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 is a
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.
How can you tell if your 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 merle Aussie cost?
The average pricing of a standard-colored Australian Shepherd from a trustworthy breeder is between $750 to $1,000. If it’s a blue merle Aussie puppy, the estimated cost is around $1,500 to $2,500.
What is a mismarked Aussie?
Dogs with excess white markings , sometimes referred to as mismarks, or over-marked. Australian Shepherds with too much white are usually healthy(exceptions noted below). There are entire breeds that allow far more white than typical of Aussies.
What is a Harlequin Australian Shepherd?
In other words, a “Harlequin Merle” is simply a beautiful and unusual variation of the more
common merle color pattern
When a Merle Aussie possesses the Harlequin gene, the already uniquely beautiful Merle coat pattern becomes even more “exciting”.
Is merle a defect?
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.
Do merle Aussies have more health problems?
Many other breeds risk severe health problems with their ears and eyes. Even single merles. Australian shepherds seem to only risk these more severe problems when they’re double. While merle Australian shepherds are still prone to hip dysplasia, cataracts, and epilepsy, they’re relatively healthy.
Do all merles have blue eyes?
No, the merle gene does not always cause blue eyes The merle gene causes the lightening of pigment in patches throughout the body. If these patches do not coincide with the eyes, the dog will have brown eyes instead. They may also have multicolored eyes.
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.
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.
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’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.
Do merle puppies change color?
Merle Dog Puppies 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 much does an Australian Shepherd puppy cost?
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.
Do Australian Shepherds bark a lot?
Keep in mind the average Australian Shepherd tends to bark a lot , making it a little more challenging to get him to stop barking unless you give him the ‘speak’ command or there is a situation in which he needs to bark to alert you.
Can you breed a red tri and a blue merle?
Breeding merle to merle is unacceptable as each puppy has a chance of being born blind & deaf as a result Breeding tri to tri produces all tri’s therefore, the preferred color crosses are blue merle to black tri, blue merle to red tri, red merle to black tri, & red merle to red tri.
What is a ghost merle?
Dogs with cryptic merle (also called phantom or ghost merle) typically display little to no merle pattern and some may be misclassified as non-merles The cryptic merle alleles occur in the lower end of the range (typically from 200-255, however, this range and designation varies by study).
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.
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.
What’s the difference between an Australian Shepherd and a blue merle?
What is this? These dogs have the iconic blue merle coat as a base color. However, unlike the tri color, these Aussies do not have the copper and tan markings on the coat. Instead, they only have white markings.
How rare is a blue merle Australian Shepherd?
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.
What is the difference between merle and tricolor?
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.
How long do Australian Shepherds live?
Aussies are best suited for families with an active lifestyle and a large fenced yard. They need plenty of exercise and mental stimulation to prevent boredom. They can weigh between 35 and 70 pounds and have an average life span of 12-13 years.
Are Australian Shepherd smart?
The breed is considered highly intelligent and easy to train. Aussies are known for being especially eager to please their owners. True to their herding instincts, Aussies are very protective of their families and territory and will let you know if strangers approach, but they are not considered aggressive.
Are Australian Shepherds easy to train?
With an Aussie’s boundless energy, channeling it into something constructive can do wonders for your dog. These dogs bond strongly with their families. Their loyalty with their intelligence and high energy makes them very easy to train.
Are all Aussies with white ears deaf?
Not every dog with too much white is deaf , so there are probably additional genetic factors which determine whether the dog is deaf. However, if breeders make efforts not to produce puppies with white on or close around the ears they can significantly reduce the frequency of deafness in the breed.
Can I leave an Australian Shepherd Home Alone?
The bottom line. Australian Shepherds are bundles of fun, but they are also highly sensitive dogs. You should never leave an Aussie alone for more than four hours at a time , and try to make the most out of every day to prevent boredom and loneliness when they’re left to their own devices.
At what age do Australian Shepherds eyes change color?
At 5 weeks , their irises are a medium shade of gray and are darkening gradually. They are not the ice blue of the puppy above, whose eyes will remain blue. Pups with eyes destined to be fairly light, such as amber, would have irises a lighter shade of gray than these.
What are ghost eyes in Aussies?
Legend has it that Native Americans called Australian Shepherds “ghost eye” and thought they were sacred. These dogs do not always have blue eyes, but pale blue , “ghostly” eyes are common among the breed.
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.
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.
Are Australian Shepherds good indoor dogs?
If you are familiar with the breed, you probably know that they are famous for their abundant energy levels, and you may be wondering – are they good indoor dogs? Yes! Like most dogs, Aussies (and Mini Aussies) are active and outdoorsy, but still best suited to indoor living.
Do Australian Shepherds like to cuddle?
While Australian Shepherds can be very affectionate, loving, and cuddly dogs with their family members, they may not act the same way at all with someone they don’t know. This dog will enjoy snuggling with the people he trusts.
What health problems do merle dogs have?
When inherited in the homozygous state, the merle mutation causes dogs to be white and have an even greater incidence of deafness, blindness and sterility The auditory and ophthalmologic abnormalities linked to merle are similar to those observed for the human auditory-pigmentation disorder Waardenburg syndrome.
Are merle dogs prone to health issues?
as well as those that have the merle allele are prone to sensory, neurological and /or immunological problems These defects have been observed and researched in other dog breeds (i.e. Australian Shepherds, Great Danes, Shetland Sheepdogs) that also carry these dilution alleles including the merle allele.
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.
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 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.
How long do blue merle Aussies live?
With a life span of approximately 12 to 16 years , blue merle Australian Shepherd dogs are primarily healthy. However, Australian Shepherds, in general, can be predisposed to a number of genetic health issues.
What is the difference between merle and dapple?
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.
How do you tell if a puppy’s eyes will stay blue?
Their eyes can go from blue to grey to blue again, or they can change from blue to grey to brown over the course of a month or so. By the time your dog is about 6 months old, their eye color is likely set and will not change as they get older.
Are blue eyed Aussies blind?
Blue eyes in Aussies: Having blue-eyes does not mean a dog is blind Blue eyes or partially blue eyes can occur in any color dog. Eye defects caused by the merle gene are due to having two copies of the merle gene. Cataracts and distichiasis are the most common eye diseases in Aussies.
Citations
https://spiritdogtraining.com/breeds/mini-aussie-colors/