Cross posting allowed:
 
Dear Board Members,
I am writing to give you an update on the progress of the Standard Review Committee.  We have sent out an indepth survey on sable merles to all the CCA Breed Mentors and several other individuals that were listed in my previous letter. In all, there were eighty questionnaires sent out and we have received about two dozen back to date.  The responses are both articulate and enlightening. We have been in contact with two geneticists and two breeder veterinarians and are awaiting their contributions. We are gathering statistics and are currently working on the  sable merle DVD. It is quite a job but we should have it together for the program at the National.
 
 
On another note, this one in regard to Judges Education and the sable merle. In order to avoid further confusion I am forwarding a note concerning the excusal of a sable merle dog from the Open sable class last weekend. The AKC requires that judges evaluate  phenotype {how the dog appears} and if the sable merle is to be entered in an Open class the Open Sable and White class IS the appropriate Open class.
Sincerely,
Tom Coen

 
Tom,
 
Thanks for your call to me regarding my judging assignment at Santa Clara Valley Kennel Club.
 
Typically color does not bother me at all.  I showed and finished collies of every color over the last forty years.  The merling on this dog's head created such a foreign appearance that it reminded me of a different breed. Since the Collie's head and expression are so essential, I was thrown by what I saw.
 
The commotion caused by my remarks to the handler and by marking the Judge's Book as I did was my error. I should have withheld first place for lack of merit. I am sorry that my actions caused such consternation.
 
Sincerely,
 
Shelley C. Roos

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I would love to know who the two geneticists and two breeder veterinarians names that were contacted.

I can't wait to see this sable merle that Shelley Roos says looks like a different breed of dog because of the merleing on his face. I will try to get a photo from the owner, but this sounds like a fishy excuse to me.