merle to merle

Question
I have a male merle that is over 1yr. He is extremlly well tempered and a wonderful dog. In the past week I rescued another female merle she is 9 mon. They are not fixed because I really don't like to have them fixed. If they breed will the pups have bad birth defects?

Answer
Merle Great Danes should never be bred to each other, risks of serious birth defects are extermely high. Spay/neuter them immediately, there are over 7 million homeless dogs in the USA alone due to overpopulation, around half of those die in shelters each year because there are not enough homes.If you breed you are contributing to the problem and your litter could easily become part of the statistic that dies.Not to mention the behavior problems that can arise from remaining intact if you do not know how to handle them and health problems that can arise. Being well tempered adn wonderful is not a good reason to breed your dog.