Luckily, you can breed a harlequin dog with a canine that does not have this coat pattern and get some harlequin puppies, since the gene is dominant. To exhibit the harlequin coat pattern, a dog needs to have the harlequin gene. The merle and harlequin genes are unfortunately linked with several health problems, so it is wise to educate yourself about their potential challenges before adding either to your family. One popular trait that many owners adore is tricolor dogs. The shade of the gray color varies, as do the number of spots. Different dog breeds can have wildly different coat types. Their similar looks are the result of function, and that function is speed. 7 years Merle breeds do not have any problem reproducing in many cases. She has rescued and cared for dozen of animals over the years, ranging from a one-eyed Shih Tzu to a disabled Chinese Water Dragon. While harlequins have a white base coat, merle Great Danes have a pale to dark gray merle base color. The harlequin pattern is one of the seven AKC-recognized coats, but it is important to note that the “fawnequin” pattern is not allowed in the AKC show circuit. Beaucerons were originally developed to work, so they need lots of exercise. What About Blue Brindle? Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window). This coloration is quite rare, but it does occur from time to time. There are a few ways to distinguish these two similar breeds, but the easiest is to simply look for a tail; the Cardigan Welsh corgi has one, while Pembroke Welsh corgi does not. Often, the coat pattern is a good indicator. And the Republic of Malta is no exception. Beaucerons with a merle coat are also called harlequins. Known as the gentle giant of the dog world, this stunning, oversized dog is an easy favorite with his sweet spirit and family-friendly nature. There are only two breeds that can produce harlequin coloration, and only one is particularly popular in the United States. This gene is also known as H-Locus. For a dog to exhibit the harlequin pattern, he must inherit a merle gene and a harlequin gene from his parents. They are well known for becoming very excited, especially with people they know. They are sweet and gentle, but they can still make great watch dogs. Their base color is white, and they display a number of black spots and patches all over their bodies. However, seeing a dog that looks like a mop isn’t an everyday occurrence. But it’s important to discuss the dangers of double merle. If a dog gets a harlequin gene and a merle gene, it doesn’t matter what other coat genes it gets. However, you can still register your Merle Great Dane as pure-breed with the American Kennel Club. However, other breeds do have the merle gene, which may cause them to be mistaken for a harlequin. Here, the coat is gray instead of white, and with black spots. If a dog has a harlequin gene, it will appear in their coat coloration in most cases. They don’t back down, even though they are quite small. But because Beaucerons are pretty rare in the U.S., the trait is most commonly associated with Great Danes. Several other breeds are sometimes called, “harlequin,” but are in fact a related and similar coat pattern known as merle. One of the studies Strain led (along with his colleagues at the Neuroscience Louisiana State University) found that partial hearing loss was found in 54.6% of double merles and 36.8% of single merles, while one out of 11 double merles were found to be entirely deaf. Also, while some harlequin dogs are spotted all over, others may have what is called the “Irish spotting pattern.” This simply means they don’t have spots on their neck, chest, or belly. Conversely, those with only one dominant gene produce a bit more pigment, which can help prevent many of these health problems. In fact, there are only two breeds in the world that exhibit this coat pattern. They were even taken to Venezuela to be herding canines and have completed sled dog races in Canada. The base color of the coat is black and tan with bluish-gray patches distributed over the entire body. The Beauceron is a breed of dog that comes from France. Most breeders avoid breeding two harlequin dogs together for this reason. Most fawn Boxers will have a sleek brown coat with a black mask and white markings. Weighing up to 200 pounds, it’s impossible to miss the regal beauty of a Great Dane. Still, many breeds look similar to harlequin dogs, even if they don’t completely fit the bill. Despite their large size, Danes tend to think that they’re lap dogs, however. More studies are necessary before we can say for sure that this coat color is connected to neurological problems. 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