Glen Twilford’s article reflects his views on the subject of the Sable Merle and there are people who agree with him.  Many other Collie breeders have also written articles on the sable merle and many of these have a different view point.  Comments are in red.

I wonder how many established breeders have noticed the casual
exhibiting of sable-merle collies in defiance of our standard of
permitted colors.  It might be good to remind those exhibitors that
the collie standard is a standard for breeders. It is a standard of
perfection. It is not a standard of how to accumulate ribbons and
wins with our collies. =It is a guide for breeding as near as possible
the ideal collie in conformation and temperament.=It is a standard of
perfection like you will find in other breeds of dogs, cattle,
horses, cats, poultry and in most domesticated animals whose physical
characteristics are controlled by human selection.

In The Complete Collie, by Milo G. Denlinger, 3rd edition, dated 1952,, Chapter XII, A Look at the Collie, Mr. Denlinger says:

    “There was no selective breeding applies to ‘Old Shep’s’ progenitors, although every line in his pedigree (if he had had a written pedigree) may have traced to a dog recognized in his day as a pure-bred Collie.

    “The Collie breed has grown, improved, refined, developed, and evolved.  The judges of even a generation ago would hail as marvels Collies that we now dismiss with comparative indifference.

    “The Collie is bred to the so-called Standard or Standard of Perfection, which was formulated and adopted by The Collie Club of America and made official by its acceptance by the American Kennel Club, under the rules of which all significant dog shows in the United States are held.

    “This Standard is but a brief document.  It essays to describe the perfect Collie and all judges licensed to pass upon the breed officially are pledged to use the Standard as their guide in making their awards.  They could hardly fail to do so, since the latitude of the Standard is so great as to embrace in its description not only Collies of the greatest excellence but also Collies of such indifferent worth that no breeder of fine collies would tolerate them in his kennel.

    “The Standard …. has served the breed and its breeders well for a great many years.  The very latitude of the terms in which it is couched has enabled the Collie breed to grow and develop.  With a cast-iron standard the breed must have remained static.”

In the last version the the Collie Standard (last changed and approved May 10. 1977), color is described as:

    “The four recognized colors are ‘Sable and White,’ ‘Tri-color,’ ‘Blue Merle’ and ‘White.’ There is no preference among them. The ‘Sable and White’ is pre¬dominantly sable (a fawn sable color of varying shades from light gold to dark mahogany) with white markings usually on the chest, neck, legs, feet and the tip of the tail. A blaze may appear on the foreface or backskull or both. The ‘Tri¬color’ is predominantly black, carrying white markings as in a ‘Sable and White’ and has tan shadings on and about the head and legs. The ‘Blue Merle’ is a mottled or ‘marbled’ color predomi¬nantly blue-grey and black with white markings as in the ‘Sable and White’ and usually has tan shadings as in the ‘Tri-color.’ The ‘White’ is predomi¬nantly white, preferably with sable, tri¬color or blue merle markings.”

There are no color disqualifications.

For the benefit of newcomers the sable-merle is a collie with both
sable and blue-merle on the same individual. It is not a single
color, as in our sable, tri and blue-merle colors. And, it varies
according to the degree of tri-factor involved in the individual dog

In Trudy Mangels’ book Evolution of the Collie (second edition, dated 1971, originally written in 1962), she addresses the color issue:

    “Coat color is not important in the selection of top breeding specimens.  However, the esthetic value should not be overlooked.  There are many gorgeous shades of sable: brilliant oranges and reds which are usually genetically pure for sable; chestnut and black mahogany; clear yellows.  In tricolors, there are two shades to be found: the true, blue black, and the rusty black.  Each is a pure color, which breeds true.  Black to Black produces Black.  Rust to Rust produces Rust.

    “The blue merle is simply a ‘diluted’ tricolor.  We are here dealing with a factor (merling) which reduces or dilutes color, but in itself, is not a color at all.  The most desirable blue merle is one which is a silvery blue with little black mottling, and is best obtained by breeding from the black tricolors, or a sable with the black tricolor factor.  The rust tricolors tend to produce darker blue color and often lend a rust tinge to the blue and mottled black areas.  This has given rise to the misconception that sable and blue coloring blend, and thus the two should never be bred together.  Since the blue merle is not a color at all, but a dilution of tricolor, this idea has no foundation and should be discarded.  Even the sable merle – a sable carrying the merle factor – has value in breeding.  They should be registered as sable merles and they can be used with tricolors to produce sables, tricolors, and blue merles. 

    “As in all other phases of breeding, a person should not attempt color combinations if he is not aware of what the results may be, or if he is not able to recognize a Collie which is a sable merle.”

    Trudy Mangels’ original printing was done several years after Clarence C. Little, Sc.D., published The Inheritance of Coat Color in Dogs.  This book was based on research done by Cornell University, identifying the ten gene pairs that control color in a dog.  In the 1973 fifth printing, he describes the base gene pair that creates the Collies light (sable) or dark (tri) coloring, in addition to separate gene pairs that create the depth of color, tan points, white body, and Merle (or non-merle) pattern.  As time passes, we are learning more and more about this genetic information.

