United Pet Club

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

BreedFCIAKCKCKUSAUKC
American Leopard HoundNo rulingStandard (“Merle Markings”)No rulingNo rulingStandard (“Leopard spotted”)
Berger américain miniatureStandard (“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 australienStandard (“blue merle, red merle”)Standard (“Blue Merle”)Standard (“blue merle, red merle”)Standard (“blue merle, red merle”)Standard (“blue merle, red merle”)
Berger d'AnatolieNo rulingStandard (“All color patterns and markings are equally acceptable”)Non reconnu (“Merle unacceptable”)No rulingStandard (“All colors are acceptable”)
Berger des PyrénéesStandard (“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 ShetlandStandard (“Blue Merle”)Standard (“Blue Merle & White”)Standard (“Blue Merle”)Standard (“Blue Merle”)Standard (“blue merle, sable, sable merle”)
Berger polonais de plaineStandard (“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
BobtailNon reconnuStandard (“Blue Merle & White”)Non reconnuNon reconnuNon reconnu
Border CollieStandard (“variety of colours permissible”)Standard (“Blue Merle”)Standard (“Blue Merle”)Standard (“variety of colours permissible”)Standard (“merle”)
Catahoula Leopard DogNo rulingStandard (“Blue Merle”)No rulingNo rulingStandard (“The Leopard pattern has a base color, with contrasting spots of one or more other colors”)
Chien de berger bergamasqueStandard (“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 PérouÉliminatoire (“Merle coat colour in the coated variety”)Standard (“In the coated variety all colors are accepted”)No rulingÉliminatoire (“Merle coat colour in the coated variety”)No ruling
ChihuahuaÉliminatoire (“Merle colour”)Standard (“Merle Markings”)Non reconnu (“never merle (dapple), which is unacceptable”)Non reconnu (“never merle (dapple), which is unacceptable”)Éliminatoire (“Merle color”)
ColleyNo rulingStandard (“Blue Merle”)No rulingNo rulingStandard (“blue merle”)
Colley à poil courtStandard (“Blue Merle”)Standard (“Blue Merle”)Standard (“Blue Merle”)Standard (“Blue Merle”)Standard (“blue merle”)
Colley à poil longStandard (“Blue Merle”)Standard (“Blue Merle”)Standard (“Blue Merle”)Standard (“Blue Merle”)Standard (“blue merle”)
Dogue allemandStandard (“Merle (grey-black splashed patches)”)Standard (“Merle”)Non reconnu (“Merle”)Standard (“Merle (grey-black splashed patches)”)Standard (“Merle”)
Mâtin des PyrénéesStandard (“marbled”)No rulingStandard (“marbled”)No rulingStandard (“marbled”)
MudiStandard (“Cifra (Merle)”)Standard (“Merle Markings”)Standard (“merle in these colours”)Standard (“Cifra (Merle)”)Standard (“Merle”)
Spitz nainNo rulingStandard (“Merle Markings”)Non reconnu (“including merle, unacceptable”)Non reconnu (“merles not permissible”)No ruling
TeckelStandard (“dapple (merle)”)Standard (“Dapple”)Standard (“dapple pattern”)Standard (“dapple pattern”)Standard (“dappled”)
TeckelLisseStandard (“dapple (merle)”)Standard (“Dapple”)Standard (“dapple pattern”)Standard (“dapple pattern”)Standard (“dappled”)
TeckelPoil durStandard (“dapple (merle)”)Standard (“Dapple”)Standard (“dapple pattern”)Standard (“dapple pattern”)Standard (“dappled”)
TeckelÀ poil longStandard (“dapple (merle)”)Standard (“Dapple”)Standard (“dapple pattern”)Standard (“dapple pattern”)Standard (“dappled”)
Welsh Corgi CardiganStandard (“blue merle”)Standard (“Blue Merle & White”)Standard (“blue merle”)Standard (“blue merle”)Standard (“blue merle (black and gray marbled)”)
XoloitzcuintleÉliminatoire (“Merle colour”)Alternative (“Merle”)Non reconnu (“Merle unacceptable”)Éliminatoire (“Merle colour”)Standard (“Any color combination is allowed”)
XoloitzcuintleÀ poilÉliminatoire (“Merle colour”)Alternative (“Merle”)Non reconnu (“Merle unacceptable”)Éliminatoire (“Merle colour”)Standard (“Any color combination is allowed”)

