Active, intelligent, good-natured, protective. The
blue merle australian shepherd
is a special type of Australian Shepherd that has received a semi-dominant gene resulting in bluish-grey fur mixed with splotches of black or reddish-brown and white.
How rare are blue merle Australian Shepherds?
Blue Merle Australian shepherds aren’t considered rare and are more common than Red Merle Aussies. The
color patterns
of a blue merle coat can vary. They may have a piebald or solid coat with black patches. They often have white markings, especially on the legs and face.
Why are Aussies called blue merle?
The
breed standards state
that Australian Shepherds can come in some combination of two basic body colors (black and liver), one pattern (merle), and two trim colors (white and tan.) Of these, the pattern merle is described as two “colors”: Blue merle and red (liver) merle.
Are merle Aussies healthy?
While merle Australian shepherds are still prone to hip dysplasia, cataracts, and epilepsy, they’re relatively healthy Other big ones to look out for with Australian shepherds are hypothyroidism, Collie nose, and cancer. Australian shepherds are anything but rare.
Are merle dogs unhealthy?
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.
Are merle dogs smart?
Merle Dog Intelligence Some of the breeds that have merle coloring as one of their distinguishing characteristics are known to be quite intelligent !.
Do merle dogs eyes stay blue?
The merle gene causes
random patches
of lightened pigment throughout the dog’s body. If these patches of lightened pigment go over the eyes, then the eyes will lack pigment as well and appear blue If the eyes are not located in a dilute area, they will remain brown.
How do you tell if an Aussie is a merle?
Red merle Australian Shepherds often have marbled eyes as well, with flecks of color in their irises granting them a deep, vivid gaze The dominant colors are blue with brown marbling, brown with blue marbling, and in very special dogs, one of each.
How much does a blue merle cost?
If it’s a blue merle Aussie puppy, the estimated cost is around $1,500 to $2,500.
What is the rarest Australian Shepherd color?
Red merles are far less common than blue merles because the red-colored gene is recessive in dogs, meaning both parents have to have it for their offspring to inherit the coat. Red is the rarest color in Aussies generally, although the red merle coat is one of the more common red-colored coats in the breed.
What happens if you breed two merles?
If two merle dogs are bred together, each puppy in the litter has a 25% chance of being born a double merle A double merle inherits the merle gene twice. One copy of the merle gene causes a marbling effect on the coat and creates lighter spots throughout the solid color coat.
How do you make a merle puppy?
The merle pattern is produced when a dog has a single copy of the M< allele All merle dogs have the genotype Mm, meaning they have one allele for merle and one allele for non-merle. All non-merles are mm.
Is merle the same as brindle?
Like merle, brindle is also a coat color pattern , it is often described as being “tiger-striped.” The stripes are irregular and dark against a lighter base color that is often fawn, brown or gray. The brindle coat pattern is found in several dog breeds including great danes, bulldogs and boxers.
How do I know if my dog has the merle gene?
The merle gene modifies the dark pigment in the eyes, occasionally changing dark eyes to blue, or part of the eye to be colored blue Since merle causes random modifications, however, both dark-eyed, blue-eyed, and odd-colored eyes are possible. Pigmentation on paw pads and nose may be mottled by pink.
How do I know if my dog is double merle?
Dogs with the double merle gene may be/have: 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.
What color dogs make a merle?
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.
What does merle mean in dog color?
Merle is an incompletely dominant coat color pattern characterized by irregularly shaped patches of diluted pigment and solid color.
What does the word merle mean?
1 : a coat color pattern of some dogs (such as the
border collie
, dachshund, and Great Dane) that consists of a typically bluish- or reddish-gray mixed with splotches of black or reddish- brown and that occurs as a result of the lightening or dilution of the normal base coat color so that only dark patches of normal.
What is the difference between merle and Tri?
Red merle makes up this base coat for this color combination. They have red spots on top of an buff (a light orange-brown) to silver base color. The tri colored version has white markings found on the face, chest, legs and belly. They also have copper highlights usually seen on the face and legs only.
What color eyes do blue merles have?
However, most of these dogs will have specks of colors on their colored eyes. We call this “marble eyes” and they’re amazing to look at. The solid eye colors of blue merles include either brown or blue And in some instances, blue merles can have eyes with two different colors (one blue and one brown).
What is a self blue merle?
