Chien pattern
Merle
Irregular dark patches on a diluted ground of the same color (blue merle, red merle); the Dachshund calls it dapple.
72 Chien breeds list Merle. It is in a club standard for 27 breeds. At least one club disqualifies it in 27 breeds.
Breeds whose standards accept Merle
| Breed | FCI | AKC | KC | KUSA | UKC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Leopard Hound | No ruling | Standard (“Merle Markings”) | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“Leopard spotted”) |
| Berger américain miniature | Standard (“blue merle ... red or liver merle”) | Standard (“Blue Merle”) | Standard (“blue merle ... red merle”) | Standard (“blue merle ... red, or liver merle”) | Standard (“blue merle ... red merle”) |
| Berger australien | Standard (“blue merle, red merle”) | Standard (“Blue Merle”) | Standard (“blue merle, red merle”) | Standard (“blue merle, red merle”) | Standard (“blue merle, red merle”) |
| Berger d'Anatolie | No ruling | Standard (“All color patterns and markings are equally acceptable”) | Non reconnu (“Merle unacceptable”) | No ruling | Standard (“All colors are acceptable”) |
| Berger des Pyrénées | Standard (“blue with black mottling (harlequin or slate blue)”) | Standard (“Blue Merle”) | Standard (“blue merle”) | Standard (“blue with black mottling (harlequin or slate blue)”) | No ruling |
| Berger des Shetland | Standard (“Blue Merle”) | Standard (“Blue Merle & White”) | Standard (“Blue Merle”) | Standard (“Blue Merle”) | Standard (“blue merle, sable, sable merle”) |
| Berger polonais de plaine | Standard (“all colours and patches are acceptable”) | Standard (“all coat colors are acceptable”) | Non reconnu (“merle, which is unacceptable”) | Standard (“all colours and patches are acceptable”) | No ruling |
| Bobtail | Non reconnu | Standard (“Blue Merle & White”) | Non reconnu | Non reconnu | Non reconnu |
| Border Collie | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) | Standard (“Blue Merle”) | Standard (“Blue Merle”) | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) | Standard (“merle”) |
| Catahoula Leopard Dog | No ruling | Standard (“Blue Merle”) | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“The Leopard pattern has a base color, with contrasting spots of one or more other colors”) |
| Chien de berger bergamasque | Standard (“with grey patches of all possible shades”) | Standard (“gradations of gray (including merle)”) | Standard (“with patches of all shades of grey through to black”) | Standard (“with grey patches of all possible shades”) | Standard (“with gray patches”) |
| Chien nu du Pérou | Éliminatoire (“Merle coat colour in the coated variety”) | Standard (“In the coated variety all colors are accepted”) | No ruling | Éliminatoire (“Merle coat colour in the coated variety”) | No ruling |
| Chihuahua | Éliminatoire (“Merle colour”) | Standard (“Merle Markings”) | Non reconnu (“never merle (dapple), which is unacceptable”) | Non reconnu (“never merle (dapple), which is unacceptable”) | Éliminatoire (“Merle color”) |
| Colley | No ruling | Standard (“Blue Merle”) | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“blue merle”) |
| Colley à poil court | Standard (“Blue Merle”) | Standard (“Blue Merle”) | Standard (“Blue Merle”) | Standard (“Blue Merle”) | Standard (“blue merle”) |
| Colley à poil long | Standard (“Blue Merle”) | Standard (“Blue Merle”) | Standard (“Blue Merle”) | Standard (“Blue Merle”) | Standard (“blue merle”) |
| Dogue allemand | Standard (“Merle (grey-black splashed patches)”) | Standard (“Merle”) | Non reconnu (“Merle”) | Standard (“Merle (grey-black splashed patches)”) | Standard (“Merle”) |
| Mâtin des Pyrénées | Standard (“marbled”) | No ruling | Standard (“marbled”) | No ruling | Standard (“marbled”) |
