I think you're right Malady. I had hoped to persuade Patch to send in photos just so that I could see what she refers to as merle, but I can see the more I try, the worse it gets.

The sable comes from the mother. Tan & white is sable & white.

It was thought at one time that shaded reds were heterzoygous sable/tanpoints but it's now known not to be so. If you have a look on the Schmutz website, I think on the Agouti page, it says there something about it.

Why is tan and white sable and white?
Becky

You are right. I do apologise Patch

Pod, Nobody, including you, has the right to insist on photos of someone else's dog to satisfy their own curiosity. Whether she refers to merle as purple with yellow spots or orange stripes is entirely up to her, she knows her own dogs and their respective problems. Believe her or don't, but don't demand photos of her dogs, they are hers and are very personal to her, why should she ?

As I said, youve made your point, leave it there. :smt001

I did`nt know it was compulsory.
Talking about healthy if small eyes is not quite such a priority to me [ personally ] as CEA which Willow has [ no doubt you would like to refute that as well ]. The extent of noticeability of Defa`s eye size was not so evident until his operation and it did`nt occur to me that someone on a forum some time later might want a vet report about them :smt102

Nope

Incomplete dominant is where there are three different phenotypes for the three different genotypes.

MM - Homozygous merle: some merle with increased white areas with pleitrophic effects.

Mm - Heterozygous merle: normal merle patterning

mm - homozygous non merle

Patch, I can see I'm only infuriating you further with each reply, i don't want to continue doing this I do apologise. I can see we both share a passion for the health and wellbeing of dogs.

ah I see I was told incorrectly then, although it made sense at the time!
Becky

Sorry, only just seen this. If you imagine this dog without its white markings, it would be tan all over yes? The white marking are just areas where the tan pigment hasn't reached... remember white (in this instance) isn't a colour, it's just the absense of pigment. It's the S locus that inhibits the pigment cell migration.

There are two possibilites for tan and white. Sable and recessive yellow (ee). Ok it is possible that the dam was ee tan (not sure if it occurs in the breed) but the likelyhood is in favour of sable especially as the pups are sable.