In the past, in articles and discussions, I have tried, when asked,
to consider ways to exhibit sable-merles. Knowing all along it should
not be done. Now, after seeing all the confusion and disagreement
showing sable-merles has caused it is obvious that the collie club
should follow the lead of many other clubs with disqualifications, if< br />necessary.  Sable-merle collies are not, have never been, and should
not be included in the standard. And, since they cannot be in the
standard they cannot compete in the show ring

Personally, I have had collies since 1930. I have never been without
them in all that time. During those many years of combining colors in
collies I occasionally would get sable-merles. Regarding conformation,
some of them were quite nice, but I never considered showing
one. The thought never entered my mind. They cannot be in the
standard. They offer nothing positive to our breed, so why would you
wish to show them? Years ago when I bred them I was not trying to
create a new color. I was simply trying to understand how our colors
really worked

Bobbie Roos in Collie Concept addressed the issue of the sable merle.

"It is important that we should be aware and understand that there is a variation in the genetic color inheritance factor in many breeds and other species. When it is understood how the color pattern produces, then our tolerance level increases.

“A rare commodity is an open mind and the willingness to try the unfamiliar and take a calculated risk, if necessary, to produce quality if the virtues are present in the prospective pair, regardless of color. Dedicated breeders who are interested in the welfare and progress of a breed do not want to see a radical, convulsive revolution; but I have never understood the stigma attached to sable/blue merle breeding or a blue to blue. We are bridled and restrained by heresay, but years of experience and exposure encourages some fanciers to delve into the more mysterious unions that require depth of thought and planning. A sable merle can unfold a prismatic combination, all in one package."

"If several daring breeders had not tried the unconventional unions decades ago, we would not have had some of the outstanding specimens.  It might have been many more years before we learned that a sable to blue merle breeding can produce an attractive silvery blue. The gamble in the sable to blue merle breeding is that a sable merle can have blue eyes. If you are an adventurous sort, there is nothing in the Standard to prevent exhibition of a blue-eyed sable merle. Your dog may be penalized and thusly top awards may be elusive, but there is no disqualification. The only disqualifications are the American Kennel Club rules for all breeds for the presence of monorchidism or cryptorchidism.

"Many Fanciers have questioned whether the Standard could be changed to accept sable merles as an additional color rather than reading as four colors, and to possibly allow blue eyes, eliminating any discrimination. This could possibly come to pass within a few years.

"A few daring breeders have gambled and kept "defective whites" from a  blue merle to blue merle union and learned, to the amazement of many,  that they are NOT impaired in sight or hearing. This courageous experiment by a few breeders had been a progressive step in several ways. We have learned that not all white merles are ‘defective,’ having passed an ophthalmic examination, with sometimes, better visual  acuity ratings than other colored members of the breed and the bonus  is, blue merles have increased in popularity with exhibitors and the  pet buying public. For those wanting to increase the probable percentage of blue merles in a litter there are white merles of quality to incorporate into a color/breeding program. An interesting side light to this color situation is that in some instances the sable/merles and white/merles are the select/ quality/ individuals in a litter. Is nature conveying a subtle message to breeders?

"The Standard explicitly allows four colors but prejudice prevails. It is a wise exhibitor who knows which judges to avoid and where to invest the entry fee when a particular color is the judge's favorite."

Several of our most reputable all-breed judges have asked when are
the collie people going to make some decisions about showing sable-
merles? It is not fair to ask all-breed judges to consider placing
collies whose presence in the ring may be questionable.

One of the country's most respected all-breed judges recently
requested that the collie club do something about this issue for the
sake of judges, new and old. All-breed judges are more concerned
about the sable-merle issue than our members realize. AKC judge Anne
Rogers Clark wrote in Dogs in Review April 2003, "This problem (sable-
merle) in these two beautiful breeds (Collies and Shelties) must be
solved by the parent club, which will then give us, the judges, firm
footing to do our job, which is to evaluate breeding stock."

I feel our club has lost a lot of respect over the sable-merle
situation.

Tom Coen has told us that over 200 sable merles have received their championships.  Within that known 200 sable merle champions, there have been a number of dogs and bitches who now have ROM status plus winners of the CCA National Specialty.

Prior to 1969 color was written in by the person who was registering the puppy.  It is possible that many sable merles may have been registered as sable because their merling was no longer visible.   

Not too long ago I heard several all-breed judges discussing sable-
merle in collies, and disqualifying colors in other breeds. One judge
said that she had a very beautiful bright orange colored sable collie
that had no competition in the group. She said she thought it might
be a sable-merle. When asked, she said she passed up the collie.

Mr. Twiford speaks of a judge who had a beautiful bright orange colored sable collie that she “thought” MIGHT be a sable-merle but had no competition in the group.  She did not place the dog because of her personal suspicion – not because of its lack of quality.  There is no mention of whether she discovered later that the dog was a sable merle.

