I love my merle chi. His dad is a CH and his mother was CH sired, with lots of CH in the lines. Mine is very pretty, I have no idea if he is built for conformation. I don't really care right now, but anyway I went to a local show and saw a few very nice long and short hair merle colored chis. None of them did very well in the ring. Anyone have any experience showing merle chihuahuas, or know anyone who does with any success? Or experiences good or bad? I would love to hear more about, and see more photos of champions with this beautiful coat color/mutation.

The AKC just recently OK'd merle chi's. There is alot of chi breeders who don't show/breed for merles. I think the reason is that somewhere along the line there was an outbreeding that created merle coloring. Now some judges look at merles as not desirable as the others. Some merles are simply gorgeous in my mind!

Thanks for the reply! The Chihuahua club of America (AKC parent club) voted down the merle DQ in chihuahua's in 2009. The AKC subsequently accepted merle as standard. I found a few breeders online, (Mahkota chihuahua's, Davishall or Tokalon, can google them.), and they show merles. I see merle chis at shows so I know people do it. Here are some old photo's History of the Blue Merle Chihuahua. It's not a new coat color, there are registered chihuahua's with merle coloring that go back 50+ years, and even older photos dating back to the early 1900's, so hopefully I can find more info!!!

I have seen some gorgeous dogs too!

I just found a merle chihuahua forum, I'm going to try checking on there too.

I find that while merle is a beautiful effect, it's beauty is abused when in the wrong hands, as merle-to-merle breeding is a HUGE no-no but sadly a common practice among BYB's and puppy millers wanting to make a buck off the coveted color. There are a few great sources to information here regarding merles in the show world. Hope this helps! =)

World Bans Merle Chihuahuas, Merle Color Gene Poses Potential Health Problems

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I know a very reputable Aussie breeder from my training club who sometimes breeds Homozygous merles(Merle to merle.), to get amazing coat colors. Nice lady, she wins in the ring too. Her dogs are fantastic. This year Westminster awarded Aussie BOB to a dog who's stud was a blind, deaf double merle. Westminster Rewards Cruelty I don't think it's a good thing to do, but a lot of breeder's, back yard, and top of the food chain, well respected CH CH CH winners, breed for select traits that are frequently not good for the health of the breed. Short noses, unnaturally angled bodies, freakishly large heads, traits that would never occur in nature. I have friends in the conformation world. Breed clubs decide what is okay, and you can follow the rules, or get out of the ring.

I think Merle's are beautiful! But was always too scared to adopt one bc of the sad health issues. I would never think a legit breeder would breed two Merles for color, that is so horrible, to risk the sense of hearing and sight for markings and/or color.

I also thought that chi's having an apple head, cobby body, and short muzzle were breed standard? And that although is seems the deer-head ones are more common, these are not the breed standard? Maybe someone can correct me if I am wrong?


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