Merle (coat colour in dogs)

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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. Some percentage of merle puppies could have eye defects and/or could be deaf. Genetically it is linked to the Silver dapple color of horses and the microphthalmia Locus of the Mouse.

Deutsch: Der Merle-Faktor ist ein Scheckungsgen, das zu Fehlbildungen der Augen wie dem Fehlen von Linse oder verkleinerten Augäpfeln bei Tieren führen kann. Die Mutation entspricht der Pferdefarbe Windfarben und dem Microphthalmia-Locus der Maus

[edit] Blue Merle

Blue merle Catahoula Leopard Dog

[edit] Blue Merle with tan

Homozygous merle

[edit] Blue Merle with white Spotting

Blue merle Border Collie puppy

Blue merle Border Collie

[edit] Three-Colored Blue Merle

Threecolored Australian Shepherds, right with merle, left without merle			Blue merle Australian Shepherd
Blue merle Smooth Collie	Blue merle Rough Collie	Blue merle Shetland Sheepdog

[edit] Red Merle

red and tan with merle (the tan color isn't changed by merle pattening)

A red-merle Smooth Dachshund

A female red-merle Australian Shepherd puppy

[edit] Red Merle and white

Red merle Catahoula Leopard Dogs	Red merle and white Australian Shepherd	A 65 lb, 18 month Old, Red Merle Australian Shepherd (playing with a black Labrador mix).	Red merle and white Australian Shepherd
Red merle and white Australian Shepherd puppy