Last weekend I took care of Piper, my friend Becky’s great dane. I wanted to show a picture of her because I had never seen a gray and black (blue merle) great dane before Piper.
Piper reminds me of how some of the American Kennel Club’s regulations are a bit ridiculous. The AKC recognizes the great dane in the following colors: brindle, black-masked fawn, blue (solid gray), black, harlequin (white with random black patches) or mantle (black with white collar, muzzle, chest and tail tip). Blue merle great danes like Piper are not accepted in the AKC. In other words, Piper is 100 percent great dane, like her parents and littermates, but because of her color, she is not recognized.
Some people don’t want to own a dog unless it is AKC registered. Because of this, fewer people want to buy blue merle great danes, which means a breeder will have a harder time selling those puppies for as much as the others. Still, it’s a surprise to me that, according to Piper’s breeder, some breeders kill the blue merle puppies shortly after they’re born. These puppies might sell for $500 instead of $2,000, even though other than color, there is no difference between them and the other pups. A litter of great dane pups could have a variety of colors. Piper’s mother, for example, was harlequin, and so were some of Piper’s siblings.
It seems unfair to judge a dog by its color, but what do I know? I own a mutt.
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Nice blog, just found it while sitehoppin. Actually, I heard about this blog through Josh over at joshwhitford.com.
I love dogs, I have a yorkie.
Honestly, I wish the GD folks had more of a problem with Harlequin than “merle” or “dapple” as it is called in the dachshund world. But both can be dangerous. Dapple or merle, when doubled up on can be cause for tears…the doubled gene can cause deafness or blindness. And in the quest for the “unique”, humans don’t always play nice with genetics.
Harliquins,Dalmations, and double merles of several breeds often suffer from from our lack of knowledge or greediness. So sad…
Addendum: I love my Dapple dachshund. I hope to have more dapples in my life. But I am very happy with my “non-mutants”, too.
My experience with merle dogs of various breeds is that they tend to be “hyperactive” and maybe a bit goofy. Paired with the right owner, though, they are excellent pets. FWIW, I’ve dealt with Smooth Collies and Great Danes mostly.
I love mixed breeds. Mutts rule! I have very fond memories of my dogs while growing up…it was a great period of my life.
Enjoy,
Barbara
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If Piper’s parents are both AKC-registered Great Danes, Piper can be registered with the AKC. She may not be a color considered acceptable in the show (conformation) ring, but she would be able to compete in other AKC events like agility, obedience, rally-o. If her owner did not get a registration application or certificate when she got Piper, she could apply for Indefinite Listing Privilege (ILP) or PAL, the new name for ILP (sorry, forgot the phrase behind PAL). Piper would have to be altered to get ILP/PAL privileges.
Or Piper can compete in ASCA (Australian Shepherd Club of America) obedience and agility, or NADAC or USDAA or CPE agility. All of those allow dogs of any breed or mix to compete (although ASCA nationals & conformation are limited to ASCA-registered Australian shepherds).
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My Dane is black but we have a 4yr Merle living 4 doors down & you couldnt ask for a dog with a more beautiful temperament… I think your friends Piper is beautiful ..
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if the breeders are killing these beautiful animals, have them contact me as i have huge property in az and I would more than glad to pay $500
i have a blue merle great dane that is registered with the akc and he is very smart! that is horable about that they kill these puppies…. but i think it is getting better for them now because the lady I bought him from ppl want this color more than any other color now…. she sells them for double the amount of the other puppies!
They are a very beautiful and unique dog!
we have a wonderfull bm dane named charm she is the best dog we could have ever wished for.as a rescue we had our worrys but rule one with the big ones is always give a little extra they have real big hearts.
Yes, danes have big hearts. Charm is a great name! Happy to hear you rescued a blue merle.
Love my blue merle Jasper. He is a big cuddler, sweet with the cats and just a lovable member of the family. My friends and family also think he is the most beautiful dog they have seen. So boo on animal killers because of colors
Every great dane I know is extremely sweet. They are such nice dogs.
I love love love my blue mearle great dane. He is such a sweetie and definitely a mama’s boy. Zeus always has to be around me at all times. It drives my boyfriend crazy : ) For being 10 months, he’s surprising mellow. Anyway, just had to put my two cents in that blue mearles or any dane is an awesome pet.
From the first time I was introduced to a Blue Merle Great Dane I knew it was the dog for me. I searched the adds and made many phone calls (this was before I had the internet) I asked specifically for a Blue Merle. I was laughed at, scoffed at and even cussed at and hung up on by supposedly caring, loving breeders, until I found a man that had 8 of these lovely beauties. Because of their bad reputation he couldn’t find them homes, he was left with selling them to a “puppy Broker” for $350 a pup. What this broker was doing with them no one knows for sure. I was sold Sara for $250, pedigreed an arm long. Nine years later she is 155 lbs of pure beauty and intelligence. The smartest, most loving companion I have ever had the privilege of owning me. In spite of the baggage of bad press releases these strikingly gorgeous dogs carry with them, you can breed them. I breed her to a solid Blue and they had 6 wonderful Merle or Harlequin puppies (two Blue Merles one was the pick of the litter), none of which were still born, deformed or deemed imperfect in any way. I may not be able to show her, but she is MY champion. I only wish I could accompany this with a picture of her magnificent color. I can truly say that the AKC is not giving this color its just rewards and I feel it is only because the breeders cannot control its rave uniqueness and beauty.
