%22%3E%3Cg%20fill%3D%22%231C1C1C%22%3E%3Cpath%20d%3D%22M27.7%2026.6C27.8%2025.9%2027.4%2024.9%2027.9%2024.2C28.3%2023.5%2029.5%2022.4%2030.4%2022.5C31.2%2022.6%2032.2%2024.1%2033%2024.8C33.8%2025.5%2035.3%2026.1%2035.4%2026.7C35.4%2027.3%2034%2027.8%2033.3%2028.4C32.5%2028.9%2031.8%2029.6%2030.9%2029.9C29.9%2030.2%2028.4%2030.2%2027.8%2030C27.2%2029.8%2027.2%2029.1%2027.2%2028.5C27.2%2027.9%2027.6%2027.3%2027.7%2026.6ZM48.2%2026.5C49.2%2026.8%2050.9%2026.8%2051.6%2027.3C52.3%2027.7%2052.5%2028.6%2052.3%2029.2C52.2%2029.7%2051.5%2030.1%2050.5%2030.5C49.5%2030.9%2047.3%2031.7%2046.4%2031.6C45.5%2031.5%2045.6%2030.5%2045.1%2030.1C44.6%2029.7%2043.7%2029.7%2043.3%2029.1C42.9%2028.5%2042.3%2027.2%2042.6%2026.7C43%2026.1%2044.5%2025.6%2045.5%2025.6C46.4%2025.5%2047.2%2026.2%2048.2%2026.5ZM42.9%2033.8C43.7%2033.1%2046.3%2033.7%2047.4%2033.6C48.5%2033.6%2048.6%2033.3%2049.4%2033.5C50.1%2033.7%2051.6%2034%2051.9%2034.7C52.2%2035.4%2051.2%2036.5%2051.1%2037.7C51%2038.8%2052%2040.6%2051.2%2041.5C50.5%2042.4%2048.1%2043.2%2046.8%2043C45.5%2042.8%2044.2%2041.2%2043.6%2040.3C43%2039.4%2043.2%2038.8%2043.1%2037.7C43%2036.7%2042.2%2034.5%2042.9%2033.8ZM51.9%2018.2C53%2018.7%2054.1%2020.3%2054.3%2021.3C54.5%2022.3%2053.7%2023.2%2053%2024.3C52.3%2025.5%2051.2%2027.7%2050.1%2028.1C48.9%2028.5%2047%2027%2046%2026.6C45%2026.2%2044.7%2026.4%2044.1%2025.8C43.4%2025.2%2042.3%2024.4%2042.1%2023.2C41.9%2022%2042.1%2019.2%2043.1%2018.5C44%2017.8%2046.3%2018.9%2047.8%2018.9C49.3%2018.8%2050.8%2017.8%2051.9%2018.2ZM36.6%2037.1C36%2037.5%2035.7%2037.1%2035.2%2037.3C34.6%2037.5%2034.2%2038.2%2033.5%2038.2C32.8%2038.2%2031.8%2037.7%2030.9%2037.2C30%2036.7%2028%2035.6%2028%2035C28%2034.3%2030%2033.6%2031%2033.2C31.9%2032.8%2032.8%2032.5%2033.5%2032.7C34.3%2032.9%2034.7%2034%2035.6%2034.4C36.4%2034.8%2038.6%2034.5%2038.7%2034.9C38.9%2035.4%2037.2%2036.7%2036.6%2037.1ZM42.1%2025.5C41.9%2025.7%2041.5%2025.9%2041.2%2026C41%2026.1%2040.6%2026.3%2040.5%2026C40.4%2025.8%2040.5%2024.8%2040.6%2024.4C40.6%2024%2040.7%2023.8%2040.8%2023.6C40.9%2023.3%2040.9%2023.1%2041.1%2022.8C41.3%2022.5%2042%2021.7%2042.3%2021.8C42.6%2021.9%2043%2022.9%2043%2023.4C43%2024%2042.5%2024.6%2042.3%2025C42.2%2025.3%2042.3%2025.4%2042.1%2025.5ZM35.6%2030C35.9%2029.7%2036%2029.4%2036.2%2029.2C36.5%2029%2036.9%2028.9%2037.1%2029C37.3%2029.1%2037.2%2029.7%2037.3%2029.9C37.5%2030.2%2037.8%2030.3%2037.9%2030.7C38%2031%2038.4%2031.8%2038.1%2032.1C37.8%2032.5%2036.7%2032.8%2036.2%2032.7C35.8%2032.6%2035.7%2031.9%2035.5%2031.6C35.2%2031.3%2034.6%2031.1%2034.7%2030.9C34.7%2030.6%2035.4%2030.3%2035.6%2030Z%22%2F%3E%3Cpath%20d%3D%22M29.6%2043.3C29.7%2043%2030.2%2043%2030.5%2042.8C30.8%2042.7%2031.1%2042.2%2031.3%2042.3C31.