ja citala americkoje forum so chihuahuas. Tam pisala zavodcica novosti o merle testy. Ja znaju, sto etot text stolka po anglicki, no oni pisut interesnoje novosti. Posmotrite:
Spoke with GenMark this am....
NO MORE MERLE TESTING UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE....
I have mixed emotions about all of this, but I will share this with all of you, although many may not agree or understand my thoughts on this. I am optimistic in some regards because of the recent research with the spotting gene, having the same "MITF" gene causing the solid(white), flashy,and virtually white dogs in other breeds, not carrying merle. The two mutations of this gene are SINE(a shorter DNA strand in dogs that are white marked) and LP(longer DNA strand in dogs that are white marked).
After learning of the same exact source as in merle as in white, the only thing that made sense, is they isolated the white factor NOT the merle!!! It has been a theory I kept quite about. After all what do our merles and white factored breeds that don't carry merle have in common beside the canine status... it was easy for me to realize and theorize(no proof) that the one thing in common was white markings....
Note most of the Merle poms and Chis that were visible merles that DNA'ed non merle, lacked white markings....
I am sad they have to go back to the drawing board and we will for now no longer have a tool,... but the agruement of merles having health problems may just indeed be shifting totally onto white marked canine.... Which most breed clubs will never do away with! And Countries like Australia are in for a HUGE REBUTAL, due to their support of all canine merle breeds do away with merles because of the MITF gene and its health issues... It is looking more and more concrete that WHITE=MITF. And they will owe merle breeders everywhere a huge apology, and play back up to "BAN all WHITE MARKINGS IN ALL BREEDS"... LOL not be literal here, just pointing out how ridiculous those countries have been without all the research being completed. And if they set the precedent to ban merles for health, it will be very interesting to see in the years to follow if they will ban all white markings in all breeds for the sake of canine health.
Any way wanted to let you all know we currently can't test....
Spoke with GenMark this am....
NO MORE MERLE TESTING UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE....
I have mixed emotions about all of this, but I will share this with all of you, although many may not agree or understand my thoughts on this. I am optimistic in some regards because of the recent research with the spotting gene, having the same "MITF" gene causing the solid(white), flashy,and virtually white dogs in other breeds, not carrying merle. The two mutations of this gene are SINE(a shorter DNA strand in dogs that are white marked) and LP(longer DNA strand in dogs that are white marked).
After learning of the same exact source as in merle as in white, the only thing that made sense, is they isolated the white factor NOT the merle!!! It has been a theory I kept quite about. After all what do our merles and white factored breeds that don't carry merle have in common beside the canine status... it was easy for me to realize and theorize(no proof) that the one thing in common was white markings....
Note most of the Merle poms and Chis that were visible merles that DNA'ed non merle, lacked white markings....
I am sad they have to go back to the drawing board and we will for now no longer have a tool,... but the agruement of merles having health problems may just indeed be shifting totally onto white marked canine.... Which most breed clubs will never do away with! And Countries like Australia are in for a HUGE REBUTAL, due to their support of all canine merle breeds do away with merles because of the MITF gene and its health issues... It is looking more and more concrete that WHITE=MITF. And they will owe merle breeders everywhere a huge apology, and play back up to "BAN all WHITE MARKINGS IN ALL BREEDS"... LOL not be literal here, just pointing out how ridiculous those countries have been without all the research being completed. And if they set the precedent to ban merles for health, it will be very interesting to see in the years to follow if they will ban all white markings in all breeds for the sake of canine health.
Any way wanted to let you all know we currently can't test....