A dog that is only one color (or only merle) with no white trim or tan point pattern is called a self color. If he is black, he’s a self black. A dog that is a merle with no trim would be called a self blue merle or a self red merle.
Is blue merle rare?
Blue merle is actually one of the rarest Border Collie coat colors This coat color can only be produced in puppies by dogs who carry the dominant merle gene.
How much are merle Australian Shepherds?
Depending on the breeder and availability in your area, an Australian Shepherd puppy can cost between $800-$1,800 and even be higher in some cases. On average, you can expect to pay around $1,000.
Can you breed a white dog with a merle?
If you plan to breed a dog with the merle gene, you should not breed it with another of similar genetic makeup If lucky, the dog will be colorful and healthy, but there is a substantial chance that the double merle gene offspring could be blind, deaf or both. In other words, don’t do it.
What is the smartest dog?
- Border collie. According to The Intelligence of Dogs, which ranks 131 dog breeds in terms of their relative intelligence, the border collie is the smartest dog breed known to man
- Poodle
- German shepherd
- Golden retriever
- Doberman pinscher
- Shetland sheepdog
- Labrador retriever
- Papillon.
What is a Harlequin merle?
Harlequin is a pattern seen in Great Danes resulting from the complex interaction of the Merle (PMEL17) and Harlequin (PSMB7) genes on black pigment The dominant Merle gene by itself produces dark spots on a dilute background on eumelanistic dogs.
Is a red merle rare?
Red is a recessive gene, so that means it is a rarer coat color than the other Aussie colors Aussies can inherit one of two coat patterns. The first is merle. The second is solid, also known as self.
Why are merle dogs more 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 breeds carry the merle gene?
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.
Can you breed a red and blue merle?
In a breeding where one parent is red, such as blue merle to red tri or red merle to black tri, we typically get more red’s in the litter, usually 70%, such as 3 red merle, 3 red tri, 1 black tri, & 1 blue merle.
Are blue eyed dogs deaf?
Blue eyes, resulting from an absence of pigment in the iris, is common with pigment-associated deafness but is not, in and of itself, an indication of deafness or the presence of a deafness gene; however, in several breeds (Dalmatian, English Setter, English Cocker Spaniel, Bull Terrier), dogs (and cats) with blue eyes.
Do merle dogs have eye problems?
The most severe abnormalities occur in homozygous merles with an excessive white hair coat involving the head region. There are other, more serious ocular problems associated with the Merle gene. Microphthalmia is a congenital defect characterized by a small eye Severely affected dogs may be blind at birth.
Do dogs with blue eyes have vision problems?
In some dog breeds, blue eyes can be an indicator of possible vision defects However, they do not necessarily mean a blue-eyed dog will eventually go blind. While Siberian Huskies and other breeds normally have blue eyes, in other breeds this eye color occurs when two merle-colored dogs produce offspring.
What is a dilute merle Australian Shepherd?
Red merle dilutes have medium-toned dark patches on a pale background with pale liver on the nose and other exposed skin Given the extreme variation in red pigmentation in “normal” reds and red merles it is possible that a dilute might not be recognized as such.
What is the meanest dog?
- Chow Chow.
- Doberman Pinscher.
- Dalmatian.
- Rottweiler.
- Jack Russell Terrier.
- German Shepherd.
- American Staffordshire/Pit Bull Terrier.
- Siberian Husky.
What’s the most expensive dog?
A golden-haired Tibetan mastiff puppy has reportedly been sold for a whopping $2 million in China, potentially making it the world’s most expensive dog.
How much is a merle bully worth?
Despite this, Merle American Bully can cost between $5,000 and $10,000 or more This is because they are quite rare, although even then, you run the risk of your American Bully not actually being a purebred dog.
What is the difference between Harlequin and merle?
Harlequin dogs have white between the darker patches of merle Merle dogs often look “marbled.” They have grey coloration alongside black spots. Harlequin dogs also have the merle gene. However, instead of the larger grey patches, their harlequin gene makes their base coat entirely white.
What is a cryptic merle Aussie?
Cryptic merles are either liver or black, usually with one or a few small areas of merle However, since you can’t see what color coat would have been anywhere there are white markings, there will be some cryptics which appear to be non-merle.
Can you breed two merle Australian Shepherds?
If you don’t want to produce homozygous merles in your litters, it’s easy to avoid doing so: Don’t breed two merles together.
References