| Mudi | Standard (“Cifra (Merle)”) | Standard (“Merle Markings”) | Standard (“merle in these colours”) | Standard (“Cifra (Merle)”) | Standard (“Merle”) |
| Spitz nain | No ruling | Standard (“Merle Markings”) | Non reconnu (“including merle, unacceptable”) | Non reconnu (“merles not permissible”) | No ruling |
| Teckel | Standard (“dapple (merle)”) | Standard (“Dapple”) | Standard (“dapple pattern”) | Standard (“dapple pattern”) | Standard (“dappled”) |
| TeckelLisse | Standard (“dapple (merle)”) | Standard (“Dapple”) | Standard (“dapple pattern”) | Standard (“dapple pattern”) | Standard (“dappled”) |
| TeckelPoil dur | Standard (“dapple (merle)”) | Standard (“Dapple”) | Standard (“dapple pattern”) | Standard (“dapple pattern”) | Standard (“dappled”) |
| TeckelÀ poil long | Standard (“dapple (merle)”) | Standard (“Dapple”) | Standard (“dapple pattern”) | Standard (“dapple pattern”) | Standard (“dappled”) |
| Welsh Corgi Cardigan | Standard (“blue merle”) | Standard (“Blue Merle & White”) | Standard (“blue merle”) | Standard (“blue merle”) | Standard (“blue merle (black and gray marbled)”) |
| Xoloitzcuintle | Éliminatoire (“Merle colour”) | Alternative (“Merle”) | Non reconnu (“Merle unacceptable”) | Éliminatoire (“Merle colour”) | Standard (“Any color combination is allowed”) |
| XoloitzcuintleÀ poil | Éliminatoire (“Merle colour”) | Alternative (“Merle”) | Non reconnu (“Merle unacceptable”) | Éliminatoire (“Merle colour”) | Standard (“Any color combination is allowed”) |
Breeds where Merle is a fault
| Breed | FCI | KUSA |
|---|---|---|
| Cocker anglais | Défaut | Non reconnu |
Breeds where Merle is disqualified or not accepted
| Breed | FCI | AKC | KC | KUSA | UKC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AkitaAméricain | Éliminatoire (“merle marking pattern”) | Éliminatoire (“merle marking pattern”) | Non reconnu (“merle which is unacceptable”) | Éliminatoire (“merle marking pattern”) | No ruling |
| American Pit Bull Terrier | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Éliminatoire (“merle”) |
| Beagle | No ruling | Éliminatoire (“Merle and Brindle Color Patterns”) | Non reconnu | Non reconnu | Éliminatoire (“Merle”) |
| Berger anglais | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Éliminatoire (“Blue merles”) |
| Bolonka tsvetnaya russe | No ruling | Éliminatoire (“merle”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Bouledogue français | No ruling | Éliminatoire (“merle”) | Non reconnu | No ruling | No ruling |
| Bulldog anglais | No ruling | Éliminatoire (“The merle pattern”) | Non reconnu | Non reconnu | Éliminatoire (“Merle color”) |
| Caniche (grand) | Non reconnu | Éliminatoire | Non reconnu | Non reconnu | Éliminatoire (“merle coloring”) |
| Caniche (nain) | Non reconnu | Éliminatoire | Non reconnu | Non reconnu | Éliminatoire (“merle coloring”) |
| Caniche (Toy) | Non reconnu | Éliminatoire | Non reconnu | Non reconnu | Éliminatoire (“merle coloring”) |
| Carolina Dog | No ruling | Éliminatoire (“merle/roan/mottling/dappling”) | No ruling | No ruling | Éliminatoire (“merle, roan, mottling, dappling”) |
| Cocker américain | Éliminatoire | Éliminatoire (“Merle Markings”) | Non reconnu | Éliminatoire | Éliminatoire (“Merle color”) |
| Drever | Éliminatoire (“merle”) | Éliminatoire (“merle”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Fila Brasileiro | Éliminatoire (“dappled”) | No ruling | No ruling | Éliminatoire (“dappled”) | No ruling |
| Husky de Sibérie | Éliminatoire (“merle ... patterns are not allowable and are to be disqualified”) | Éliminatoire (“merle ... patterns are not allowable and are to be disqualified”) | Non reconnu (“except merle which is unacceptable”) | Éliminatoire (“merle ... patterns are not allowable and are to be disqualified”) | No ruling |
| Lévrier italien | Éliminatoire | No ruling | Non reconnu (“Merle”) | Non reconnu (“Merle”) | No ruling |