5%2042.3%2031.5%2042.7%2031.8%2043C32.1%2043.3%2033.1%2043.8%2033.2%2044.1C33.2%2044.5%2032.5%2044.8%2032.2%2045.1C32%2045.3%2032%2045.5%2031.6%2045.6C31.3%2045.7%2030.6%2045.8%2030.3%2045.7C30.1%2045.5%2030.2%2045.1%2030.1%2044.7C29.9%2044.3%2029.5%2043.6%2029.6%2043.3ZM26.8%2022.9C26.4%2022.6%2026.7%2022.5%2026.5%2022.1C26.3%2021.7%2025.4%2020.8%2025.5%2020.5C25.7%2020.1%2026.6%2020.1%2027.3%2020C27.9%2019.9%2029%2019.7%2029.6%2019.8C30.2%2020%2030.6%2020.3%2030.8%2020.7C30.9%2021.1%2031%2021.9%2030.7%2022.2C30.4%2022.5%2029.5%2022%2029.1%2022.3C28.7%2022.5%2028.8%2023.7%2028.4%2023.8C28%2023.9%2027.1%2023.2%2026.8%2022.9ZM33.8%2050C33.6%2050.6%2033.4%2051.5%2033.1%2051.8C32.8%2052%2032.3%2051.6%2031.8%2051.5C31.3%2051.3%2030.4%2051.3%2030.2%2050.9C29.9%2050.4%2030.3%2049.5%2030.4%2048.9C30.5%2048.4%2030.4%2047.9%2030.7%2047.7C30.9%2047.5%2031.6%2047.7%2032%2047.7C32.3%2047.8%2032.5%2048%2032.8%2048.1C33.2%2048.1%2034%2047.8%2034.1%2048.1C34.3%2048.4%2033.9%2049.4%2033.8%2050ZM20.5%2017.1C20.9%2017%2021.4%2017.1%2021.8%2017.3C22.2%2017.5%2022.8%2017.8%2022.9%2018.1C23%2018.5%2023.1%2019.1%2022.7%2019.3C22.3%2019.6%2021.2%2019.4%2020.7%2019.5C20.2%2019.7%2020%2020.3%2019.7%2020.3C19.4%2020.2%2019.1%2019.4%2018.9%2019.1C18.6%2018.9%2018.1%2018.7%2018.2%2018.5C18.2%2018.3%2018.9%2018.1%2019.2%2017.8C19.6%2017.6%2020.1%2017.2%2020.5%2017.1ZM23.3%2047.8C23%2047.4%2022.1%2047.3%2022%2047C21.9%2046.6%2022.5%2045.9%2022.7%2045.6C23%2045.4%2023.4%2045.5%2023.7%2045.4C24%2045.3%2024.3%2044.7%2024.6%2044.8C24.9%2045%2025.3%2045.9%2025.5%2046.3C25.7%2046.7%2026%2047.1%2025.8%2047.3C25.6%2047.6%2024.9%2047.6%2024.6%2047.9C24.3%2048.1%2024.2%2048.9%2024%2048.9C23.8%2048.9%2023.6%2048.1%2023.3%2047.8ZM43.7%2048.4C43.4%2048.5%2042.8%2049%2042.5%2048.8C42.1%2048.6%2041.7%2047.7%2041.8%2047.3C41.9%2047%2042.7%2046.8%2042.8%2046.6C43%2046.3%2042.7%2045.7%2042.8%2045.6C43%2045.5%2043.6%2045.8%2043.9%2045.9C44.1%2046%2044%2046%2044.3%2046.3C44.6%2046.5%2045.7%2046.9%2045.7%2047.2C45.7%2047.6%2044.8%2048.1%2044.4%2048.3C44.1%2048.5%2044.1%2048.4%2043.7%2048.4Z%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fg%3E%3C%2Fg%3E%3Cuse%20href%3D%22%23s%22%20fill%3D%22none%22%20stroke%3D%22%233B2A20%22%20stroke-opacity%3D%220.6%22%20stroke-width%3D%221%22%20stroke-linejoin%3D%22round%22%2F%3E%3Cellipse%20cx%3D%223.2%22%20cy%3D%2221.7%22%20rx%3D%221.3%22%20ry%3D%221.2%22%20fill%3D%22%231C1C1C%22%2F%3E%3Ccircle%20cx%3D%2210.8%22%20cy%3D%2219.3%22%20r%3D%221.1%22%20fill%3D%22%231C1C1C%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E)
Câine pattern
Merle
Irregular dark patches on a diluted ground of the same color (blue merle, red merle); the Dachshund calls it dapple.
