A Complete Guide to Every Merle Dog Breed

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All dog owners and enthusiasts agree that merle dog breeds are strikingly beautiful. Merle is a genetic trait expressed through the eye, coat, and paw color changes. Merle dog breeds are not different from other dogs. It’s only that they are more good-looking. Interestingly, each comes with a unique combination of hues, and no merle ever resembles another. Are you looking to own a merle dog breed? You are at the right place. Here is a complete guide to every merle dog breed.

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24. Australian Shepherd

• Average Size: 8 to 24 inches
• Average Weight: 40 to 65 pounds
• Temperament: playful, outgoing, friendly
• Life Span: 13 to 15 years

The Australian Shepherd is one of the common merle dog breeds. Approximately 40% of all Australian Shepherd are merle. Most breeders pair a merle and a non-merle dog resulting in a litter with half merle-patterned and half regular-colored dogs. According to Pupvine, most merle Australian shepherds are blue or red merles with tan points. Bi-colored dogs with a merle pattern are rarer. The Australian Shepherd is a spirited pup that enjoys lots of attention and activity. Although they like to cuddle, they are highly active working dogs and need daily physical and mental exercise. These are not dogs for owners who like to relax at home.

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23. Dapple Dachshund

• Average Size: 5-9 inches
• Average Weight: 11- 30 inches
• Temperament: playful, aggressive, friendly
• Life Span: 12 to 15 years

Merle dachshunds are referred to as dapple. The merle gene is relatively rare in the dachshunds and appears in any of the three coat varieties; short, long, and wire-haired. According to the AKC breed standard, merle is an allowed coloring on the dapple dachshund, and the smaller and more spots they have, the higher ratings the dogs get in conformation shows. The dogs often have eyes with different colors or two colors in one eye. However, the dapple pattern doesn’t affect the dog’s temperament and vision. It only makes the dachshund look more stunning. This dog breed has become increasingly popular and expensive. Be ready to pay over $1500 for a dachshund puppy.

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22. Border Collie

• Average Size:18 to 23 inches
• Average Weight: 30 to 55 lbs.
• Temperament: Willful, friendly, intelligent
• Life Span: 12 to 16 years

Border collies are among the rarest naturally-bred merle breeds characterized by white and black splotches. This dog breed has a rough or smooth coat. While most have black and white colors, the breed can have various colors like red and white and other colors like the lilac merles with tan points.

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21. Great Dane

• Average Size: 27- 32 inches
• Average Weight: 110 to 170 pounds
• Temperament: playful, protective, gentle
• Life Span: 7-10 years

The Great Dane is a giant dog with the grace of a god, no wonder it is known as the ‘Apollo of dogs.’ These dogs are treasured as boar hunters and family dogs for their friendliness, courage, and dependability. According to The Happy Puppy Site, they can be protective and aggressive when needed for unwelcome guests. But great Danes are good with kids and love making everyone happy. The pure breed is available in three colors; merle, cryptic merle, dilute and harlequin.

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20. American Bulldog

• Average Size: 20 to 25 inches
• Average Weight: 60 to 100 pounds
• Temperament: Intelligent, playful, friendly
• Life Span: 10-13 years

This is a relatively new breed recognized by the United Kennel Club. The American bulldog results from selective breeding to create a shorter, more muscular bed with a reduced prey drive. These bulldogs have a wide range of colors, including; black, white, brown, red, gold, brindle, particolored, fawn, cream, blue, grey, as well as the merle pattern. However, merle was not an original part of the dog breed, which is why the American Kennel Club does not allow the merle bully breeds to be registered as pure-bred dogs. However, if you want a cool companion dog, a merle bulldog will surely get your attention when you head out for a walk.