How many sables (not sable merle) have been discriminated against because they MIGHT be a sable merle?   Had she been able to look in the catalog and discovered that the dog was “just a sable”, would she have given the dog a group placement?  Since there is no color disqualification, this judge and others who act in a similar manner are making a subjective decision not based on the standard.  Our standard does NOT have a disqualification for color. 

In reading about the first American imports I am not aware of any
mention of sable-merles. The British have a reputation for very
intelligent breeding of livestock. At a show I attended while in
England I asked an exhibitor if they ever showed sable-merles? She
looked at me like I was a little demented.  That was the only occasion
that I had to discuss the subject.

In Margaret Osborne’s book, The Collie, revised and reprinted in 1969, she discusses the sable merle.  Based on the English standard, she recommends aga
inst breeding them to produce blue merles because of her belief that the colors will not come out clear and concerns of double dilutes.  But in describing the history of the blue merle she writes:

    “The beginnings of the blue merle as a show dog are fairly clear-cut, except that, in the early days, the colour of the dogs used to produce the true blue colour were frequently differently described in different places, though the same dog was being referred to!

    “ For example, the first sire of any note in the production of the blue merles was a dog named Scott, the property of Mr. F. B. Brackenburg, of Downham, Norfolk.  Scott is officially recognized in the K.C.S.B. as being grey, tan and white in colour, with china eyes, yet Mr. Arkwright’s description of him is that of the perfect blue merle, ‘Silvery blue, beautifully clouded with black, white collar, chest, feet and tail-tip, with one blue eye.’  Scott was a very typical Collie of his day and did his share of winning.  Mr. Arkwright tried to buy him and when he failed he mated his bitch Russet to him.  Now ‘Russet’ is described by Mr. Packwood as a ‘red sable’ but in the K.C.S.B. as ‘red grizzle’ and for myself I am inclined to think that this latter description is probably the tru one and that, in reality, she was a sable merle.  Be that as it may, the progeny of ‘Scott’ and ‘Russet’ virtually laid the foundation of the early blue merles.”

Mr. Arkwright’s kennel was dispersed in 1890, so it would appear that any sable merles that were shown or used in a breeding program of that era were described by their base color, sable.  Pictures of Collies from this time and into the 20th century were in black and white, making it even more difficult to tell if any of the dogs were sable merles. 

We have two colors in collies, brown and black (sable and tri). Sable
is dominant; tri is the only recessive and we have a gene for merle.
When we breed our merle gene to tri-color we also can get the single
color, blue. We like it and it will breed true like sable and tri
color. This gives us our third single color that is in our standard.
These three colors are usually the result of breeding a dominant to a
recessive such as a sable to tri-color, or tri-color to a blue merle.

But, when we breed our merle gene to a sable we get what you might
call a "color battle field". This is because the color sable, and the
color blue, are both dominant.

Breeding two dominant colors together, sable and blue, you can get
sable-merle that is not a satisfactory single color. This certainly
would not be included in a standard of perfection.

In Bobbie Roos Collie Concepts, starting on page 129 of the 1982 edition and in Patricia Roberts Starkweather’s The Magnificent Collie, 1997 edition, following page 84, there are copies of the Color Genetics Chart that was originally prepared by Dot Gerth for “The ABC’s of Collie Coat Color Inheritance” for the 1969 Collie Club of America Yearbook.

This chart identifies the Merle gene as “A dominant dilution gene which in combination with sable or tri genes produces merled collies.”  For the Sable Merle, it states the “Color results from the interaction of the dominant dilution gene (M) on the sable color.”

The Merle gene is a dominant MODIFIER.  It is not a color gene.

The proceeding article refers our standard as it appears in the
Collie Club of American and the AKC listing sable, tri-color and blue-
merle as the allowable colors in collies. If at some future time a
gene pool appears that might allow breeders to develop some other
desirable and controllable color then of course the standard would
have to be amended. Such a happening is extremely unlikely. I think
you can dismiss the possibility.

In 1952, Milo G. Denlinger published a 3rd Edition of The Complete Collie.  In that volume under the heading COLOR “IMMATERIAL?” he says

    “The Standard says of color that it is ‘immaterial,’ and then proceeds to declare that color and markings bear a ‘considerable amount of weight with judges.’  It fails to say whether that ‘weight with judges’ is justifiable.  If color is immaterial, why should we pay any attention to it whatever?”

Our original American Collie Standard has been modified a number of times since it was first written.  For many years, the standard declared color to be “immaterial”.  As late as 1920, no colors were identified, except to say “COLOR.-Immaterial, though a richly-colored or nicely-marked dog has undoubtedly a considerable amount of weight with judges. The black-and-tan with white frill and collar, or the still more showy sable with perfect white markings will generally win, other things being equal.
Changes were made to add the sable-headed and tri-headed white in 194___ and later the blue-headed white in 1950.  A change was also made in 1950 to add the blue eye that appears in the blue merle.  The blue-headed white was included in the colors when it was revised in 1977.

