Merle is a pattern not a color and merle can be any color. The darkest color on a merle is the dogs true color. So if your dog's darkest color is black the dog
is genetically black with the merle pattern.
To get merle you need to breed one merle to a dog of a solid color. There is NO reason to breed 2 merles because you are risking causing a lethal gene and
producing pups with many defects such as no eyes, blind, deaf and more.
Also be aware that cryptic merle is when a dog is a merle and you can't see the merle pattern. It is impossible to produce a cryptic merle if at least one parent
isn't a merle. When a cryptic merle is produced there may be only one hair with the merle pattern. You can also have a sable merle pup look merle as a puppy
but the sable takes over and the pup may look just sable once he/she is an adult.
If a dog is an ee red dog with the merle pattern you will not be able to see the merle on the dog. Remember if an ee red pup is out of a merle parent a DNA for
merle can be done to make sure the pup isn't a merle. Being an ee red merle is fine as long as you don't breed it to another merle.
is genetically black with the merle pattern.
To get merle you need to breed one merle to a dog of a solid color. There is NO reason to breed 2 merles because you are risking causing a lethal gene and
producing pups with many defects such as no eyes, blind, deaf and more.
Also be aware that cryptic merle is when a dog is a merle and you can't see the merle pattern. It is impossible to produce a cryptic merle if at least one parent
isn't a merle. When a cryptic merle is produced there may be only one hair with the merle pattern. You can also have a sable merle pup look merle as a puppy
but the sable takes over and the pup may look just sable once he/she is an adult.
If a dog is an ee red dog with the merle pattern you will not be able to see the merle on the dog. Remember if an ee red pup is out of a merle parent a DNA for
merle can be done to make sure the pup isn't a merle. Being an ee red merle is fine as long as you don't breed it to another merle.
Merle
Our slate blue merle girl Flare.
Note she has NO black on her
body, she is a blue dog with the
merle pattern.
Note she has NO black on her
body, she is a blue dog with the
merle pattern.
Blue merle pups from the same
litter as Flare only these girls are
actually black merle's. The
darkest color on these two pups is
black so they are genetically
black dogs with the merle pattern.
litter as Flare only these girls are
actually black merle's. The
darkest color on these two pups is
black so they are genetically
black dogs with the merle pattern.
| A slate blue merle if registered with the AKC will be registered as a blue merle which is the WRONG name for the dog. If you have a slate blue merle complain to the Border Collie Society of America that they are not out to get the right information out about merle yet they have a color page on the BCSA site so people will have the right information. There is a difference between a slate blue merle and a blue merle. If there is a space for a saddle back sable there should be a space for slate blue merles. |
This is Niamh a beautiful little blue merle I
co-own with Rapid Fire Border Collies
co-own with Rapid Fire Border Collies