| Rat Terrier | No ruling | Éliminatoire (“Brindle or merle color patterns”) | No ruling | No ruling | Éliminatoire (“merle”) |
| Spitz allemand | No ruling | Éliminatoire (“merle”) | Non reconnu (“with the exception of merle, which is unacceptable”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| Spitz allemandGrand | No ruling | Éliminatoire (“merle”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Staffordshire Bull Terrier | No ruling | Éliminatoire (“merle pattern”) | Non reconnu | Non reconnu | No ruling |
| Teddy Roosevelt Terrier | No ruling | Éliminatoire (“Merle Markings”) | No ruling | No ruling | Éliminatoire (“merle”) |
| Terrier nu américain | No ruling | Éliminatoire (“merle”) | No ruling | No ruling | Éliminatoire (“Merle (Coated variety)”) |
| Yorkshire Terrier | No ruling | Éliminatoire | Non reconnu | Non reconnu | No ruling |
| Akita | Non reconnu | Non reconnu | Non reconnu (“merle which is unacceptable (Akita)”) | Non reconnu | No ruling |
| Barzoï | No ruling | No ruling | Non reconnu (“merle which is unacceptable”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| Bichon havanais | No ruling | No ruling | Non reconnu (“except merle which is unacceptable”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| Boston Terrier | No ruling | No ruling | Non reconnu | No ruling | No ruling |
| Chien chinois à crête | No ruling | No ruling | Non reconnu (“except merle, which is unacceptable”) | Non reconnu (“except merle, which is unacceptable”) | No ruling |
| Chien de Canaan | Non reconnu | Non reconnu | Non reconnu (“Blue Merle”) | Non reconnu | No ruling |
| Chien finnois de Laponie | No ruling | No ruling | Non reconnu (“except merle, which is unacceptable”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| Colley barbu | Non reconnu (“never merle/dapple”) | No ruling | Non reconnu (“merle unacceptable”) | Non reconnu (“never merle/dapple”) | No ruling |
| Épagneul tibétain | No ruling | No ruling | Non reconnu (“merle which is unacceptable”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| Eurasier | No ruling | No ruling | Non reconnu (“merle, which are unacceptable”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| Lévrier afghan | No ruling | No ruling | Non reconnu (“merle which is unacceptable”) | Non reconnu (“merle which is unacceptable”) | No ruling |
| Lhassa Apso | Non reconnu | No ruling | Non reconnu (“merle, which is unacceptable”) | Non reconnu | No ruling |
| Pékinois | No ruling | No ruling | Non reconnu (“Albino, liver or merle unacceptable”) | Non reconnu (“Albino, liver or merle unacceptable”) | No ruling |
| Petit chien lion | No ruling | No ruling | Non reconnu (“merle which is unacceptable”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| Shih Tzu | No ruling | No ruling | Non reconnu (“except merle, which is unacceptable”) | Non reconnu (“except merle, which is unacceptable”) | No ruling |
| Sloughi oriental | No ruling | Non reconnu | Non reconnu (“brindle, blue or merle which are unacceptable”) | Non reconnu (“brindle, blue or merle which are unacceptable”) | No ruling |
| Terrier tibétain | Non reconnu (“any colour except chocolate, liver or merle permissible”) | No ruling | Non reconnu (“chocolate, liver or merle, which are unacceptable”) | Non reconnu (“any colour except chocolate, liver or merle permissible”) | No ruling |
| Welsh Corgi Pembroke | Non reconnu | No ruling | Non reconnu | Non reconnu | No ruling |
| Whippet | Non reconnu (“Any colour or mixture of colours, except merle”) | No ruling | Non reconnu (“Merle unacceptable”) | Non reconnu (“Merle unacceptable”) | No ruling |
| American Staffordshire Terrier | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Chien de berger gallois | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |