Breeding Merles

This has been covered in the Ribbons section, but I think it bears repeating here, so I will.

It is generally inadvisable to breed two merles together. The merle gene is a dilution gene; when a Sheltie receives two merle genes, they are referred to as "double" or "homozygous merle".

In real life, most double merles born will have limited to no sight or hearing and health problems, and so, ANY double merle born in this game will be considered non-breedable due to health problems. The ONLY breedable double merles will be given out by me in special events or flatsales. They will not be available as customs unless a special double merle slot is opened up.

In breeding, if you breed two merles together, you have a 25% chance of receiving a double merle. But be warned! For each puppy, I will roll the dice, and you MIGHT end up with an entire litter of non-breedable double merles. So yes, they are beautiful, but beauty comes with a price.

If you do have a breedable double merle, it is expected you will only breed to non-merles. Breeding to a merle gives you a 50% chance of getting a double merle.