Meet Coke 🖤
 
7lbs, almost 3 months old and growing!
 
Adventurous, chill, clever, communicative, and always ready for puppy shenanigans. 💛 Coke and his sibling Popcorn came to us from a North Texas Shelter. 
 
Coke is a little guy with a big curiosity about the world. He loves playing with his brother, exploring the toys at his foster family’s house, and checking out what’s happening around him. He’s always ready for a little adventure, followed by some quality playtime and, of course, a much-needed puppy nap. His days are a pretty perfect rotation of exploring, playing, snoozing, and getting right back to it.
 
Coke is both blind and deaf, but that doesn’t stop him from enjoying all the important puppy things. He finds his own ways to explore, play, and interact with the world around him. With a safe, consistent environment and a family willing to learn how he communicates, this clever little guy has so much potential to grow into a wonderful companion.
 
A little about Coke’s genetics 💙
 
Coke is a double merle Australian Shepherd. Here’s what that means.
Merle is the beautiful mottled coat pattern seen in many Australian Shepherds. When a dog inherits the merle gene from just one parent, it can create those familiar patches of color. When a puppy inherits a merle gene from both parents, however, the puppy is called a double merle.
 
Unfortunately, inheriting two copies of the merle gene can interfere with the development of pigment cells that are also important for normal eye and inner-ear development. This can result in partial or complete blindness, deafness, unusually small eyes, or other eye abnormalities. Some double merles have normal vision and hearing, while others experience significant impairments. Coke is one of the puppies affected by both. These are congenital conditions associated with his genetics.
 
Double merle puppies can be prevented by responsible breeding practices. Breeders should never intentionally pair two merle dogs, since doing so increases the risk of puppies inheriting two copies of the gene. Genetic testing and appropriate breeding decisions can help prevent these outcomes.
 
Coke will need a family prepared to make accommodations for his blindness and deafness, including keeping his environment safe and predictable, using touch-based communication, and helping him learn routines at his own pace. But he also deserves all the things any puppy deserves: patience, playtime, affection, opportunities to explore, and a family who sees the puppy he is.
 
Coke is ready to find a home that will help him navigate the world, celebrate his little victories, and love him for the clever, playful, curious puppy he is. Could that be you? 🐾