Introduction

Cocoa Merle Poodle A merle poodle contains a cacophony of colors on its coat. Merle tends to express itself in patches, dots, spots, and dashes. Merle is a genetic pattern that may appear in any dog’s coat. There are several different colors and patterns of merle and this can be manifested on every coat color. The following patches create a mottled effect when it comes to color but in a solid or piebald coat, the eyes turn blue or odd. There is also an effect that may be seen on pigmentation of the skin.

History & Overview

Poodles are one of the most widely known breeds of dog: they are intelligent, athletes, and hypoallergenic. There are actually three sizes of Poodle: Standard, Miniature, and Toy. Merle is a coat color pattern found in some purebred dogs, including Poodles. The Merle effect involves a mottled, or marbled appearance by the patches of solid-colored skin juxtaposed with an area of dilute- or washed-out color. Available in a wide range of colors, these include blue merles, red merles, chocolate merles, and black merles. While the Merle coat pattern is recognized by no breed standard of Poodle breeds, it is certainly not considered a standard coat color by any club. However, it remains and is a purebred Poodle.

 Are Merle Poodles hypoallergenic?

Yes. General poodles are considered hypoallergenic since their fur falls very slightly.

Health Consideration

we are strongly recommending that the refined Merle allele test be conducted on all Merle breed dogs. This would help the breeders to select the proper mate and consequently produce healthy offspring. The Merle pattern is seen in a variety of breeds. These include 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 Welsh Corgi, Chihuahua, Great Dane etc.

Detailed

Merle is considered to be inherited in an autosomal, incomplete dominant manner. Dogs that are heterozygous for the M allele appear to have a typical coat pattern, but dogs homozygous for the M allele can also present with hearing and ophthalmologic defects and dysmorphias and have very pale or even fully white coat phenotypes (Strain et al. 2009). Specific sizes of the M Allele have been associated with the ability to produce “classic” merle patterning or other M-associated coat color variations. Merle is best described as a spectrum of coat colors/patterns, and the size of the variant M allele is associated with a coat color/pattern somewhere along that spectrum.

Although some coat color/ pattern variations have been associated with particular sizes of the M allele in specific breeds, referred to here as a ‘bin’, size of the M allele is not a predictor for what will happen. Generally, dogs having M allele sizes between 200 – 246 bp have been associated with non-merle or minimal-merle coat colors/patterns and are mostly called “cryptic” merle; M allele sizes ranging from 247

Akc classification

Merle in AKC classification usually goes by the names of Black & Silver or Brown and Tan.

Merle poodles though will break your bank with a mere $5,000.

That is fairly typical of the breed type of poodle (standard, toy or miniature) and age-range (puppy or adult).

Merle dogs are typically costlier than their same breed color-dogs simply because there is such a low number of quality responsible Merle breeding dog owners.

FAQS

  Can Merle Poodles be left alone for long periods?

Although they can tolerate being left for a time, they love company and may suffer from separation anxiety if separated for too long.

What are the key signs of health issues in Poodles?

General signs of poor health are a loss of appetite, lethargy, extreme behavioral change or even physical signs such as limping or the eyes running. Regular check-ups with your vet will help identify any problems early on .

How much exercise does a Poodle need?

They require 30-60 minutes of exercise daily.

• What are the typical costs of owning a Blue Merle Mini Poodle?

which typically ranges from $1,500 to $3,000, depending on factors like lineage and location. Additionally, ongoing costs for food, grooming, routine veterinary care, training, and supplies can add up to several hundred dollars annually