These are double merles Danes. Mother is a heavily blanketed Harle and Dad is white. 

For Dalmations it is the ‘Piebald’ gene and in Aussies is also the ‘Merle’ gene.

Dogs with the merle, piebald, or extreme white piebald genes can all be special needs.

Congenital deafness has been found in over 80 different breeds, but it may be found in any breed. Those dogs with spots, dapples, or merle coats or those with white skin or fur are predisposed to congenital deafness. The most commonly affected breed is the Dalmatian, of which there are almost 30% that are deaf.

Congenital Blindness

Affected dogs have prominent third eyelids and small eyes which appear recessed in the eye socket (enophthalmos). A defect early in development results in the smaller than normal eye (microphthalmia).This is often associated with other eye abnormalities, including defects of the cornea, anterior chamber, lens and/or retina. Microphthalmia is also seen with coloboma – a cleft in a portion of the eye, particularly the iris.

Microphthalmia with multiple defects (ocular dysgenesis) is often seen in dogs with a merle hair coat with excessive amounts of white or all white.These dogs are frequently blind.

There is no treatment for the structural defects. Complications that may develop are things like glaucoma

 Ocular abnormalities that may be seen with ocular dysgenesis and merling with excessive white in the coat, include microphthalmia, microcornea, heterochromia irides, cataract, staphyloma, retinal detachment, irregular pupil, white to blue iris (albino), angle dysgenesis, iris coloboma, and blindness.

Anterior cleavage syndrome,or anterior ocular dysgenesis, has been seen in association with microphthalmia. In addition to other ocular abnormalities as seen above, the anterior chamber, pupil and iridocorneal angle are not formed. The anterior uvea is continuous with the posterior cornea. Pups are blind.