72 Câine 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”) |
| Bobtail | Nerecunoscut | Standard (“Blue Merle & White”) | Nerecunoscut | Nerecunoscut | Nerecunoscut |
| 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”) |
| Chihuahua | Descalificant (“Merle colour”) | Standard (“Merle Markings”) | Nerecunoscut (“never merle (dapple), which is unacceptable”) | Nerecunoscut (“never merle (dapple), which is unacceptable”) | Descalificant (“Merle color”) |
| Ciobănesc American Miniatural | 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”) |
| Ciobănesc Australian | Standard (“blue merle, red merle”) | Standard (“Blue Merle”) | Standard (“blue merle, red merle”) | Standard (“blue merle, red merle”) | Standard (“blue merle, red merle”) |
| Ciobănesc Bergamasco | 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”) |
| Ciobănesc de Anatolia | No ruling | Standard (“All color patterns and markings are equally acceptable”) | Nerecunoscut (“Merle unacceptable”) | No ruling | Standard (“All colors are acceptable”) |
| Ciobănesc din Pirinei | 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 |
| Ciobănesc Polonez de Câmpie | Standard (“all colours and patches are acceptable”) | Standard (“all coat colors are acceptable”) | Nerecunoscut (“merle, which is unacceptable”) | Standard (“all colours and patches are acceptable”) | No ruling |
| Ciobănesc Shetland | Standard (“Blue Merle”) | Standard (“Blue Merle & White”) | Standard (“Blue Merle”) | Standard (“Blue Merle”) | Standard (“blue merle, sable, sable merle”) |
| Collie | No ruling | Standard (“Blue Merle”) | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“blue merle”) |
| Collie cu Păr Lung | Standard (“Blue Merle”) | Standard (“Blue Merle”) | Standard (“Blue Merle”) | Standard (“Blue Merle”) | Standard (“blue merle”) |
| Collie cu Păr Neted | Standard (“Blue Merle”) | Standard (“Blue Merle”) | Standard (“Blue Merle”) | Standard (“Blue Merle”) | Standard (“blue merle”) |
| Dog German | Standard (“Merle (grey-black splashed patches)”) | Standard (“Merle”) | Nerecunoscut (“Merle”) | Standard (“Merle (grey-black splashed patches)”) | Standard (“Merle”) |
| Mastiff din Pirinei | 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”) |
| Peruvian Inca Orchid | Descalificant (“Merle coat colour in the coated variety”) | Standard (“In the coated variety all colors are accepted”) | No ruling | Descalificant (“Merle coat colour in the coated variety”) | No ruling |
| Pomeranian | No ruling | Standard (“Merle Markings”) | Nerecunoscut (“including merle, unacceptable”) | Nerecunoscut (“merles not permissible”) | No ruling |
| Teckel | Standard (“dapple (merle)”) | Standard (“Dapple”) | Standard (“dapple pattern”) | Standard (“dapple pattern”) | Standard (“dappled”) |
| TeckelNeted | Standard (“dapple (merle)”) | Standard (“Dapple”) | Standard (“dapple pattern”) | Standard (“dapple pattern”) | Standard (“dappled”) |
| TeckelCu păr sârmos | Standard (“dapple (merle)”) | Standard (“Dapple”) | Standard (“dapple pattern”) | Standard (“dapple pattern”) | Standard (“dappled”) |
| TeckelCu păr lung | 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 | Descalificant (“Merle colour”) | Alternativ (“Merle”) | Nerecunoscut (“Merle unacceptable”) | Descalificant (“Merle colour”) | Standard (“Any color combination is allowed”) |
| XoloitzcuintleCu blană | Descalificant (“Merle colour”) | Alternativ (“Merle”) | Nerecunoscut (“Merle unacceptable”) | Descalificant (“Merle colour”) | Standard (“Any color combination is allowed”) |
Breeds where Merle is a fault
