Amplify’d from http://www.bbc.co.uk
Should my hereditary disability stop me having a baby?
For Jono Lancaster, who has Treacher Collins syndrome, the decision about whether to have a baby or not is agonising.
At the age of 26, Jono is happy with how he looks, but the genetic disorder that affected the way his facial bones developed in the womb has caused him years of anguish.
His condition means he has no cheekbones – so his eyes droop downwards – and he has problems with his hearing, so has a bone-anchored hearing aid.
Read more at http://www.bbc.co.uk

However- breeding continuously a genetic trait, such as blue, can cause some degree of skin, ear, eye, etc issues, especially in piebald dogs, and usually the problem affects the limb or organ that is primarily or mostly white.

Nabbed this off a forum after some googlin' research.

"The "dilution gene" that controls color gathers (for lack of a better term) around the Central Nerve Bundle (which is where the spinal cord and brain develope in the embryo). The problem is the dilution series, if not kept busy changing coat color, can then affect the adrenal gland, sensitive inner ear workings and even the nervous system itself. This can lead to unilateral or bilateral deafness…skin sensitivity (as with other light color coats) and even affect behavior since it affect the production of the adrenal gland.

If a dog has the double recessive diluted gene "d" AND has a more than 80% piebald look about the head…they ARE more susceptible to uni-bilateral hearing problems. In the embryonic stages, the genes that represent the "dd" genome gather around the "central nerve bundle" which is also where the spinal development occurs. On a dog that is also sp (piebald) or se (extreme white), the smaller the area of "color" (blue or liver) that is affected, the greater quantity of dilution gene is available to affect other systems. It will do more than a few things besides coat and eye color. It often damges the sensitive nerve endings in the inner ear which can lead to hearing problems. It can affect the production of the adrenal glands which can affect behavior. This is also a factor when it comes to possible skin problems…they can be a result of a nervous system weakness-which can cause allegies. They are located around the area of the "central nerve bundle" and can cause some types of skin allegies that are nervous system related. There is a lot involved when it comes to genetics, geno(DNA makeup) and pheno(outward appearance) that you can not just say…"it has nothing to do with"

In simple terms, the less coat color that the recessive "dd" gene has to act upon, the more is "leftover" to affect other systems.

Piebald is not a genetic deformity…it is a pattern of white. Just like "Blue" is not a genetic deformity. They are just genetic patterns/makeups than can in certain combinations of other factors make differentces in other seemingly unrelated structures.

Unilateral means 1 ear affected as bilateral means both ears affected. In theory, the ear your dog has with "color" would be less likely to have hearing issues but it is not always that simple.

Piebald which is "sp" genetically in itself is just a pattern that exhibits a greater quantity of "white" than say "si" (irish pattern/spotting) but less than "sw" (extreme white or all white). All these are still different than being "albino"…they are just degrees or percentages of white coloring. You could even have a dog that is "sisp" which would have the irish pattern of chest-paws-head blaze-tail tip-and possible neck blaze PLUS some pieblad which would probably show more "whiting" up the length of the legs and about the head and neck.

The "dd" is of more concern than "sp". I know that most will/would not accept the fact that "coloring" can affect behavior, but since the dillution genome can sometimes influence the production/characteristics of the adrenal gland…it can affect behavior. This might result in a dog that takes a bit longer to get "riled up". The difference between dogs might be "very slight", but if it affect adrenal production-it stands to reason it can affect behavior.

The point is just because a gene is recessive and may cause some maladies or changes…that does not mean it is a mutation. Now MLPH mutations can occur but are not the norm (along with mutations of two other similar loci). As in humans with Griscelli Syndrome, the mutation not only affects pigmentation (hypopigmentation-albinism) but also affects the transportation of melanins causing immunodeficiency by killing the "T-Cells" (known all too well to HIV-Aides Patients). The point I am trying to make is that the "dd" dilution alleles are not mutations….but color (pigmentation) is affected by many loci…not just one location. I am also trying to demonstrate that just the delivery of pigmentation…or misdelivery of pigmentation…does affect other systems of an organism. Nothing is Black or White…or Diluted Blue for that matter when it comes to genectics, pigmentation, endocrine system and so on."

It all just has to do with genetics, and breeding.

LOL…I believe the product you are inquiring about is the Bell and Howell Sonic Earz. It's about 15 bucks.