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19. Shetland Sheepdog

• Average Size: 13 to 16 inches
• Average Weight: 15 to 25 lbs.
• Temperament: friendly, gentle, playful
• Life Span: 12 to 15 years

Blue merle Shetland sheepdogs are tri-color shelties that have had their color altered. The long coat is blue-grey because of the black hair. Color modification genes give these stunning dogs their characteristic coat appearance and occasional two or one blue eyes. However, it is advisable to crossbreed two blue Shetland merles because they can be born dumb and deaf.

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18. Chihuahua

• Average Size: 6 – 9 inches
• Average Weight: 3 to 6 pounds
• Temperament: charming, gentle, playful
• Life Span: 12 to 18 years

Chihuahuas are one if not the most popular dog breed worldwide. A merle chihuahua is irresistible to dog enthusiasts and breeders for its rare color pattern. Chihuahua comes in a wide range of colors such as black, white, brown, red, brindle, and sable, which can all occur with or without merle patterns. Merle chihuahuas often feature a mottled coat with black or blue spots. There are also some patterned chocolate chihuahuas. Currently, the American Kennel Club doesn’t allow registration of merle chihuahuas as they usually result from crossbreeding. Despite their small size, chihuahuas are charming, loving, and bold.

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17. Pit Bull Merle

• Average Size: 18 to 21 inches
• Average Weight: 40 to 70 pounds
• Temperament: affectionate, energetic, playful
• Life Span:8 to 15 years

Pitbull merles look like an ordinary Pitbull but feature characteristic dark splotches of color over the primary coat. According to Spirit Dog, pit bull merle has blue or odd-colored eyes. Some might have one brown and one blue eye. Other characteristics of this dog breed include; a flat skull with a well-shaped muzzle, a short tail that thickens at the base, and perky ears.

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16. Scottish Collie

• Average Size: 20 to 25 inches
• Average Weight: 45 – 60 pounds
• Temperament: friendly, outgoing, tolerant
• Life Span: 8 to 12 years

The Scottish Collie is an old dog breed from Scotland and among the ancestors of most of today’s herding breeds. Recent years have seen a US movement to bring back the Scottish collie. Dog breeders are crossing the dog breed with other herding dogs like German, English, and border collies to get an intelligent, agile, and brave dog. The Scottish collie comes in many colors, including black tri, bi black, sable, blue merle, and others. The American Kennel Club doesn’t accept the Scottish Collies merle as a registered breed.

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15. Koolies

• Average Size: 14 to 23 inches
• Average Weight: 30 – 50 pounds
• Temperament: energetic, intelligent, hardworking
• Life Span:12 to 18 years

The next merle dog breed on the list is the Koolies. This merle-patterned dog originated from Australia and is a very athletic herder with high workout needs. Their work ethic and athleticism have made them increasingly famous in the US over the last decade. Koolies are medium, growing up to 18 to 22 inches tall. They normally have big, erect ears and are short-coated, although some are long-coated. They come in black and red colors, which can feature a combination with the merle gene. Always keep in mind that Koolies have high training and exercise requirements. Therefore, only get this dog breed if you are ready to fulfill its high workout needs.

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14. Pyrenean Shepherd

• Average Size: 15 to 21 inches
• Average Weight: 15 to 30 pounds
• Temperament: affectionate, intelligent, playful
• Life Span:12 – 15 years

Pyrenean Shepherd is a small herding dog that originates from the French Alps. Although the breed is common in Europe, these dogs are not many in North America. According to the Spruce Pets, Pyrenean Shepherd have two distinct varieties; the face rase with shorter hair and smooth coated face, and the pail long with long, scruffy-looking hair on the body. Both varieties come in different colors, including fawn, black, and grey with a black mask. The merle pattern combines all colors, although it often features blue merle dogs.

