The Merle pattern can be seen in various breeds, such as the Australian Shepherd Dog, Australian Koolie, Border Collie, Dachshund, French Bulldog, Louisiana Catahoula, Labradoodle, Miniature American Shepherd, Miniature Australian Shepherd, Pyrenean Shepherd, Rough Collie, Shetland Sheepdog, Welsh Sheepdog, Cardigan …
Do merle dogs have health problems?
The merle gene is known to cause a number of health problems, mostly deafness and blindness, and also sun sensitivity and higher rates of skin cancer. These problems are unusual in heterozygous merles (Mm) but more common in homozygous merles (MM).
Why are merle dogs expensive?
Why are merle dogs so expensive? In a nutshell, merle dogs are expensive because puppy buyers are willing to pay a lot of money for them. The pattern is very sought-after, and the more demand there is, the higher breeders can set their prices. In addition, merle breedings can be quite rare in some breeds.
What does merle mean in dogs?
Merle is an incompletely dominant coat color pattern characterized by irregularly shaped patches of diluted pigment and solid color. Miniature Australian Shepherd puppy with merle pattern.
What is a Phantom merle?
A phantom merle or cryptic merle is one with such small patches of merle—or none at all—that it appears to be a non-merle. This is commonly seen in dogs who are recessive red, clear recessive reds in particular, though patches can still be seen in certain red dogs.
Why are merle dogs bad?
It is known that merle coated dogs have a slightly increased risk of hearing problems, possibly due to the Silv gene. So when a dog inherits two copies of the gene, the risks of hearing problems would seem likely to double.
Do merle dogs live long?
Yes – merle dogs can be just as healthy as dogs that have a solid color. They have the same life expectancy, they are just as strong and athletic and smart as their counterparts without the merle gene. In lines with responsible merle breedings, all offspring will be healthy and live a long life.
Why is merle breeding bad?
It doesn’t matter what color merle or what breed they are. If two merle dogs are bred together, each puppy in the litter has a 25% chance of being born a double merle. … Double merles also have a very high chance of being deaf, blind, or both because they lack pigment where it would normally be.
What’s the difference between Dapple and merle?
Merle — that kaleidoscope of swirly patterns that has no two dogs looking alike. It’s one of the most beautiful coat patterns in the dog world. … The merle (also called dapple) pattern is the pattern in which random splotches of dark pigment are overlaid over a lighter shade of the same color.
What color are merle dogs?
The most defining characteristic of a merle dog is a mottled coat of black, tan, or white colors. Odd or blue-colored eyes also define these breeds. We have two main categories depending on the coat colors-red merle and blue merle.
Do merle puppies change color?
Merle coloring can become darker with age. So, be aware that those white areas on your merle puppy may start to look grayer as your dog ages. But other than that, a merle dog puppy will have all the attributes of an adult of the breed.
How do I know if my dog is a double merle?
- All white in color, or have patches of merle/mottled coloring on the top half of their body – their head, back, and base of the tail.
- Light-colored paw pads.
- Have light blue, green or brown eyes, perhaps even eyes that are different colors.
Are Blue Heelers merle?
The Australian Shepherd Blue Heeler mix comes in a huge variety of colors. They can be a mix of black, white, brown, tan, gray, and merle. This breed has a higher chance than average to have a merle coat. … Expect shedding all year round as they have a double coat to protect them from any harsh weather conditions.
Is merle the same as brindle?
The brindle can also carry unseen colors. Merle and black are dominant genes. A blue merle has two blue genes as well as one merle but can carry others as well. Read more on Brindle.
What is a Harlequin merle?
For a dog to exhibit the harlequin pattern, he must inherit a merle gene and a harlequin gene from his parents. … The merle gene is required for the harlequin color to become visible. The harlequin gene causes grey or marbled patches on a merle coat to turn pure white, thereby creating the harlequin coat pattern.
Can a cryptic merle produce merle?
Cryptic merle dogs do not appear to be merle, but contain the merle gene. Many solid dogs are actually cryptic, also known as phantom, merles and can produce both merle and double merles if not careful. Merle can affect all coat colors. … Color on paw pads and nose may be mottled pink and black.
What does the name merle mean?
German and French: nickname, possibly for a good or habitual singer or whistler, from Middle High German, Old French merle ‘blackbird’ (Latin merula). See Merlo.
What does the word merle mean?
Merle is a given name used by both men and women. The name is a variant of Merrill or Muriel, influenced by the French word merle meaning blackbird (from the Latin merula).
What are merle Frenchies?
Merle Frenchies typically have a base color on their coat and then patches or blotches speckling their coat. This unique patterning is what makes these types of Frenchies so rare. This pattern is often dark, multicolored patches mixed into the fur.
Can you breed a red Merle with a Blue Merle?
A merle Australian Shepherd, whether red merle or blue merle, has one merle gene & one tri gene or merle/tri, & WILL offer one gene to each puppy. … When breeding a merle to a tri the puppies that get a merle gene from the merle parent & a tri gene from the tri parent are merle in color.
Why are white dogs deaf?
Dogs that carry the piebald gene (affects the distribution and amount of white color) are often affected by deafness. Piebaldism is the result of the absence of melanocytes, the cells that create the pigment melanin.
Can you breed a merle with a white dog?
A single merle gene can produce results as harmless as fur or eye color and as difficult as loss of eyesight or hearing. However, mating two dogs with the merle gene can produce offspring with a homozygous double merle gene, sometimes known as “lethal white” or “double-blue.”
What is a blue merle poodle?
A blue merle poodle is nothing more than a black poodle with grey and white patterns, making the black appear more of a blue tone. The eye color can be completely blue or partially blue too. But still, besides the blue eyes, there are other standard colors a merle can have.
What is red merle color?
Similar in their markings to the blue merles, red merles have mottled patches of liver and cream. They may also have patches of white or copper. They have a merle gene that can change their eye color to either pale blue or odd-colored eyes. The most famous of the Australian Shepherd color combination is the blue merle.
What’s the difference between blue merle and merle?
A blue merle is a black dog with the merle pattern; a red merle is a liver dog with the merle pattern. … Two dominant copies produce a “double merle” which will most likely have serious eye defects and may be deaf. Two recessive copies result in a dog that is not merle.
What does a blue merle look like?
Some blue merle dogs will have a mostly gray-blue coat with a few small, black patches. The most common merle pattern and the one described in most breed standards is a coat that is approximately 50 percent merle, or gray-blue, and 50 percent black patches.