White Australian Shepherd dogs look beautiful with their arctic coats, pink spotted eye rims and friendly, outgoing personalities, but they are not always as healthy as regular Aussies. Some Australian Shepherds have mostly white coats with merle pattern, others are predominantly white with pink noses. This coat type is strongly linked to double merle genetics, which come with a host of hearing and vision problems. Healthy Australian Shepherds make great family pets, as long as you have the time to exercise and groom them properly. But a white Aussie with health issues will be more prone to being nervous, stressed and easily upset by normal family life.
Contents
- Are white Australian Shepherds nervous?
- Coat color vs health
- Double merle genetics
- Sight and hearing problems
Australian Shepherd Appearance
The white Australian Shepherd grows to the same dimensions as his regular cousins. Medium-sized dogs, they stand between 18 and 23 inches tall and weigh 40 – 65 lbs.
All Australian Shepherds have a mid-length, double coat with some “feathering” on their legs, chest, and tail. The coat can be wavy or straight, but in white Aussies it will always be mostly white, with splashes of grey and black often on the ears or back.
Grooming and Shedding
A double coat is evolved to give the dog protection against the elements. The outer coat is comprised of long, coarse guard hairs that act as a shield against wind and rain during the winter. During the hot summer months, the outer coat protects the dog from the sun’s UV rays.
The undercoat is soft and fluffy. In cold weather, the undercoat keeps the dog warm. In hot weather, airflow through the undercoat keeps the dog cool.
Your Australian Shepherd will need grooming at least once or twice a week to prevent the coat from becoming tangled and matted. You should use an undercoat rake and a slicker brush for this job. The Australian Shepherd sheds continually, but regular grooming can help keep shedding to a minimum.
Personality Traits
All Australian Shepherd dogs, including the white Australian Shepherd, belong to the herding group. As you would discern from their name, dogs in the herding group have a powerful instinct to herd! In a home setting, that includes members of their human family and other pets!
All Australian Shepherds are energetic, intelligent, easy to train, and very loyal. They love to be around their owners, and that can lead to problems if you have to go out to work all day, leaving your Aussie at home alone.
The breed can also be found working as service dogs, guide dogs, therapy dogs, and search-and-rescue dogs too. And, of course, as much-loved family pets!
If you take on an Australian Shepherd, you must be prepared to provide him with plenty of exercise and mental stimulation. Socialization and gentle handling are even more important if your dog has the double merle genetics, as they will be less aware of their surroundings and therefore feel more nervous than average.
General Health
All Australian Shepherds can be prone to several health conditions, including hip dysplasia. Hip dysplasia is a painful congenital joint problem that causes lameness.
When you buy a puppy, always ask to see that both his parents have a veterinary certificate confirming that they are both free from this condition.
Another disease that can affect Australian Shepherds is a blood clotting disorder called Von Willebrand’s disease.
A prevalent health problem that affects the Australian Shepherd is thyroid disease. Thyroid conditions often occur together with Von Willebrand’s disease.
White Australian Shepherds typically also suffer from several congenital health conditions that are directly related to their genetic make-up. We’ll look that this in greater detail later in this article.
A healthy Australian Shepherd can live to between 12 and 15 years of age.
The Merle Gene
All white Australian Shepherds are usually produced when two merle-colored dogs are mated together. Merle refers to dark blotches against a lighter background of the same color, giving a marbled appearance to the fur.
Aussies can have coats of red merle, blue merle, red or black. All of these coat colorings can come with or without white markings and copper points on the legs, tail, ears, and face.
However, you should avoid purchasing a completely white Australian Shepherd puppy or adult rescue dog. The white coloration is genetically linked to blindness and deafness in the breed.
Health Defects
Merle is a dominant trait. That means that if the merle gene is present in a dog’s genome, it will always be prominent in most cases. So, Australian Shepherds with just one copy of the merle gene are called heterozygous merles. These dogs are usually healthy, although some are born with merle-related deformities.
Dogs with two copies of the merle gene are called homozygous merles, or double merles. Double merles have a higher than average risk of suffering from deafness or eye deformities. That’s because the merle gene affects the development of the dog’s ears and eyes.