Several of our most reputable all-breed judges have asked when are
the collie people going to make some decisions about showing sable-
merles? It is not fair to ask all-breed judges to consider placing
collies whose presence in the ring may be questionable.

One of the country's most respected all-breed judges recently
requested that the collie club do something about this issue for the
sake of judges, new and old. All-breed judges are more concerned
about the sable-merle issue than our members realize. AKC judge Anne Rogers
Clark wrote in Dogs in Review April 2003, "This problem (sable-
merle) in these two beautiful breeds (Collies and Shelties) must be
solved by the parent club, which will then give us, the judges, firm
footing to do our job, which is to evaluate breeding stock."

Mr. Twilford is correct that we need to resolve the issue regarding the sable merle.  Since the color pattern has existed for over 100 years and there have been champions of the “color” over that entire time, it is surprising that something even Bobbie Roos believed would happen 20 years ago has still not happened.

These color changes were made to assure that the standard recognized the naturally appearing colors that have historically been in the breed.  The sable merle is also a naturally appearing color that has been present in the breed for over 100 years.  Did the writers of our standard who added the color sable intend to include the sable merle under the heading sable?

In The Complete Collie, 1952 edition, there is an article written by Oren Kem.  It is written in his section titled “More Notes on Breeding Whites”:

    "If you
will study the history of the breed, I think you will find at one time or another that both the tri and the blue were held in low regard and almost threatened with extinction by the dominating sables.  In those instances, an informal or, in one case, a formal organized group gathered to preserve them and with their efforts
obtained an end to discrimination against them by the judges."

Some people have voiced a concern that inferior sable-merle’s may complete their championships.  Their concern may be based on the fact that lesser quality dogs currently can achieve their championships with the recognized colors.  This may happen where the quality of the dogs at a show is not as high and the judge makes his/her decision based on the dogs that are presented.  By including the sable merle as an identified color, one or two additional choices may be available providing another possible alternative.

Does that mean that the sable merle will be given any type of preference?  That is unlikely.  But it does mean that a good sound dog won’t be ignored and is less likely to be placed lower in the order because of color.  And that a dog who is considered of quality to be given variety will not automatically be discounted by a judge who “thinks” it is a sable merle.

Here is a copy of Glen Twiford's article that is being used as a main reason that Sable Merles should not EVER be included in the Collie Standard. I find this article to be mostly Mr. Twiford's opinion and where he does make the effort to include facts they are outdated and incorrect. I have included my thoughts in red. This was put in the CCA Bulletin and I just reread it and well here it is……

A Little More About the Sable-merle…
Glen Twiford/Wind- Call Collies

The Collie Club of America is fine organization. We have many
beautiful quality collies bred for temperament and health. We also
have a great membership, dedicated breeders, good programs and
interesting seminars. Our club consistently handles huge national
specialty shows. But, as with all large organizations there are
problems that should be discussed. Maybe we can talk about one…

I wonder how many established breeders have noticed the casual
exhibiting of sable-merle collies in defiance of our standard of
permitted colors. ** In DEFIANCE of the AKC standard??? CCA is telling us that we can show the Sable Merle in the Sable class so there is no need to add them in the standard. It might be good to remind those exhibitors that
the collie standard is a standard for breeders. ** Dog shows are meant for showcasing breeding stock. It is a standard of
perfection. ** This standard of perfection has been changed several times…. Even to include the white and the Blue Colors. It is not a standard of how to accumulate ribbons and
wins with our collies. It is a guide for breeding as near as possible
the ideal collie in conformation and temperament. It is a standard of
perfection like you will find in other breeds of dogs, cattle,
horses, cats, poultry and in most domesticated animals whose physical
characteristics are controlled by human selection.

For the benefit of newcomers the sable-merle is a collie with both
sable and blue-merle on the same individual. ***This is not correct…. A sable merle is a diluted/modified sable and a Blue Merle is a diluted/modified Tri!!! Mr. Twiford does not have his facts correct here.  It is not a single
color, as in our sable, tri and blue-merle colors. ****A Blue Merle and a sable merle are the same in that they both carry the Merle gene. And, it varies
according to the degree of tri-factor involved in the individual dog.

In the past, in articles and discussions, I have tried, when asked,
to consider ways to exhibit sable-merles. Knowing all along it should
not be done. Now, after seeing all the confusion and disagreement
showing sable-merles has caused it is obvious that the collie club
should follow the lead of many other clubs with disqualifications, if
necessary. ** By that logic Blue Merles should be disqualified…. This would be ridiculous!!! Sable-merle collies are not, have never been, and should
not be included in the standard. And, since they cannot be in the
standard they cannot compete in the show ring. ****This is Mr. Twiford's opinion ONLY.

With thoughtful planning sable-merles can be used for breeding. In
advertising with photos you can show the quality of your dogs as
effectively as you can by exhibiting. Sable-merles can be sold for
companions and used for herding, as they are the same as your
accepted colors, except that they are not a single color as are
sables, blues and tri colors.** GT states that dog shows are for showcasing our breed stock and that we can breed sable merles but we can not show them.

