What is a merle Poodle?

A merle poodle is a poodle that has its coat patterned with patches. The solid colored base has a pattern on top in the same color as the base. The pattern resembles that of a leopard. The term “merle” refers only to the pattern rather than the color of the poodle itself.

Is a merle poodle purebred?

“It is true that there have been merles for hundreds of years in central European herding dogs (from which they must have come to British herding breeds), some Central European hound breeds and the ancestors of Danes.

Are merle poodles 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.

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.

Are merle doodles rare?

Blue Merle is a rare and popular coat for Goldendoodles. Doodle experts believe the Blue Merle gene came from mating Poodles with natural Merle breeds such as the Shetland Sheepdog, Australian Shepherd, or the Border Collie.

Gypsy's Standard merle

How much is a merle Doodle?

If you're looking to buy a Merle Doodle, then you should have a bit of money behind you. This type of doodle is quite expensive and can cost between $800-$5000, and you have to get them from a registered breeder. However, factors such as your location, the size of the Merle, and their age can influence their price.

Can a Poodle carry the merle gene?

The Merle Gene is a much-debated topic among Poodle Breeders. To start off here is a little about the Merle Gene. The Merle Gene is an incomplete dominant gene, which means that it only requires one copy to reproduce it, so only one parent must carry for Merle.

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.

How can you tell if your puppy is a merle?

You can do a DNA test to see if the dog has the merle gene or what breeds are in the dog, if the dog is adopted or a rescue. A DNA test can be done through Paw Print Genetics or Embark, to find the merle gene.

How do I know if my 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.

Do merle Poodles have blue eyes?

Generally, Poodle's will have blue eyes due to a Merle Gene, Heterochromia, white irises eye disease, and Albinism.

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.

What is the rarest color of standard poodle?

While some argue that blue is the rarest coat color in almost any breed, including the Poodle, others claim the red Poodle is less common while some say apricot Poodles are “the rarest in the world.”

What's wrong with merle dogs?

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.

Can a dog carry merle and not be merle?

A cryptic or phantom merle is a dog which phenotypically appears to be a non-merle (solid-colored) or a dog that has very faint patches of merle that can go unnoticed. Animals that do not present the merle phenotype may possess the merle genotype and subsequently produce merle offspring.

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 ...

Are all merle dogs deaf?

Results: Deafness prevalence in merles overall was 4.6% unilaterally deaf and 4.6% bilaterally deaf. There was a significant association between hearing status and heterozygous versus homozygous merle genotype. For single merles (Mm), 2.7% were unilaterally deaf and 0.9% were bilaterally deaf.

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 recognized by AKC?

The Kennel Club has announced that it will no longer accept registration applications for merle-coloured dogs in breeds where there is no documented evidence of the colour having been well established over a sustained period.

What is a double merle puppy?

Double Merle (Homozygous Merle) is the common term for a dog with two copies of the Merle gene. Double Merles are a result of bad breeding practices, most commonly known as spot x spot breeding.

Do blue merle Poodles fade?

Merle poodles do not have a fading coat! They will stay the same from puppyhood to adulthood. However, some poodle dogs do have a fading coat. Red, silver, and blue poodles start off black, and then they fade, losing their black color for their permanent color when they turn three.

Is there such thing as a merle Goldendoodle?

Merle Goldendoodle

Most merle Goldendoodles aren't actually Goldendoodles but instead are technically Aussiedoodles. The merle Goldendoodle color is the opposite of a parti Goldendoodle. Merle combinations are dominant genes that override a solid color Goldendoodle.

What are merle bullies worth?

How Much Does a Merle Bully Cost? A Double Merle American Bully can cost more than $5,000 and up to $10,000 or more. The price will change depending on the bloodline quality and the reputation of the breeder, and the reason for this ridiculously high price is that merle bullies are quite rare.

What is the rarest Poodle?

The rarest of the rare, apricot Poodles have light red coats that appear to be cream, however, you will notice a light red tint to their fur. This is a relatively new color and very, very hard to find.

Are blue Poodles real?

Blue Poodles are not purebred Poodles. They're simply black Poodles with a faded black coat. This fading is also known as graying out, and it's quite common in dogs with black coats. Dogs with light-colored coats like white or cream don't go through this process.