Double Merle Australian Shepherd Appearance
His outward appearance can often identify a double merle Australian Shepherd dog. Double merle Aussies often present with depigmented coats. That means that their coats have large areas of white. Also, areas that you would expect to be dark such as eye rims and noses are instead pink or pink-spotted.
Double merles usually have pale blue eyes. However, some Australian Shepherds can have blue eyes even though they don’t carry any merle genes at all.
Similarly, some double merles can present outwardly as healthy, heterozygous merles.
Vision Problems
Double merles often have ear and eye defects. Sometimes, the iris of the dog’s eye may appear deformed. The pupil of the eye could be off-center, or the eye’s lens could be out of place. In some cases, the retina of the eye is abnormal, or the optic nerve has not developed correctly.
With some double merle dogs, who are born with microphthalmia, the entire globe of the eyeball is abnormally small. In these cases, one or both of the eyeballs is sometimes removed. Many double merle dogs have a combination of the defects mentioned above in each eye. Because of that, many of them are blind.
Deafness
Double merle dogs are often deaf. Deafness in double merles is usually caused by a lack of color pigment cells in the dog’s inner ear.
Pigment cells in the inner ear are crucial because they help to translate the sounds received by the ear into electrical impulses that are then interpreted by the dog’s brain.
Without these cells, this interpretation doesn’t happen correctly, and the dog is therefore deaf.
So, when you buy an Australian Shepherd puppy, always check that the breeder has not mated two dogs with merle coloring so that their offspring cannot inherit a double merle gene.
The same checks should be applied if you’re considering buying a white Australian Shepherd mix or pattern white Australian Shepherd.
Make sure that both parents do not carry the merle gene to be sure that your puppy won’t inherit the double merle gene combination.
Bill says
We just adopted a white Aussie that was 5 months old. He has a Snow White coat, but his right rear leg is red, and his left ear is red. His right ear is white and red mixed, with a red circle circling his right eye. He does not appear to be deaf, nor blind. He was house broken when he arrived at our house. He would come up to me and put his front paw on my foot or let to let me know he needed to go outside and take car of his business. He would also wake us up during the middle of the night to go outside and do his business. He is smart and wants to stay right with me throughout the house, even accompanying me to the bathroom when I am taking care of my business. He is currently in my training to be my service dog as I am a Vietnam combat veteran and suffer from Agent Orange poisoning. He is adapting quickly and does not appear to need a huge amount of exercise as expressed by other Aussie owners attest. But, he does have the typical Aussie traits of the Sussie stance with the left back leg stretched slightly outward from the right rear leg, the agility to jump straight up off all four feet and do a complete 360 degree turn in the air before landing on all four legs, and the spoofing stretch that Aussies are so famous for.
Bryna Aussie LOVER says
Also It’s Pernounced Like (BRINU) But Spelled Bryna.
Bryna Aussie LOVER says
I’m Only 10 And I Am OBSESSED With Aussies, I Really Want A Red Merle, But My Dad Won’t Say Yes Yet. And We Only Get Boston Dogs! I’m Not A Boston Person Any More!
Thais says
I have a white Australian Shepherd called Blue I bought him from a breeder who didn’t give me any of this information, he has the iris a little off center from his eye, but in the most he is docile and kind, very agile and strong we love him but I was sad to know this information only now after all i want to be a breeder and i have an australian shepherd red merle and i already say i shouldn’t and i don’t want them to cross
Lisa says
I adopted a blue Merle Aussie mix that is deaf about a month ago. He is just delightful! I have noticed his weight gain and wonder if he also has thyroid issues. I am glad to read from others that it is okay for their deafie not to be petted by everyone who wants to! Mine is just learning about his neighborhood and is acclimating to his new world. I am amazed at his loyalty and strength to his people!
Julie Handy says
Hi there my name is Julie we are going tonight to pick up a they say a albino Australian Shepard she is deaf is there any advice you could give we want to save her from being put down she is 8 weeks old and we are naming her Jessie
Alyssa says
How is Jessie? Most deaf dogs are like hearing ones. They are the best imo! Our teddy is deaf and sight is alittle off but he’s seriously the best dog ! Hope you’re enjoying her !