Coleen Steele
From what I understand, breeding merle great danes can produce puppies that are deaf and or blind because merles can carry a double merle gene.
Thanks for sharing info about your dog.
I just adopted a two and one half year old Blue Merle female Great Dane, who had mothered 8 puppies; 3 Blacks, 3 Merles and 2 Harlequins, at a very early age prior to her rescue. It is my understanding that the Merle may be a side result of over attempts at Harlequin breeding. While I didn’t have anything to do with the initial life of my dog, she is a superb animal in great health and one of the best Danes that I have come across. She is a great companion, very friendly, superb with kids and people, and a good and fearless security dog when necessary. It seems to me that Merles are not seen as “show Danes” and that may be one of the AKC issues. I have yet to be totally convinced about the “genetic” issue and I can’t tell how much “hype” is involved with the Merle Danes and how much is actual reality. All I know for sure is that this Merle is just as wonderful and healthy a dog as my first black Dane female, who was an incredible animal in every way.
I’m sure your dog is gorgeous and an amazing dog. There is nothing physically wrong with a merle dane, but it is possible that when breeding two merles the pups can have health issues such as blindness due to a gene that the merles carry.
Merle danes, like all great danes are such sweet, gentle companions. Thanks for sharing this info about your dog.
hey love your blog we just got our second grat dane ..he is a blue mearle…. and i think you are totaly right… mearls are just as beautiful and loveable as any other great dane lets put it this way ….(its racism in dog world)….
Aww, glad to hear you got a merle dane. Enjoy your new dog! I’m sure he’s a cutie!
I have had 6 Great Danes over past 10 years, 3 at one time, my oldest will be 10 yrs old (black) March 2011, one male deaf white dane – Casper, one brindle pick of the litter dane – Anubis. After meeting my danes, other people acquired a great dane for their family, black named Melman and female fawn – Sophie.
July 2010 – I acquired a female Blue Merle Dane = Phoebe. She is loving, adorable, luvs to cuddle, talk back, sleep in bed with me, and LOVES everybody and animals too… she is the best dane and best dog ever in my entire life of small and large dogs over 45 years from a small boy with taco bell dog, named “Babe”. I LOVE MY GIRL!!!
http://www.gsnationals.com/images/Phoebe_5months.JPG
photo of phoebe at 5 months old
Your dog Phoebe is gorgeous, just about the prettiest dane I’ve ever seen.
I have an 8mo blue merle dane who is the best dog EVER!! He is stunning, I get compliments on him all the time. But best thing about him is how good he is with my 7mo baby boy! He is an excellent dog with an amazing temperment. I would love to breed him one day and get another puppy just like him
Aww, I’m sure he is very, very handsome. I think all danes are.
I have a blue merle great dane and a harlequin great dane and when I saw your picture it was spitting image of my dane.
Awww!
I think my dane are stunning expecially my harlequin. She has the bluest eyes and pretty markings. Go to facebook look me up to see. Aubree prejean
Just sent you a friend request so I could see the pics of your dogs!
I have a blue myrle..she was a rescue that was saved rehomed..they couldnt keep her and now she is mine..what a gem! I think she is about 120 and she is 30 in tall at shoulder..so well behaved..amazing.color is awesome so unique
i’m glad she has a good home with you!
thanks.I m pretty sure she is totally in love w me! and she loves my other dogs too.. Only problem.they taug
ht her to jump up and hug..Yikes!! im retraining her to let me hug her on all fours!! she is a little timid..hates men and afraid of small children..so.. hopefully I can break her of bein afraid of children.. men I dont care..LOL
HAHA! I’m glad you have such a great dog!
Such a pretty girl!! Although it’s not ENTIRELY true that the AKC does not recognize merels (the AKC site states that merels can recieve AKC certification as a companion dog), SHAME ON THEM for not recognizing them for show!! So many beautiful merels out there (blue and fawn and the mantles are just striking!), why would they be disqualified? Hopefully they will change their ways…they are now recognizing mantles which is a start.
I think they are beautiful dogs.
We recently lost our first dane to congestive heart failure at the age of 10 months. Miss Blue was a merle. Her loss was heartbreaking no matter the color. Danes are beautiful loving dogs. While I was torn on getting another dane as well as a merle, all that changed as soon as I saw another merle puppy that was offered out of compassion for our loss. The first pups to be adopted from the 9 puppy litter were 3 merles. While it’s a shame about merles not being able to be show dogs, there are many people that could care less about AKC and love merles as pet quality sweethearts. I am now among that group. As a side note: Miss Blue and Mouse (the new pup) both qualify as AKC.
So they qualify with the AKC but can’t compete in show? Is that how that works?