I have had breeders tell me that sable-merles produce their best
quality offspring. Of course they do not. It may just seem that way
sometimes. If they have a top producing sable-merle and concentrate
their breeding on that dog then naturally they might have that
impression.*** Quality is Quality regardless of color.

Personally, I have had collies since 1930. I have never been without
them in all that time. During those many years of combining colors in
collies I occasionally would get sable-merles. Regarding
conformation, some of them were quite nice, but I never considered
showing one. **That is your choice Mr. Twiford and I respect that. The thought never entered my mind. They cannot be in the
standard. They offer nothing positive to our breed, so why would you
wish to show them? ***This absolutely is outrageous!!!! Stating that sable merles offer nothing positive to the breed… Another contradiction…. If they offer nothing and we should not show them then why in the hell would you say it's OK to BREED them????Years ago when I bred them I was not trying to
create a new color. I was simply trying to understand how our colors
really worked. ***Well it seems that those breedings you did did NOT help clear things up for you in the way of understanding color and genetics.

If your main interest in breeding collies is for exhibition then
technically these dogs are undesirables and should be thought of
accordingly. Let me say quickly that sable-merle collies are the same
loveable, wonderful dogs as are all collies. They are the same in
every way except for color. Here, in color, they are defective. ***So what he is saying is the same as saying this purple little child is the SAME in EVERY way as any other color of child BUT the purple color child is DEFECTIVE!!! That kind of thinking is archaic !!!!! A HUGE contradiction !!!!If
you don't like that word then choose another word. But the fact
remains.

If your best individual, or producing collie, is a sable-merle and
you are working toward line breeding in your kennel do not dispose of
the sable merle. Breed this collie to the best of your allowed
colors until you are getting superior quality in these colors and
producing fewer, or no sable merles. Just remember you cannot show
the sable-merles. ****Again sable merles are not good enough to show but go ahead and breed them!!!!

Dog shows are an opportunity to show other fanciers the progress we
make in our breeding program. Why would you wish to show a sable-
merle? ****Once AGAIN breed the sable merle but don't even think of showing the little darling!!!!The answer of course is to win another ribbon. Win, win, win.
Why is there this insatiable desire to win? Of course it is fun to
win with your dogs, and there is nothing wrong with that. But, to
intentionally produce sable-merles just because you have had some of
good quality is unfair to the future of our beautiful breed. *** This thought process was in use not long ago in respect to the Blue Merle….. Thank goodness for the Blue's we have moved past that!!!! Also,
thinking there is some genetic connection to sable-merles and
improved quality is false. ****To that…Thinking there is some genetic connection to sable merles and lack of quality is ALSO FALSE!!

I certainly don't mean to offend people, but it seems to me that a
little common sense is all that we need to understand why an
unacceptable color cannot be included in the standard of perfection. ****I don't mean to offend either but serious education and a better understanding of color and genetics is needed by GT and like minded people. If you don't like sable merles that is OK . Don't breed them, don't use them but at least back your points with facts and science.

Regarding the sable-merle' s unacceptable deviation of color, there is
no degree of fault. You either have a sable-merle, or you don't. At
present, honesty may be the only control. There are very few sable-
merles that cannot be identified, but for judges to have to search
for those individuals is ridiculous. Some sable-merles they will
find, and some they will not, especially if one parent was a pure for
sable collie. They simply must be kept out of the show ring.

Several of our most reputable all-breed judges have asked when are
the collie people going to make some decisions about showing sable-
merles? It is not fair to ask all-breed judges to consider placing
collies whose presence in the ring may be questionable. ***So let us make it clear and add the Sable Merle and make it a non issue.

One of the country's most respected all-breed judges recently
requested that the collie club do something about this issue for the
sake of judges, new and old. All-breed judges are more concerned
about the sable-merle issue than our members realize. AKC judge Anne
Rogers Clark wrote in Dogs in Review April 2003, "This problem (sable-
merle) in these two beautiful breeds (Collies and Shelties) must be
solved by the parent club, which will then give us, the judges, firm
footing to do our job, which is to evaluate breeding stock."

I feel our club has lost a lot of respect over the sable-merle
situation. ** I agree with this. They have also lost respect and CCA members from the dishonesty in dealing with this and other issues.

Not too long ago I heard several all-breed judges discussing sable-
merle in collies, and disqualifying colors in other breeds. One judge
said that she had a very beautiful bright orange colored sable collie
that had no competition in the group. She said she thought it might
be a sable-merle. When asked, she said she passed up the collie. ** Judges are supposed to be judging Quality not COLOR!!! CCA has made this even more less understandable with their memo sent out to judges. The original Collie standard said that color was immaterial.@

In reading about the first American imports I am not aware of any
mention of sable-merles. *** Because color was immaterial  The British have a reputation for very
intelligent breeding of livestock. At a show I attended while in
England I asked an exhibitor if they ever showed sable-merles? She
looked at me like I was a little demented. That was the only occasion
that I had to discuss the subject

We don't need to have an extensive knowledge of the genetics of color
to understand the problem of the sable-merle in our collies. The
explanation is short and quite simple. I disagree we should be making decisions based on current scientific facts not on old time breeder old wives tales. And what would the PROBLEM with Sable Merles be???? That you should have an understanding of the genetics when breeding???? Sounds about right to me.

