Butch, Timberline’s Betty and Penny
Locks; Ms. Darke 2nd. Unanimously approved.
April 2006 ASC Board Minutes
The merle issue still looms. For some reason,
color discussions seem to stimulate an
inordinate amount of emotions in our organization.
Perhaps this is in part because all
but one of our disqualifications pertains to
color. At any rate, AKC has made their stance
quite clear: They will register merles however
they can and “will not refuse to register a
cocker based on color alone.” Nor will they revoke
any registrations unless we can show
color pedigree proof that they are not purebred.
They, of course know that this is
impossible. They want us to cure their headache
by allowing the merle pattern on
registration forms. Unfortunately, I see no viable
alternative…but I am open to
suggestions.
August 2006 ASC Bulletin
JULY 2006 REPORT OF
SUBCOMMITTEE ON MERLES
Submitted by Jeff Wright
I have a list of 92 known merle cockers. To produce
a merle cocker, one parent MUST be a merle. One merle parent
bred to a regular color results in 50% merle,
50% nonmerle. Merle to merle bred together will produce 25% nonmerle,
50% merle, and 25% double dilutes, or “whites.”
In cockers for example a MM dog, if a parti, it could be white, or
faint gray if it was to be a black & white,
or faint brown if it is to be a brown parti. In blacks, buffs and sables
the gene
can hide. But if these colors were the product
of a merle to merle breeding, they would look peculiar, faint of color,
and
the eyes would look different or weird.
There is a dog that is a double merle and lived
to sire whole litters of merle offspring. His name is Prince Alex of Iron
Lake. His pedigree is the result of combining
Rusty Butch with Timberline’s Betty and Penny Locks. All known merle
cockers come from the mating results of Rusty
Butch to these two bitches. Prince Alex is proof that a double merle cocker
can live and can, unfortunately, produce. Not
all affected merle dogs die as pups or suddenly.
Everyone agrees that merle cockers are a result
of an accidental breeding. All merle cockers are a result of the matings
of Penny Locks and Timberline’s Betty. Every
known merle cocker’s pedigree can be traced back to them.
Pat Crew has access to a dog sired by Prince
Alex Of Iron Lake, and the party that owns this dog is willing to do the
DNA test for our research. I feel that we need
to retrieve a blood sample of the dog mentioned with Pat’s help and get
the results from this animal which will add to
the continued research of how the merle gene was introduced to our purebred
cocker spaniel.
The health issues associated with the merle gene
are sensory,neurological and immune-system defects. Distortion of
the eye’s appearance due to a lack of the reflective
substance (tapetum lucidum) that lines the back of the dog’s eye. Dogs
that lack this substance have night blindness
and other visual problems. Other eye problems include small eyeballs,
with prominent third eyelids, as well as a physical
cleft in the iris of the eye. Abnormalities of the eyes are a key indication
of other neurological defects. Deafness or a
reduction of hearing is also a health problem. Excessive white in a dog
of
any color can be a warning sign of hearing problems.
My findings are a result of many people’s help
sharing first hand knowledge of merle cockers. I will continue to collect
any new information and update my findings on
the merle gene and its known affects on our breed.
Where are we now with Merle Testing?
Submitted by Bettie Campbell
As the ASC Board became more aware of the potential health risks that
result from merle-to-merle breeding, the
dominance of the merle gene, and errors in AKC registrations it appointed
a committee, headed by Jeff Wright to
investigate and make recommendations to the Board. At thesame time
the Board became aware of research which was
developing a simple buccal swab test to DNA for the merle gene. (see
CHF article in this Bulletin)
In Jeff’s July report to the Board (see summary in this Bulletin),
he requested that we have a sampling of Cockers
tested for the merle gene and very astutely suggested that all dogs
tested be micro-chipped so that a permanent ID will
be guaranteed.
It was not difficult to find owners willing to have the DNA testing
done and the ASC Foundation agreed to cover
expenses for the microchip, the DNA test, vet costs and shipping up
to a total of $600. When it became apparent
that several additional dogs were available and were being offered
for testing by Rescue homes and ASC members, the
ASC Board allocated funds to cover costs over the ASCF allocation,
up to an additional $600.
The rights to the test, developed at Texas A & M University, were
sold to a commercial lab and we are now
working with them on collection and testing. At this collection stage
we have also added a blood draw to be banked at
University of Missouri, Banking On Our Future, blood bank.
Working with Jeff and the owners, I am coordinating the collection
and testing. Sometimes progress comes in small
steps. This program to attempt to insure the purity and health of our
Cockers could not be done without the help
and support of people willing to step up and say, “no matter what,
I will help”!
Thank you from all of us.
Zone II
Merle Issue: Members were unanimous that they do not want the color
recognized. Health considerations and suspicious
origins of merle cockers were all mentioned as problems.
A suggestion was made to further define a roan, so that merles could
not be registered as roans
January 2007 ASC Board Meeting
Unfinished Business
Merle Committee Progress Report – Mrs. Campbell provided an update
re testing.
Drew blood and obtained DNA swabs. Mrs. Campbell banked the blood and
has the
swabs. One dog has not been taken for testing and Mrs. Campbell said
she will get
additional dog tested by herself. Various suggestions were discussed
about how to
handle the merle color on the registration certificate. The ideal goal
is to eradicate
merle gene from the cocker spaniel gene pool. Alternatively, work with
AKC to
manage so health issues associated with the merle gene don’t proliferate.
Need to
sit down with empirical evidence that registry process has errors is
incumbent on
them to resolve problem. Need to know what can do with AKC. Like to
see sit down
with AKC sooner rather than later. Engage AKC in the process
Ms. Darke moved Jane Williams chair the merle committee, comprised
of Bettie
Campbell, Bruce Van Deman and Jeff Wright to meet with AKC and report
back to
the Board by July with a progress report at spring Board Mtg. Second
by Ms.
Torgerson. Unanimously approved.
March 2007 ASC Bulletin
...The Board also set deadlines for the ad hoc Merle committee work..
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