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13. Catahoula Leopard dog

• Average Size: 22 to 25 inches
• Average Weight: 50 to 90 pounds
• Temperament: protective, willful, aloof
• Life Span: 12 to 15 years

Despite its exotic name, the Catahoula Leopard dog is a purely American breed that has its origin in Louisiana. Originally, this dog breed was used for hunting feral pigs for its athletic and strong-willed character. The Catahoula leopard dog comes in different colors and spotting different hues and forms, ranging from solid black to cream-colored. All the colors can be merle patterned or not. Don’t get the Catahoula for its unique color alone. The dogs are athletic and need to work at least two hours daily. If you can’t afford that, go for a different merle-colored breed with fewer exercise needs.

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12. Cardigan Welsh Corgi

• Average Size:10 – 13 inches
• Average Weight: 25 to 40 pounds
• Temperament: friendly, outgoing, playful
• Life Span: 12 to 14 years

Although merle-colored Cardigan Welsh Corgis are not common, the American Kennel Club (AKC) allows the registration of this breed. The common one is the blue tri merle and the blue tri merle. Merle corgis often have blue and light-grey eyes. The Cardigan Welsh Corgis are different from the Pembroke Corgis as they come with an intact tail, while the Pembroke has a docked tail. More so, merle pattern on Pembroke Corgis is not allowed, although some breeders still outcross these breeds.

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11. Beauceron

• Average Size: 24- 30 inches
• Average Weight: 70 to 100 pounds
• Temperament: aloof, intelligent, playful
• Life Span: 10 to 12 years

The Beauceron is another merle dog breed originating from the French Alps. Although very famous in France, the dog breed is not highly widespread in the US, and buyers can find it hard to find a nearby Beauceron breeder. Beaucerons are big dogs weighing up to 100 lbs., used as companions and guard dogs, and rescue and search dogs. The Beauceron often come in tan, black colors, and merle-patterned dogs. Both solid-colored and merle-patterned varieties have little to no white.

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10. Poodle

• Average Size: 5 to 15 inches
• Average Weight: 4 to 15 pounds
• Temperament: friendly, timid, anxious, playful
• Life Span:10 to 18 years

Poodles are available in three sizes; miniature, standard, and toy poodles. This dog breed has a range of colors, solid-colored or particolored varieties. Although the American Kennel Club does not accept the registration of merle-patterned dogs, some poodle breeders still crossbreed to produce merle poodles. According to the United Kennel Club, poodles provide great companions and family dogs. They are friendly and easy to train. However, this breed has sensitive digestion, so poodle owners should always be careful with their diet.

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9. Hungarian Mudi

• Average Size: 15 to 19 inches
• Average Weight: 18- 30 pounds
• Temperament: Playful, energetic, loyal
• Life Span: 12 to 15 years

The Hungarian Mudi is an Eastern Europe herding dog that has been doing this for many years. They can have different colors such as brown, cream or black. The common merle patterns in the breed This merle dog comes with blue splotches against a dark coat background. However, the Hungarian Mudi merles are currently not recognized by AKC as a pure breed. They can hence only participate as a miscellaneous class participant. Mudis are small, vocal, and energetic dogs that love running and barking. This is why they aren’t suitable as first-time dogs.

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8. Mini Aussie

• Average Size: 12 to 18 inches
• Average Weight: 30 to 40 pounds
• Temperament: intelligent, protective, affectionate
• Life Span: 10 to 13 years

The Mini Aussie is a mini version of the Australian Shepherd. They come in similar colors to their larger bigger cousins; red and tan, black and tan, and merle versions of both versions. Bi-colored Mini Aussies exist, although they are rare. These lap dogs are popular family and companion dogs. However, they also perform in barn hunts, agility, and disc dog competitions.

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7. Pomeranian

• Average Size: 6 to 8 inches
• Average Weight: 3 to 8 pounds
• Temperament: Friendly, playful, outgoing
• Life Span: 12 to 15 years

The Pomeranian is a famous toy dog breed originating from the Nordic countries. The dog breed features prick ears, a dense coat, and a pointy nose. Pomeranians often come with an orange/red or solid white coating. Pomeranians with merle coloring are rare, and you will likely spend significant time and money to get a merle Pomeranian puppy. They have a docile temperament and are friendly to people and other dogs. However, they often experience separation anxiety, so train it to stay by itself early to avoid such issues in the future.