We have two colors in collies, brown and black (sable and tri). Sable
is dominant; tri is the only recessive and we have a gene for merle.
When we breed our merle gene to tri-color we also can get the single
color, blue. We like it and it will breed true like sable and tri
color. This gives us our third single color that is in our standard.
These three colors are usually the result of breeding a dominant to a
recessive such as a sable to tri-color, or tri-color to a blue merle. *** Blue and Sable Merles are the SAME in that they both carry the Merle gene. Blue is not a single color it is a Tri with the Merle gene as is a Sable merle is a Sable with the Merle Gene.

But, when we breed our merle gene to a sable we get what you might
call a "color battle field". This is because the color sable, and the
color blue, are both dominant. *** That same "battlefield" is on the Blue too!!! It is the Merle gene that is dominant.

Breeding two dominant colors together, sable and blue, you can get
sable-merle that is not a satisfactory single color. This certainly
would not be included in a standard of perfection. *** This is not based on fact and makes no sense.@

The proceeding article refers our standard as it appears in the
Collie Club of American and the AKC listing sable, tri-color and blue-
merle as the allowable colors in collies. If at some future time a
gene pool appears that might allow breeders to develop some other
desirable and controllable color then of course the standard would
have to be amended. Such a happening is extremely unlikely. I think
you can dismiss the possibility.

We do have breeders and people that are up on the latest finding of color and genetics. I will compile a list of names and links.

I love agility!!! I love the bond you create with your dog. I love seeing the lightbulb turn on when your dogs understands something new. I love seeing how excited your dogs gets when she gets to play the game. I love the people in agility. That being said I personally don't have World Team or National Finals on my goal board….. But I am lucky enough to be able to experience the amazing journey to these goals with someone who does have them on her goal board!!!

So we are off to Hopkins, MN to support Daneen & Masher who are trying out for the AKC World Team!!!

I am am so excited!!! It is truly a thrill to watch Daneen run her little dog Masher.

Eric Larson will be providing live stream video of the event. AKC World Team Tryouts 09

'Survey to All Members

…. what is still going to happen: to survey CCA's membership
regarding any change to the Collie Standard of Perfection, particularly
in regard to the current widespread concern about judging the Sable
Merle.

A vote may only be taken regarding the Standard after AKC has approved specific wording. The survey, as distributed in Calif. and available in Springfield at the conference and at the secretary'; table afteward, will be sent to ALL members -who are being asked to give  their opinion on whether or not a change to the Standard is desirable.

Since the petition "require"s a vote and "demand"s that a vote be taken, no, it will not be honored.
Instead, the survey, which was on the drawing board  long before the petition was circulated, will go forward as has always been planned.

Bob Futh

As I stated  previously, if you want an answer from me, please write to me directly at cca1@snet.net.

That sounds great to me! But there are 2 survey's out there. The first was handed out at the So CA Sable Merle meeting and is posted here on my blog and the other is the survey that went out to 80+ mentors……. Maybe we should fill out both and send them in 🙂

First, I wish to reply to two of the statements which were made by our
President regarding the issue of the Petition.

I was at that Presentation which Tom gave at the National.  Indeed, it
was well done, but at NO TIME was that meeting thrown open for
discussion to all.  At the end of Tom’s Presentation he said that we
are done….That meeting was not open for debate and Tom explained that
50+ people replied to the indepth survey, only 8 were in favor of a
change.  Tom then read the comments from the Committee and all but one
member stated they felt the standard was fine.  I only recall Tom
asking committee members any questions or if we understood what he was
presenting.

I also was in Southern CA at the meeting where Tom basically presented
the same presentation.  At no time was Tom treated with disrespect!
Tom gave a less formal talk at that meeting in which we joined in to
asks questions and discuss the issue.  The one question which I
presented to Tom, was “If the committee surveyed the membership and
found that a majority wanted the standard to include sable merles,
would the committee then act on that survey”  The reply was “it’s not
that simple”.  Now, if you consider that discourteous then I
apologize, but I was trying to determine if  the committee was
planning to act on a survey or was the survey of no consequence to the
final decision of the committee.

The rest of Bob’s comments below, regarding the Petition, will be
addressed to all members of this club.  I think it is time that
everyone knows the facts about the Petition.   I would like to point
out that this is the members club and everyone has a right to express
their opinion!