Natasha says
I purchased a white Aussie a few months back. He is neither blind or deaf, although he has reddened pigmentation song the bottom rims of his eyes
He does seem to have separation anxiety and we can’t leave him lose when we’re not home. He has two older dogs to keep him company, one being just a few months older.
Beyond the pigmentation and anxiety, this dog seems to be completely normal. The vet has not seen any issues with him either. He’s happy and healthy, although either extremely hard headed or not very bright. I lean toward the first, as he’s had very little intentional training and picked up the basic commands from just watching his brothers.
Lily P says
We just adopted a blue merle Aussie who has 2 blue eyes and a white face and chest. He appears to be about 1 year old. Is the blindness and deafness mentioned in this article from the time of birth, or something that develops over time?
Glenn says
WE just took in our 5th rescue and it just happens to be a double Merle! Just to let everyone on your site know, we did know she was blind and deaf before taking her in. This sentient creature is a darling addition to our family! Just don’t move the furniture around.
Smart,easily trained if you have the patience and time (and the Love of dogs as we do), anything is possible. We have not had a puppy in 30 plus years because there are too many rescue pets that need a home but at no time in that 30 years have we had less than three wonderful dogs. Just do it. You’ll be amazed at the joy and Love by these beautiful albeit handicapped friends. Thanks again for all of the
great articles and info.
Glenn and Diane
Amy J says
I recently rescued a white Aussie who was for sale in a pet store. When it was discovered that he was deaf, the store couldn’t sell him. He was going to go back to the breeder to be put down.
Luckily, an employee of the store knew I was a good fit for him. I have been a professional groomer for almost 30 years and have had Aussies almost that long.
He is completely deaf and mostly blind in one eye. He is currently almost 5 months old and rings a bell to go outside. He is housebroken. He has also learned to recognize my hand signals for “come”, “cookie”, and “sit.”
When I talked to my husband about rescuing him, he was completely on board. He just had one condition….He said I had to name him Tommy! ( The pinball wizard )
Jody says
We have recently adopted a white double Merle we have named Foxy. She’s very small and looks like an Arctic Fox. At one year old, she weighs 17.5 pounds. She has a hip issue, probably genetic, that causes her to hold one back leg up about half the time.
We have done cat rescue for years, mostly special needs (blind, deaf, both, tripods…you name it). So we didn’t have to think twice about a deaf dog. We know what’s involved.
Our little girl had already been in 3 homes. She was extremely nervous the first few days and is still timid. But she has achieved so much already. She’s learning 3 signs- Come, Stay, and No. Shes adapting to life with a bunch of cats though she can be food aggressive so I have to be careful with that. She loves walks and is beginning to learn not to pull so hard and how to stay beside me. Our fenced back yard is her favorite place so far.
She adores her crate. It’s her safe spot. She barks continuously if I leave her, unless she in her covered crate. Then she’s just fine.
We are so glad we rescued this dog before she was sent to a shelter. With her nervousness and deafness, I doubt she would have been adopted. It’s a lot of work, but I can’t wait to see how far she can go! Go Foxy!
