MERLE DOG

Temperament:  Lively, Focused and Hardworking.
Height: 14-18 inches.
Weight: 20-40 pounds.
Life Expectancy: 12 to 15 years
Dog Breed Group: Herding Dogs

MORE ABOUT THIS BREED

Merle is a genetic pattern that can be in a dog’s coat. Merle comes in different colors and patterns and can affect all coat colors. The merle gene creates mottled patches of color in a solid or piebald coat, blue or odd-colored eyes, and can affect skin pigment as well. There are two general types of colored patches that will appear in a merle coat: liver (red merle) and black (blue merle). Some breeds that can be affected by this genetic trait are Australian Shepherds and Catahoula Leopard Dogs. This genetic trait should be taken seriously when breeding merles. Health issues are more typical and more severe when two merles are bred together, so it is recommended that a merle be bred with a non-merle dog of any other color.

Merle is a distinguishing marking of several breeds, particularly the Australian Shepherd and Catahoula Leopard Dog, and appears in others, including the Koolie, German Coolies in Australia, the Shetland Sheepdog, various collies, the Welsh Corgi (Cardigan), the Pyrenean Shepherd and the Bergamasco Sheepdog. In dachshunds the merle marking is known as “dapple”. The merle gene also plays a part in producing harlequin Great Danes. Harlequin Beaucerons are genetically merle.

Depending on the breed, registry, or country, the pattern may be register-able with a registry but not allowed in conformation, and the pattern may not be recognized by the breed standard, disqualifying it from showing. There may also be additional requirements for the pattern such as the dog being allowed to have the pattern but must have completely dark eyes with no blue in them.

Merle is sometimes introduced to other purebred dog breeds through crossbreeding, but these dogs are not purebred and cannot be registered with any reputable kennel club. Just recently the UK Kennel Club (the oldest in the World) has banned the registration of merle Poodles as they are not and never have been a color recognized in pure Poodles.

This pooch began as a line of Australian Shepherds bred for their smaller size, but eventually, they became their own distinct breed (they are not toy sized dogs though).

PERSONALITY

He tends to be highly intelligent, enthusiastic and devoted to his family. This breed is usually gentle with children and polite to other dogs and cats, especially when he is raised with them.

Like his herding breed cohorts, he is energetic and hard-working. He likes to have a job, and he wants to be the best at it, so he’s a pleasure to train and compete with, always performing with flair. Almost Merle is a problem solver and enjoys learning games and tricks. You may have to start spelling words in his presence because his vocabulary can be immense.

FEEDING

While this is a very active breed, it is also a small one.

You won’t need to feed them as much as a standard sized Australian Shepherd.

An adult dog needs 2 cups of kibble a day, at 1 cup per meal. If you want to give them wet food, replace one of their cups of kibble with one can.

Both wet and dry food should be made from raw meat ingredients, with little to no additives or fillers. Meat should always make up the majority of any dogs diet, followed by natural sources of healthy fats. Carbs and grains should only be present in small amounts.

HEALTH

The merle gene is known to cause a number of health problems, mostly deafness and blindness, and also sun sensitivity and higher rates of skin cancer. These problems are unusual in heterozygous merles (Mm) but more common in homozygous merles (MM). For this reason, two merle dogs should not be bred together, as a general rule, as this will likely result in some double merle puppies. There are some exceptions to this, which are explained on the Advanced page.

The reason merle can be problematic is it can cause lack of pigment in certain vital areas – the eyes and inner ears. Most heterozygous merles have plenty of pigment because they still have an m (non-merle) allele to help them to make it, but double merles often have large white areas where there is no pigment produced at all.

CARE

This breeds love of long walks comes from its history of farmlands. You can take yours out for an hour long hike, or split it into 2 brisk 30 minute walks each day.

They must be kept on their leash at all times as they may want to jump at people or chase other animals.

Each day they need an hour of walking plus 30 extra minutes of play time a day. Chasing and jumping are their favorite ways to play.

They love to help their owners and will want to be given daily tasks to do around the home. If you live on a farm or keep live stock they are one of the best four legged farmhands you can find.

• Number of Walks Per Day: 2.
• Total Exercise Needed Per Day: Minimum 90 minutes.

GROOMING

These dogs shed a lot – especially during the spring and fall shedding seasons!

You will need to brush your dog every day and check their fur for dirt, fleas and ticks.

Special brushes and combs can be used for controlling shedding, which reach both layers of the coat. A fine toothed comb can pick out dirt or bugs that may be hiding in the fur.

It’s likely that your active pooch will wear their nails down naturally as they run. If your dog’s nails are curling it’s time to trim them down.

SOME PICTURES ABOUT THIS BREED

Source: perfectdogbreeds, vetstreet.