Thank you,

Adria Weiner

Petition Requiring Vote on issue of Inclusion of the color of Sable Merle in the Collie Club of America Standard

We, the active members of the Collie Club of America, hereby submit this petition requiring a vote of all members of the Collie Club of America on the issue of inclusion of the color of sable merle in the Collie Club of America Standard and clarification on eye color. We assert this right pursuant to the Collie Club of America Constitution, Bylaws, Article II, Section 3, Special Membership Meetings which states:

 Special meetings of the club membership for the purpose of presenting any business or obtaining a vote of the membership, shall be called by the Secretary upon written request, setting forth the purpose for such special meeting, received from… (d) by a petition signed by at least 100 members, or 10% of the club membership (whichever is less). Meetings convened as the result of a petition shall be held no less than two (2) months, nor more than three (3) months from the date of receipt of the petition.

We invoke this constitutional right and demand that a vote by the entire membership be conducted by mail to change the Collie Club of America Standard to include the color, sable merle and additionally change the wording on eye color to allow for blue in the eyes of sable merles. As exhibitors, breeders and fanciers, we believe the Collie Club of America Standard should reflect the current knowledge and desire of its membership. To that end, we believe the issue should be put to vote.

Should the membership vote to change the Collie Club of America Standard, the following are proposed changes: 

Under Eyes it currently reads “In blue merles, dark brown eyes are preferable, but either or both eyes may be merle or china in color without specific penalty” The proposed change to read “In blue merles and sable merles, dark brown eyes are preferable, but either or both eyes may be merle or china in color without specific penalty.”

Under Color  it currently reads “The Sable and White” is predominately sable (a fawn sable color of varying shades from light gold to dark mahogany)”  The proposed change to read “”The Sable and White” is predominately sable (a fawn sable color of varying shades from light gold to dark mahogany, including sable merles which may have a merling pattern)”

By signing this petition, the following members, are in agreement with the above petition:

See attached – verified signatures

To all CCA members:

Having been one of the original drafters of the petition, I wanted to put out this e-mail to provide an accurate factual background in regard to the Petition, the CCA Constitution, and AKC rules.  I, as well as many others personally involved in this process, am deeply dismayed at the misinformation and blatent false statements being made by those whom know better.  I have read the words “due process” and “procedure” utilized in e-mails by those who do not understand either.  So, instead of allowing the continued gossip, innuendo and inaccurate statements to continue, I am putting a correct factual and legal background in this e-mail.

In addition, I have attached the Petition for your review.  I have also attached a list of the individuals who signed the Petition. Please feel free to cross-post to any list of which you are a member; however, if you cross-post please send my entire e-mail.

A group of fanciers began discussing the sable merle issue online.  The standard has remaining materially unchanged for almost thirty years; however, the individuals involved in the original discussion believed that the continued confusion to judges and conflict for exhibitors necesitated a definitive decision.  In addition, it was alarming that the CCA had only appointed a CCA REVIEW committee and had not taken any real or meaningful step to obtain the opinions of its ENTIRE membership.  As a group, we all believed that the decision on whether to amend our Collie Standard should rest with the entire CCA Membership and not just a few voices.

Prior to initiation of the petition, multiple members and attorneys reviewed the CCA Constitution and AKC rules to determine whether there was a procedural process outlined to call for a vote of the entire membership as to any given issue.  Without getting too technical, the CCA Constitution allows for a petition signed by 100 members to call for a “special meeting.” The “special meeting” requires a vote by mail of all active members of the CCA on the issue listed within the petition. In addition, a petition will only be invalid if its purpose is to review a constitutionally mandated decision of the Board of Directors—in other words, the Board of Directors has already voted on the particular issue. 

Here, the petition was signed by more than 100 active members and was accurately submitted to the Secretary of the CCA. In fact, the petition and the requested vote is to be administered by the Secretary of the CCA within 90 days of the date of its submission. The petition was submitted to Janie Clymer by Adria Weiner on April 10, 2009. Marcy Fine and Gwen Means witnessed the submission of the petition.

Unfortunately, the President of the CCA has acted in direct contravention to the procedures outlined in our CCA Constitution and has decreed that the petition is out of order. Mr. Futh has indicated the petition is out of order for the following reasons:

(1)   Mr. Futh has appointed a committee to review the sable merle issue. Mr. Futh alleges we cannot call a vote while he is actively working on the issue.

 My Response:  Mr. Futh's review committee is just that – a review committee.  They have not received any mandate to suggest language to change the standard.  Likewise, the petition deals only with the decision to change the standard and does not actually require specific wording changes to our standard. The fact that Mr. Futh has appointed a committee to review the issue is no bar to this petition pursuant to the CCA Constitution. The only bar to the petition pursuant to the CCA Constitution was if the Board had already voted on the same issue.

(2)   Mr. Futh indicates there is nothing in the CCA Constitution permitting a change of the standard by petition.

My Response:  The CCA Constitution specifically states that the standard can be changed by calling a special meeting.  Article VI, Section 2 states: " CHANGES IN THE STANDARD. The Standard may be changed if such changes are not inconsistent with the Constitution and By-laws of The American Kennel Club, at any annual or special meeting called for the purpose. 

