What does merle mean in dogs?
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 does merle carrier mean?
Merle is a coat pattern found in Australian Shepherds, Collies, Shelties, and a number of other dog breeds. This particular phenotype is inherited as an autosomal, incompletely dominant trait. The merle gene creates mottled patches of color in a solid or piebald coat, blue or odd-colored eyes, and affects skin pigment.
How can you tell if a dog is a merle?
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.
What is a hidden merle?
Hidden merles appear to be solid-colored or have very faint merle patches that go unnoticed. The recessive red allele (“ee”) hides some merling. This is because recessive red dogs do not produce eumelanin pigment, leaving them a solid red color caused by phaeomelanin.
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.
Should I buy a merle dog?
Can a brindle dog carry merle?
Fawn, blue, harlequin, brindle, chocolate and piebald are all recessive genes that can be carried in any color. The brindle can also carry unseen colors. Merle and black are dominant genes.
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.
Do merle dogs go blind?
On the most severe end, the Merle gene anomaly can cause blindness. The front or back of your dog’s eye can be impacted; though the condition can impact both parts. Merle Ocular Dysgenesis is the name used when the entire eye is impacted.
What kind of dog has a merle coat?
The gene that causes a dog to have a merle coat can also affect a dog’s eye color and the skin pigment of a dog. The most common dog to have the merle gene is an Australian Shepherd, but there are several other breeds that can also have the merle gene as well as the beautiful merle coat.
What is a Merle-colored dog?
A coat of mottled white, black, or tan is the defining characteristic of a merle-colored dog. They are dogs breeds with blue eyes or odd-colored eyes. With merle dogs, you will usually see either blue merle or red merle coats.
What is a Merle Australian Shepherd?
Most people have probably seen a merle Australian shepherd but not know what it really is. It’s an Australian shepherd. While other breeds may not be known for having merle dogs, the Australian shepherd standard is merle. It’s the array of colors admirers of this fluffy herding dog know by sight, if not by name. 1. Merle is a genetic mutation.
Why are merle dogs so popular?
It is sometimes referred to as a color, but is in fact due to a gene that alters the way pigment appears in the dog’s coat. The merle coat pattern is popular because it is unusual and very unique, with each merle dog having a different coat pattern.