How can merle x merle be done safely, again?
I don't have a merle breed, so this is all information I have heard second-hand from breeders and friends in other breeds. Keep in mind, in lots of breeder circles breeding merle x merle is taboo, most people won't talk about it, or disclose information. You're shunned if you do it, but those same people will beat down your doors to breed to your double merle stud dogs or buy a pup out of a double merle bitch.
Most people just don't mess with it. There are a few breeders I have heard of who do double merle breedings and do them successfully. By successfully I mean, they study pedigrees and health testing, do the testing on their own dogs, and health test the puppies. I've heard some breeders can do the breedings with little to no risk to the puppies. I have never personally heard of any puppy being born without eyes. Not saying it doesn't happen, but it sound like one of those HSUS/puppy mill horror stories. Keep repeating it to the public until they are so afraid of the consequences they won't breed.
There are breeders out there with 20, 30, 40 yrs experience that really do claim to know how to minimize the risk of merle x merle breeding. Much like in koolies or catahoulas. Breeding dogs with less "chrome" and larger black spots with minimal merle dogs in the pedigrees to other dogs who are similar. I was told it comes down to knowing the pedigrees etc. Of course, you hear all of this stuff, and hear names thrown around, and suspect some breeders of it, but no one will outright admit to it most of the time because of the exact attitude that I'm seeing in this thread. Has it been taboo? Yes. Is there possibly a way to do it safely? Yes. Why not open your minds to being educated and learning instead of immediately attacking anyone who even owns a double merle dog?
The consequences can be bad, yes, but my breed isn't a merle breed and we have an extremely high deafness rate with puppies out of full-hearing parents. Should we stop breeding cattle dogs? Well, I won't.
I guess I also hate the double edged sword... "It's ok for koolies and catahoulas, but **** everyone else."