However, the petition does not actually require a “specific wording change” to the standard. It only requires that the decision on whether to work to change the standard be made by all members of the CCA. We believe that for due process to be achieved, all active members of the CCA must make this important decision.

(3)   Mr. Futh also alleges that the petition conflicts with the AKC bylaws for changing the standard.  He further indicates that he has discussed the petition with AKC and that they have agreed with his ruling. However, Mr. Futh continues to state in e-mails that the petition requires a vote to make “specific wording changes” to the CCA Standard. This is patently incorrect.

My Response:  The petition does not conflict with the AKC rules.  Those rules specify the procedure to follow to change the standard, presumably once the decision to change the standard has been made.  No decision has been made to change the standard at this time.  Please read the petition very carefully. The petition merely requires that the decision on whether to work to change the standard by voted on by the entire membership. The petition does contain suggested language for the change; however, IF the membership votes to change the standard to include sable merles, then the CCA would initiate the process specified by Article IV, Section 5 of the AKC Constitution and Bylaws.  The actual language for the change to the petition would be determined through that process.

I fear that when Mr. Futh consulted with AKC that they advised the petition was inappropriate because they believed it was requiring specific changes to the standard without following the proper procedures. This is not correct.

It is important to note that the CCA has a Parliamentarian. The Parliamentarian is an individual whose sole purpose is to rule on CCA Constitution procedures and to advise the CCA Board on properly acting on those procedures. The CCA Parliamentarian has reviewed the petition and the CCA Constitution and advised that the petition is VALID. The Parliamentarian has indicated that the vote should be administered to the entire membership.

Whether this petition is successful, and by successful we merely mean that the CCA Membership is to make the decision on whether to effectuate change to our standard, we would like to thank everyone who assisted us with the petition. There are numerous attorneys who volunteered their time to review the Constitution and AKC rules, as well as, assist us with the drafting, members who advocated to obtain signatures, and there are countless others who have supported this cause even in the face of personal attacks and bullying.

The CCA is not a dictatorship—one man or small group does not supersede the due process of the entire CCA membership. Regardless of individuals' opinions on whether to include the color of sable merle within our standard, we believe that the decision should be made by all active members of the CCA.

Jennifer Weiner, Esq. & Adria Weiner
Edenrock Collies

I was at the So. CA Sable Merle meeting that Tom Coen was kind enough to present for us unable to attend the 09 CCA Sable Merle meeting. Tom Coen was given the utmost respect by all who attended. We for the most part just didn't agree with Tom that there is not a problem with the Sable Merle not being included in the current standard. Even tho there was disagreement with this point ….. we ALL showed respect and thanked him and the committee for their hard work and time. I have the ENTIRE meeting on video. So I am not sure how anything different was reported to Bob Futh.~jules

"MAY Newsletter

Survey to All Members

There exists a great deal of confusion about what has occurred so far
and what is still going to happen to survey CCA’s membership regarding
any change to the Collie Standard of Perfection, particularly in
regard to the current widespread concern about judging the Sable
Merle.

At the Springfield National last month, a successful conference on the
progress to date of the Standard Review Committee was held with over
eighty members in attendance. The information that Tom Coen presented
in a full hour and half was so complete that when he asked for
questions multiple times, there were none.  Everyone must remember,
please, that this committee was appointed less than three months
before.  They did an unprecedented amount of work in that time.

When Tom was in California a week before the CCA he met with a group
out there and explained what progress had been made.  I was not there
but heard from several members that he was treated badly.  There were
even verbal remarks to disobey the AKC’s rules, but using more vulgar
terms.  Following this and before the national, there were rumors of a
petition which would seek to usurp the officially appointed
committee’s work.

AKC asked to see the petition if it ever materialized.  At the
national I was told of the petition and received a copy on April 16.
It was obviously out of order for several reasons and I consulted AKC
on how to handle this.  Mike Liosis and Mari-Beth O’Neill helped with
the wording of my statement to make it absolutely correct.  I gave the
whole Board the opportunity to subscribe to my ruling the petition out
of order, as AKC asked me to do.

This was because the petition’s demand to vote on specific changes was
contrary to AKC guidelines for member clubs to amend Standards and
because the Committee’s activity was approved by the Board.  Thus the
committee’s efforts have precedence over a petition (motion) to act by
special meeting. I told the petitioner this at Springfield. Mr. Liosis
confirmed this statement citing Robert’s Rules (RONR).

The Standard Review Committee will now continue with their work by
surveying the entire membership.

I always welcome any and all personal contact from CCA members.    cca1@snet.net

This is a better way to handle problems than resorting to gossip,
innuendo and inaccurate statements on the internet.

Have a great summer.

Bob Futh"

________________________________

A petition of over 100 verified names was presented to the CCA secretary and President after the 2009 CCA. Now we get to sit back and see what comes of this. I am hoping that the CCA makes everything regarding this issue available to its membership. If you have not filled out the Sable Merle survey… Please do.

I will post updates as I get them.