Slate merle is merle on a
blue base
Since the term “blue merle” was already taken for merle on a black base, slate merle is what they called it. We have just one example of slate merle and hope to get a few more, because it is hard to tell that Fog, left, is a merle.
What is a
slate merle border collie
?
Slate Merle Border Collie Border Collies who have this coat has one parent who’s a merle, and the other has two recessive dilute genes Slate merles are becoming popular, but it’s not an official color of the Border Collie as per the AKC.
What is the rarest Border Collie color?
- Slate merle with tri.
- Red brindle.
- Slate sable.
- Lilac merle with tri.
What does a merle collie look like?
The
merle pattern
appears as irregular, dark-colored patches, smudges, or streaks over a diluted or lighter shade of the base coat hue Border Collies have an extensive range of color combinations.
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 are the 4 types of Border Collies?
She called them: 1) Northumbrian type; 2) Wiston Cap type; 3) Nap type; and 4) Herdman’s Tommy type Keep scrolling down for pictures and descriptions of the four types and for additional information. Almost all present-day Border Collies can trace their pedigrees back to a dog known as Old Hemp.
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.
Are blue merle Rough Collies rare?
Merle. Merle collies have a distinctive slate-colored, bluish coat. Though recognized by the American and UK Kennel Clubs as an official collie coat, merle is, nevertheless, uncommon in collies.
Do all Blue Merles have
blue eyes
?
Not all Blue Merle Aussies have blue eyes However, it is prevalent. The blue merle color and pattern are caused by a gene that varies the amount of pigment in the hair, skin, and eyes. This often causes Australian Shepherds to be born with blue eyes.
Are blue merle Border Collies purebred?
Interestingly, a Blue Merle Border Collie does not qualify as a breed It is only a Border Collie with a blue merle coat pattern. Nevertheless, it is one of the smartest and most agile pets you will come across. Border Collies are medium-sized dogs with strong and agile legs.
How do you get a Merle Border Collie?
Breeding merle-to-merle Border Collies is only done by irresponsible and ignorant puppy farmers. Generally, to get merle in a border collie litter, a breeder has to breed for that color (which is fine, as long as it is not by breeding two merles together.).
What is a Harlequin collie?
The harlequin merle is a flashy collie with a base coat of either sable or tricolor The harlequin gene is said to be a variation of, or near, the merle gene (reference here). Merling occurs in a random marbling effect and dilutes the affected pigment.
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.
How long do blue Merles live?
With proper care, they can live for 12-15 years As with all dogs, they have predispositions for certain medical conditions that will need to be monitored. This is a very striking dog, with a gorgeous blue merle coat, and sharp “herding eyes.” They are very affectionate, loving, loyal, and active.
What is merle Australian shepherd?
Australian Shepherds come in several colors: blue merle, red merle, red, tri-color (white, black, and tan), and black. A merle coat has a patchwork of dark blotches against a lighter background , so a blue merle dog has black patches on gray and a red merle dog has red patches on beige.
Are blue merle Australian Shepherds rare?
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.
How much are merle Border Collies?
Black and white Border Collies are the cheapest, while rare colors like merle will cost more. You could pay $4,000 for a rare blue merle puppy , while a black and white puppy will typically cost you around $1,000. Yearly costs for owning this breed can reach as much as $2,500, but are more likely to be around $1,000.
Do Border Collies bark a lot?
The Border Collie is a barking breed. They are easily visually stimulated which is often why they bark so much They will bark at anything that moves quickly, such as bikes, skate boards and the like.
What is a double merle border collie?
What is a Double Merle dog? A double Merle is exactly what it sounds like. It is the puppy product of breeding a Merle, also known as marbled/harlequin/dapple, pattern dog to a Merle pattern dog They can be of any breed or cross, and any colour Merle pattern.
Can purebred Border Collies be brown?
Although most people think of Border Collie colors just being black and white, they also come in blue, grey, sable, tan and red in a variety of markings and patterns. Red Border Collies have brown or liver coats with white markings Tri-colored Border Collies can be red, white and tan or saddle patterned.
What is a sable merle collie?
The merle gene has exactly the same effect on a collie with two brown genes, turning some parts of a brown coat lighter brown by allowing less color to come through. Of course, when a collie has one brown color gene and one black color gene , it is still a sable, just a darker brown one.
Are white Border Collies deaf?
A pure white Border Collie is also called “lethal white,” which is a misleading and incorrect term. This genetic form is avoided by breeders and buyers as they can be considered defective, not because they’re lethal. White-bodied dogs with also a white head mostly suffer from blindness and deafness.
Are short haired Border Collies purebred?
Smooth Coat Border Collies are purebred BC dogs Regardless of what type of coat and color a Border Collie has, smooth or rough, long or short, they’re all Border Collies.
What dog breeds can be merle?
Merle is a distinguishing marking of several breeds, particularly the Australian Shepherd and Catahoula Leopard Dog , and appears in others, including the Koolie in Australia, the Shetland Sheepdog, various collie breeds, the Cardigan Welsh Corgi, the Pyrenean Shepherd and the Bergamasco Shepherd.
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.
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.
How do I know if my dog is a merle?
Most normal-looking merles are Mm, as two copies of the merle gene (MM) generaly results in double merle. Double merles have large amounts of white in their coat and deafness and eye abnormalities are common. All merles may have blue or partially blue eyes, and pink or partially pink noses.
What 2 breeds make a Border Collie?
They come from a cross between a Roman breed and a Viking breed Although the Border Collie was bred along the border between Scotland and England, they do not come from either a Scottish or English breed. Instead, the Border Collie is actually a mix of a Roman herding breed and a Viking Spitz-variety herding breed.
Why you shouldn’t get a Border Collie?
Whilst puppies are more hyperactive and energetic than older dogs, and hyperactivity levels should lessen with age. That said, under-exercised Border Collies really struggle to relax. They are very intelligent and energetic and if under-stimulated, both mentally and physically, they can become very unhappy dogs.
What’s the difference between a collie and a Border Collie?
There are many key differences between Collies and Border Collies. The Rough Collie is a medium-to-large-sized herding dog breed that originated in Scotland, while Border Collies are a working and herding dog breed that originated in the United States.
How do dogs become merle?
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.
Why can’t 2 merles breed?
The unethical practice of breeding double merles is generally condemned worldwide, not only because so many are considered defective and put down at birth by their breeders, but because of the health problems that plague them, namely, partial or complete deafness and blindness.
What is a black merle?
English: Merle is a colour combination in dogs’ coats. It is a solid base color (usually red/brown or black) with lighter blue/gray or reddish patches, which gives a mottled or uneven speckled effect.
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.
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 merle puppy has blue eyes?
Merle Gene If your dog has dominant light patches of fur or is completely white , the chances that their matured eye color is blue are higher because of the fact that their cells are unable to develop pigmentation. These types of dogs carry the merle gene.
How can I tell if my Border Collie is purebred?
In addition to the color, you can use color markings to identify purebred Border Collies. These dogs usually have white markings on the feet, legs, and chest. A splash of white appears on the tip of the tail, too. A blaze marking is common as well.
Citations
https://spiritdogtraining.com/breeds/rare-border-collie-colors/
https://slate.com/culture/2016/04/merle-haggard-dead-at-79-embodied-the-complexities-of-angry-white-america.html