Betsy Posted June 12, 2016 Report Share Posted June 12, 2016 In a border collie Facebook group that I am on there is a poster claiming that as a general rule of thumb, merles will be more hyper than any other color of border collie, that it is caused by a genetic anomaly in the merle gene. Has anyone here ever heard of this? She says "you can't argue with science" yet can't produce any scientific studies. Also claims that "vets she has met has studied it and came to the same conclusion". Again, no specifics provided. Just curious about the thoughts of those here.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted June 12, 2016 Report Share Posted June 12, 2016 Total BS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Root Beer Posted June 12, 2016 Report Share Posted June 12, 2016 I don't know about this, but it is scientifically proven that merles have a goofy gene. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betsy Posted June 12, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 12, 2016 That's what I thought. We'll see if she really goes and digs her books out of the attic with the supposed "scientific studies". I just see too many variables going into the dogs (such as how it was raised, what kind of life does it live daily (crated? working livestock?), how much exercise does the dog get, how much mental stimulation, was an off switch trained) to be able to say it's the merle gene. This is a real life example of correlation does not imply causation! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betsy Posted June 12, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 12, 2016 I don't know about this, but it is scientifically proven that merles have a goofy gene. Well I do have living proof of this. My merle will fetch toys and return them to about 5 feet away and the stare at you. But socks? Socks he returns to your lap. And will pick it up and put it back down over and over again in your lap. He loves socks!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted June 12, 2016 Report Share Posted June 12, 2016 My first merle must've missed that gene. He was one of the least goofy dogs I've ever known. Second one wasn't particularly goofy either. I've heard any number of behavioral characteristics attributed to various colors (whites are calmer, reds are feistier, merles can't work, etc.) and I don't believe any of them are true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maralynn Posted June 12, 2016 Report Share Posted June 12, 2016 You should ask her if phantom merles display the same traits. Or if it's just the regular merles... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betsy Posted June 12, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 12, 2016 You should ask her if phantom merles display the same traits. Or if it's just the regular merles... Good point. Also, I think she was saying that it's an anomaly of the merle gene so SOME merles COULD be hyperactive, but not necessarily so. Which implies that all other colors could not be hyper since they don't have that gene. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted June 12, 2016 Report Share Posted June 12, 2016 Ummm, genetically phantom merles are "regular" merles, so if there were color-linked (or in this case allele linked) behavioral characteristics, there wouldn't be a difference. Phantom merles are fully merle as far as their genes are concerned. Actually, what I infer from this is that this person is talking out of her ass. ETA: I'd be inclined to ask her if she's never heard of a hyperactive border collie that isn't a merle. It's not like the breed doesn't have a reputation for hyperactivity across all colors. SMH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maralynn Posted June 12, 2016 Report Share Posted June 12, 2016 Ummm, genetically phantom merles are "regular" merles, so if there were color-linked (or in this case allele linked) behavioral characteristics, there wouldn't be a difference. Phantom merles are fully merle as far as their genes are concerned. Actually, what I infer from this is that this person is talking out of her ass. ETA: I'd be inclined to ask her if she's never heard of a hyperactive border collie that isn't a merle. It's not like the breed doesn't have a reputation for hyperactivity across all colors. SMH Lol - I know But I tend to want to string people like that along just to see what sort of, umm, interesting things they'll say next Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gideon's girl Posted June 12, 2016 Report Share Posted June 12, 2016 The most hyper BC I know is plain old black and white, though she does have ticking. We call those her silly spots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mum24dog Posted June 13, 2016 Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 Rubbish. Just selective bias based on a myth. You get nutter merles just as you do dogs of any colour. I get the impression that it's more a thing in the US that agility people in particular want high wired OTT dogs. Everywhere fancy colours and merles in particular are in much greater evidence in sports than elsewhere in the general dog population. It doesn't take a genius to realise that if people want crazy dogs and they favour merles then crazy merles are what will be bred for. That doesn't mean that there is a specific gene for it that only merles have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted June 13, 2016 Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 ^^ Where's the Like button? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beach BCs Posted June 13, 2016 Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 But all red dogs are crazy, right?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gcv-border Posted June 13, 2016 Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 But all red dogs are crazy, right?? Mine is - in a good way. Love him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted June 13, 2016 Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 But all red dogs are crazy, right?? Mine's not. He's just about the calmest, sanest border collie you've ever met, just like my first merle, but even more so. I'm constantly having to tell people he's not your stereotypical crazy border collie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gideon's girl Posted June 13, 2016 Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 But all red dogs are crazy, right?? My red is calm, cool, and collected, now that he's grown up. But he is very intense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urge to herd Posted June 14, 2016 Report Share Posted June 14, 2016 Samantha was very sweet, very calm, very good-natured and loved kids. Shoshone was nuts. Not in energy levels, just several degrees off plumb. She could be quite charming, but she was generally stand-offish and very, very smart. Ruth and Gibbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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