Breeds where Merle is a fault

BreedFCIKUSA
Cocker anglaisDéfautNon reconnu

Breeds where Merle is disqualified or not accepted

BreedFCIAKCKCKUSAUKC
AkitaAméricainÉliminatoire (“merle marking pattern”)Éliminatoire (“merle marking pattern”)Non reconnu (“merle which is unacceptable”)Éliminatoire (“merle marking pattern”)No ruling
American Pit Bull TerrierNo rulingNo rulingNo rulingNo rulingÉliminatoire (“merle”)
BeagleNo rulingÉliminatoire (“Merle and Brindle Color Patterns”)Non reconnuNon reconnuÉliminatoire (“Merle”)
Berger anglaisNo rulingNo rulingNo rulingNo rulingÉliminatoire (“Blue merles”)
Bolonka tsvetnaya russeNo rulingÉliminatoire (“merle”)No rulingNo rulingNo ruling
Bouledogue françaisNo rulingÉliminatoire (“merle”)Non reconnuNo rulingNo ruling
Bulldog anglaisNo rulingÉliminatoire (“The merle pattern”)Non reconnuNon reconnuÉliminatoire (“Merle color”)
Caniche (grand)Non reconnuÉliminatoireNon reconnuNon reconnuÉliminatoire (“merle coloring”)
Caniche (nain)Non reconnuÉliminatoireNon reconnuNon reconnuÉliminatoire (“merle coloring”)
Caniche (Toy)Non reconnuÉliminatoireNon reconnuNon reconnuÉliminatoire (“merle coloring”)
Carolina DogNo rulingÉliminatoire (“merle/roan/mottling/dappling”)No rulingNo rulingÉliminatoire (“merle, roan, mottling, dappling”)
Cocker américainÉliminatoireÉliminatoire (“Merle Markings”)Non reconnuÉliminatoireÉliminatoire (“Merle color”)
DreverÉliminatoire (“merle”)Éliminatoire (“merle”)No rulingNo rulingNo ruling
Fila BrasileiroÉliminatoire (“dappled”)No rulingNo rulingÉliminatoire (“dappled”)No ruling
Husky de SibérieÉliminatoire (“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 italienÉliminatoireNo rulingNon reconnu (“Merle”)Non reconnu (“Merle”)No ruling
Rat TerrierNo rulingÉliminatoire (“Brindle or merle color patterns”)No rulingNo rulingÉliminatoire (“merle”)
Spitz allemandNo rulingÉliminatoire (“merle”)Non reconnu (“with the exception of merle, which is unacceptable”)No rulingNo ruling
Spitz allemandGrandNo rulingÉliminatoire (“merle”)No rulingNo rulingNo ruling
Staffordshire Bull TerrierNo rulingÉliminatoire (“merle pattern”)Non reconnuNon reconnuNo ruling
Teddy Roosevelt TerrierNo rulingÉliminatoire (“Merle Markings”)No rulingNo rulingÉliminatoire (“merle”)
Terrier nu américainNo rulingÉliminatoire (“merle”)No rulingNo rulingÉliminatoire (“Merle (Coated variety)”)
Yorkshire TerrierNo rulingÉliminatoireNon reconnuNon reconnuNo ruling
AkitaNon reconnuNon reconnuNon reconnu (“merle which is unacceptable (Akita)”)Non reconnuNo ruling
BarzoïNo rulingNo rulingNon reconnu (“merle which is unacceptable”)No rulingNo ruling
Bichon havanaisNo rulingNo rulingNon reconnu (“except merle which is unacceptable”)No rulingNo ruling
Boston TerrierNo rulingNo rulingNon reconnuNo rulingNo ruling
Chien chinois à crêteNo rulingNo rulingNon reconnu (“except merle, which is unacceptable”)Non reconnu (“except merle, which is unacceptable”)No ruling
Chien de CanaanNon reconnuNon reconnuNon reconnu (“Blue Merle”)Non reconnuNo ruling
Chien finnois de LaponieNo rulingNo rulingNon reconnu (“except merle, which is unacceptable”)No rulingNo ruling
Colley barbuNon reconnu (“never merle/dapple”)No rulingNon reconnu (“merle unacceptable”)Non reconnu (“never merle/dapple”)No ruling
Épagneul tibétainNo rulingNo rulingNon reconnu (“merle which is unacceptable”)No rulingNo ruling
EurasierNo rulingNo rulingNon reconnu (“merle, which are unacceptable”)No rulingNo ruling
Lévrier afghanNo rulingNo rulingNon reconnu (“merle which is unacceptable”)Non reconnu (“merle which is unacceptable”)No ruling
Lhassa ApsoNon reconnuNo rulingNon reconnu (“merle, which is unacceptable”)Non reconnuNo ruling
PékinoisNo rulingNo rulingNon reconnu (“Albino, liver or merle unacceptable”)Non reconnu (“Albino, liver or merle unacceptable”)No ruling
Petit chien lionNo rulingNo rulingNon reconnu (“merle which is unacceptable”)No rulingNo ruling
Shih TzuNo rulingNo rulingNon reconnu (“except merle, which is unacceptable”)Non reconnu (“except merle, which is unacceptable”)No ruling
Sloughi orientalNo rulingNon reconnuNon reconnu (“brindle, blue or merle which are unacceptable”)Non reconnu (“brindle, blue or merle which are unacceptable”)No ruling
Terrier tibétainNon reconnu (“any colour except chocolate, liver or merle permissible”)No rulingNon reconnu (“chocolate, liver or merle, which are unacceptable”)Non reconnu (“any colour except chocolate, liver or merle permissible”)No ruling
Welsh Corgi PembrokeNon reconnuNo rulingNon reconnuNon reconnuNo ruling
WhippetNon reconnu (“Any colour or mixture of colours, except merle”)No rulingNon reconnu (“Merle unacceptable”)Non reconnu (“Merle unacceptable”)No ruling
American Staffordshire TerrierNo rulingNo rulingNo rulingNo rulingNo ruling
Chien de berger galloisNo rulingNo rulingNo rulingNo rulingNo ruling
See all Chien colors, patterns and markings