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6. Smooth Collie

• Average Size: 22 – 26 inches
• Average Weight: 50 to 75 pounds
• Temperament: sociable, agile, active, playful
• Life Span: 12 to 14 years

According to its name, the Smooth Collie features a shorter coating, so it has no tedious grooming needs. They mostly have sable and black tri. The merle pattern combines with the black tri resulting in blue merle tri dogs. Smooth Collies have brown or blue eyes, one brown and one blue eye. If you want a playful friend, a Smooth Collie provides the perfect option with minimum maintenance.

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5. Rough Collie

• Average Size: 22 – 26 inches
• Average Weight: 50 to 70 pounds
• Temperament: affectionate, loyal, intelligent
• Life Span: 10 to 14 years

The Rough Collie is a close cousin to the Border Collie. These dogs mostly come in sable color, followed by black. Rough Collie merles have a merle pattern on the head and across their rump, with a white blaze on their head and a wide white collar. They are excellent companions and family dogs and easy to train. However, their rough coat means they have high grooming needs, often needing daily brushing.

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4. Aussiedoodle

• Average Size: 15 to 25 inches
• Average Weight: 30 to 75 pounds
• Temperament: friendly, gentle, playful
• Life Span: 10 to 14 years

Aussiedoodle is a popular doodle cross resulting from crossbreeding the Australian shepherds with poodles. The dog breed combines the pattern and color variations of the two crossing breeds resulting in endless color combination possibilities. According to Dogtime.com, the Aussiedoodle inherits the merle gene from the Australian shepherd parent. You can choose your preferred color among many options from grey, tri black, parti-colored, all white over apricot, and cream and merle.

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3. Old English Sheepdog

• Average Size: 21+ inches
• Average Weight: 60 to 100 pounds
• Temperament: Affectionate, friendly, outgoing
• Life Span: 10 to 13 years

The Old English Sheepdog is another breed that shows the merle characteristic. Initially, it was a herding dog due to its agility, large size, and intelligence. However, its playful nature, gorgeous looks, and friendly character make it a great family dog. The Old English Sheepdog comes with a characteristic blue, black, gray, grizzle, or blue merle with or without white markings. Eyes come in blue, brown, or one color in every eye.

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2. Cocker Spaniel

• Average Size: 13 to 15 inches
• Average Weight: 20 – 30 pounds
• Temperament: highly trainable, playful, friendly
• Life Span: 12 to 15 years

Lots of dog enthusiasts show love to the cocker spaniel. The dog breed initially accompanied bird hunters and later became one of the most affectionate and loyal dogs. Their coat features any solid color, merle, black with tan points, parti-color, and solid color with tan points. Merle cocker spaniel comes with blue eyes. According to Daily Puppy, although merle-colored spaniels exist, they are not considered an authentic breed by the American Spaniel Club.

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1. Cockapoo

• Average Size:10 to 15 inches
• Average Weight: 5 to 20 pounds
• Temperament: intelligent, loving, playful
• Life Span: 12 to 15 years

This lovable pooch results from crossbreeding the cocker spaniel and the poodle. It inherits the merle genes from the parent breeders. Merle cockapoos are rare and come with a light white base coat, littered with darker color spots that are unique in every each of them. It is hence not recognized by the AKC as it’s not a pure merle breed. However, it is very affectionate and a great family companion.

Conclusion

These are the dog breeds that display the merle coloring. Merle dog breeds are stunningly beautiful, stealing the hearts of many dog owners. Some are breed standards registered by the American Kennel Club, while others result from outcrossing. However, despite their elegant looks, they are susceptible to health issues such as blindness, deafness, or both. It is therefore essential to investigate the standards and buy a merle pup from certified breeders.