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 defines a merle?
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 …
Where does the word merle originate from?
Merle is a given name used by both men and women. The name is a variant of Merrill or Muriel,
influenced by the French word merle meaning blackbird (from the Latin merula)
.
What is a merle in English?
British English:
blackbird
/ˈblækˌbɜːd/ NOUN. A blackbird is a common European bird. The male has black feathers and a yellow beak, and the female has brown feathers. American English: blackbird /ˈblækbɜrd/
What Colour is merle?
English: Merle is a colour combination in dogs’ coats. It is a solid base color (
usually red/brown or black
) with lighter blue/gray or reddish patches, which gives a mottled or uneven speckled effect.
Is the merle gene bad?
Is the merle gene bad? As long as a dog only has one copy of the merle gene,
this is not bad or unhealthy at all
. The problems only arise when a dog has two copies of the merle gene and is a double merle – then he will experience an array of health issues.
What is the difference between merle and brindle?
Brindle is a coat pattern and not a color, and has a wild-type allele which is the product of at least two recessive genes and is rare. … Merle and
black
are dominant genes. A blue merle has two blue genes as well as one merle but can carry others as well. Read more on Brindle.
What does double merle mean?
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. … Double Merles can also be blind or have vision problems due to congenital eye defects.
Is merle an Irish name?
Origin of Merle
Merle is a name for girls and boys (e.g. in France). It derives from the Latin name Merula. Besides, Merle derived from Muriel or the
Irish name Muirgel
.
How do you tell if a dog is a double merle?
In a double merle,
the marbling/lightening effect is doubled and the coat becomes predominantly white
. Double merles also have a very high chance of being deaf, blind, or both because they lack pigment where it would normally be. The pups that do not inherit the gene twice are “normal” dogs.
What is a Blue Merle Pomeranian?
Merle is classified as a
gene modifier
that alters the colour pattern of a dog’s coat through his pigmentation. His eyes might also change to a blue. A blue eyed Pomeranian usually has a merle Pomeranian parent.
Do merle puppies change color?
Probably the most common type of color change is
that of progressive darkening
. Many blue merles and red merles are born with their merle areas fairly light. As the years go by they darken until in old age blue merles can resemble black tris and red merles can resemble red tris (or bis, or selfs).
What’s wrong with merle dogs?
Health Issues
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).
What does blue merle look like?
Blue merles can exhibit a range of coat markings. Some blue merle dogs will have a
mostly gray-blue coat with a few small, black patches
. The most common merle pattern and the one described in most breed standards is a coat that is approximately 50 percent merle, or gray-blue, and 50 percent black patches.
What does merle mean in dog color?
Merle is
a genetic pattern that can be in a dog’s coat
. … 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).