Carol Broome says
We have a seven year old double merle (Chaos – appropriately named 🙂 )- he was born deaf and was mistreated as a puppy. We rescued him. We were looking for a companion for our hearing and seeing brown and tan beautiful aussie (Finnegan) who was a gift of a dog. Beautiful disposition – family loving dog. She was 7 at the time and was going to be left at home for longer each day than she had been. Our thoughts were that this little white guy would be nurtured by Finnegan and be taught the habits of the older dog without creating a dominating fight in the house. Finnegan was the ears for Chaos. Finnegan would bark at something and turn to Chaos to also bark. Tricks were easy to train to Chaos as Finnegan would model the trick and Chaos would follow. Soon Chaos learned signed language and could do the tricks without Finnegan showing him. Chaos would look to Finnegan to see what he should be doing. Somehow Finnegan was able to teach Chaos all the important things – going to the dog park and the behaviour for that – barking when someone appeared at the door, playing with kids. Finnegan passed two years ago and Chaos is missing his buddy as his companion. We are currently looking for another rescue – preferably deaf with seeing. Chaos is a bit of a character — super sensitive nose. We do have to be sneaky about when we put our groceries away as he has mastered opening the freezer at the bottom of the fridge and having a feeding frenzy. During the last few months of Finnegan’s life (she passed from a brain cancer), Chaos religiously scrounged for food and brought it to her in our livingroom. We figured that she had told him that was his job now. He would open the drawer freezer and bring the food out into the livingroom and line it up. Didn’t matter whether it was frozen roast beef, bread or leftovers. This became quite a habit until we figured out how to lock the freezer. Finnegan must have coached him to then go to the pantry – so they feasted on boxes of cereals, noodles, etc. We got children’s locks and locked up the pantry. Occasionally, we still forget to lock everything up and sometimes he takes advantage. We once left a dinner in the oven cooking while we canvassed the neighbourhood for an hour for heart and stroke, only to arrive home to have the casserole dish on the floor and the oven door wide open. Another thing we have learned, if we leave dirty dishes on the counter or sink, he manages to take them into our livingroom without breaking anything and lines them up. I think he thinks he suppose to clean up because we didn’t have time. We always know when we enter our house, whether Chaos has been into something he shouldn’t have, he goes in the bathroom and closes the door. Chaos is able to know houses away that I am coming home and meets me at the door sometimes – he can’t hear and I don’t keep a regular schedule. He is truly amazing dog. The only sound that I know he could hear was Finnegan’s bark. I would ask her to bark and he would come running from where he was.
when we first brought him home, he took quite a bit to calm down at night. A kennel seemed to terrify him and he would panic bark whenever he was in it. We used a bathroom baby gated to keep him in until we were certain that he would piddle on the carpet. He didn’t like that much either and I spent many a night sitting on the toilet lid and he would scrunch under my legs and fall asleep. Trick was getting up and out without waking him. He accustomed and sleep beside Finnegan until he was comfortable sleeping on his own. He now sleeps touching one of us – sleeping on our foot or something. We made sure that we woke him many times as a puppy and calm him each time as he would wake with a “start”. We always woke to tell him we were leaving the room so he would race through the house looking for us. I am always amazed that if he is sound asleep, it is just minutes before he smells someone coming in the house/room. We are careful in introducing people — he doesn’t have the same social cues as a hearing dog. We found that telling our people to ignore him, then he takes in all the smells and is less nervous around the new situation. It took us a bit of time to figure out how to tell him that he didn’t have to protect us all the time. With Finnegan, we could tell her it was alright and she would communicate to Chaos. Now we have a hand signal that he checks for and that does help to stop the barking protection, i.e., mailman. Chaos is food oriented so tricks and discipline are easier.
He follows you throughout the house and has his places he sleeps. At first, it was in a corner with his face towards the door on alert. Now he is just comfortable sleeping where he likes. His “safe space” is under our bed as was Finnegan’s.
When the door is open, he sits at the door and waits for either his leash to be put on or a rope so he can sit on the front porch. He has a fenced backyard to run free. He has only gotten loose once without someone right behind him. He walked away out the door at a cottage and kept walking — I am thinking he thought we were behind him. Fortunately, someone noticed right away and we saw him. All of the family know not to let him out or off a lease.
He thrives on a schedule and routine and doesn’t hesitate to remind you of it. He runs to get his leash when he thinks we should be walking. And he does wake my husband if he sleeps in 5 mins more.
We take him in public spaces but keep back as there is a lot of commotion for him to get used to. I take him to the park when the kids are playing and let him sit back a bit and move up slowly. I don’t trust him with anyone until i have seen his reactions as he doesn’t communicate his fears as a hearing dog. We just find he is okay and he doesn’t have to be petted by everyone who wants to. As a big white fluffy dog, he tends to attract attention.
I wouldn’t hesitate to take another double Merle deaf dog. His eye sight is alright — not perfect. We move things in our house way too much for a dog without sight. A second dog to help with deaf dog learn things makes the deaf dogs adaption easy.
We have come to know that we did need a little Chaos in our life and he fit the bill perfectly!
Tina says
Got to say wow. Good job. I also have a double Merle she’s death too. Her name is angel. They are super smart. Mine is an esa dog. I wouldn’t change a thing about her.