For The Love of Willie Bred-Owned & Loved By Barbara Davis/Legend Chihuahuas updated: 01/16/2009 Many people have emailed asking for permission to link to this page. Any of you that wish to link this site to your own may do so. The only thing we ask is to remember these photos are copywritten and may NOT be used on any other site, lists, etc. without permission. Thank you, Kathy Hinderliter This is documentation of one breeder's experience in breeding Merle Chihuahuas. We ask you, is it worth it?  She didn't think so...and is NO LONGER breeding for this Pattern. Over the last several years, many people have placed statements about this page on their websites implying NONE of what you see here is the truth.  NO one is claiming that this happens with ALL merles. The TRUTH is it DID happen to this breeder, and for many of us that was once to many! All of the 7 live Merles were placed. Note: Barbara had 5 litters of Merles.  Sixteen puppies were born (15 were Merles).  Nine merles died at birth or shortly after. There were a total of seven live Merles produced. NOT 30 as has been stated over the Internet.  Barbara, has asked that this be clarified. Here is a 4-LB, 4-year-old NON merle next to a 7-month-old merle puppy that was already 7 lb. They share grandpas on the NON merle side. Below is the Merle Chihuahua used to produce the Merles shown on these pages next to the Grand Sire to all the puppies pictured? Here is a picture of a 4-year-old 4 LB NON merle who is the son of the red boy above next to merle puppy sired by the merle above. 5 year old grown Chihuahua next to a 6 month old merle puppy. Grown Chihuahuas next to a 8-month-old merle puppy. What's wrong with this picture? A 5 LB mama and her 2 week old puppy. Birth 16 Weeks 6 months pictured with sire. Here is the photo of the Merle Chihuahua Barb bought in 1995 from Dave Webb and sold that same year due to size. While a child is holding him, this dog weighed 8 pounds when this photo was taken. Note: Not much difference from this one and the Merles Barb bred in 2002. Here is the same dog pictured with 4 adult (1 - 1 1/2 years of age) Chihuahuas...he is 5 months old in this photo. Below are photos of the two Merle Chihuahuas that were found by Barbara and her Vets to be blind and deaf: Willie-right eye Willie-left eye Bubbles-right eye Bubbles-left eye Bubbles progress from birth. All 4 photos are of Bubbles as her eye sight diminished. Here is a real heart breaker...watch this dogs growth real close. Red Smooth Merle at birth Red Smooth Merle 8 weeks Same Merle at 12 weeks Same Merle at 6 months VERY SAME Merle at 10 months-8 lbs. (Note the demodex on her back leg at 12 week & 10 months) Is This Breed Type? Not hardly. 12 lbs at maturity. While this dog Cerfed Normal...could you look into those eyes on a daily basis? This puppy is a few minutes old, 8 ounces and from a 5 pound Momma. He died shortly after this photo was taken. Notice the eye socket facing. "Above All Do No Harm" Dedicated To Willie. Willie's Mother (above) was CERF'd at 6 years of age and was normal. CERF#CH-167 Merle Pattern Countries that have banned registration of the merle pattern in Chihuahuas. New Zealand, Australia & The United Kingdom (England, Scotland & Wales) Countries that have revised their standards to make the merle pattern a disqualification in the Chihuahua Show Ring. Germany, Canada (effective 1/1/2008). Countries that are in the process of revising their standard to disqualify the merle pattern in Chihuahuas. South Africa Permission to use these photos was granted to Kathy Hinderliter by Barbara Davis/Legend Chihuahuas Copyright Infringement Actively Pursued. All Photographs and content © Copyright 2004 and Beyond Kathy Hinderliter / Kandee Chihuahuas & Barbara Davis / Legend Chihuahuas and may not be used elsewhere without written permission.