| Breed | FCI | KUSA |
|---|---|---|
| Cocker Spaniel Englez | Defect | Nerecunoscut |
Breeds where Merle is disqualified or not accepted
| Breed | FCI | AKC | KC | KUSA | UKC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AkitaAmerican | Descalificant (“merle marking pattern”) | Descalificant (“merle marking pattern”) | Nerecunoscut (“merle which is unacceptable”) | Descalificant (“merle marking pattern”) | No ruling |
| American Pit Bull Terrier | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Descalificant (“merle”) |
| Beagle | No ruling | Descalificant (“Merle and Brindle Color Patterns”) | Nerecunoscut | Nerecunoscut | Descalificant (“Merle”) |
| Bolonka Țvetnaia Rusesc | No ruling | Descalificant (“merle”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Buldog Englez | No ruling | Descalificant (“The merle pattern”) | Nerecunoscut | Nerecunoscut | Descalificant (“Merle color”) |
| Buldog Francez | No ruling | Descalificant (“merle”) | Nerecunoscut | No ruling | No ruling |
| Câine Carolina | No ruling | Descalificant (“merle/roan/mottling/dappling”) | No ruling | No ruling | Descalificant (“merle, roan, mottling, dappling”) |
| Ciobănesc Englez | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Descalificant (“Blue merles”) |
| Cocker Spaniel American | Descalificant | Descalificant (“Merle Markings”) | Nerecunoscut | Descalificant | Descalificant (“Merle color”) |
| Drever | Descalificant (“merle”) | Descalificant (“merle”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Fila Brasileiro | Descalificant (“dappled”) | No ruling | No ruling | Descalificant (“dappled”) | No ruling |
| Husky Siberian | Descalificant (“merle ... patterns are not allowable and are to be disqualified”) | Descalificant (“merle ... patterns are not allowable and are to be disqualified”) | Nerecunoscut (“except merle which is unacceptable”) | Descalificant (“merle ... patterns are not allowable and are to be disqualified”) | No ruling |
| Ogar Italian | Descalificant | No ruling | Nerecunoscut (“Merle”) | Nerecunoscut (“Merle”) | No ruling |
| Pudel (Miniatural) | Nerecunoscut | Descalificant | Nerecunoscut | Nerecunoscut | Descalificant (“merle coloring”) |
| Pudel (Standard) | Nerecunoscut | Descalificant | Nerecunoscut | Nerecunoscut | Descalificant (“merle coloring”) |
| Pudel (Toy) | Nerecunoscut | Descalificant | Nerecunoscut | Nerecunoscut | Descalificant (“merle coloring”) |
| Rat Terrier | No ruling | Descalificant (“Brindle or merle color patterns”) | No ruling | No ruling | Descalificant (“merle”) |
| Spitz German | No ruling | Descalificant (“merle”) | Nerecunoscut (“with the exception of merle, which is unacceptable”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| Spitz GermanMare | No ruling | Descalificant (“merle”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Staffordshire Bull Terrier | No ruling | Descalificant (“merle pattern”) | Nerecunoscut | Nerecunoscut | No ruling |
| Teddy Roosevelt Terrier | No ruling | Descalificant (“Merle Markings”) | No ruling | No ruling | Descalificant (“merle”) |
| Terrier American fără Păr | No ruling | Descalificant (“merle”) | No ruling | No ruling | Descalificant (“Merle (Coated variety)”) |
| Yorkshire Terrier | No ruling | Descalificant | Nerecunoscut | Nerecunoscut | No ruling |
| Akita | Nerecunoscut | Nerecunoscut | Nerecunoscut (“merle which is unacceptable (Akita)”) | Nerecunoscut | No ruling |
| Bearded Collie | Nerecunoscut (“never merle/dapple”) | No ruling | Nerecunoscut (“merle unacceptable”) | Nerecunoscut (“never merle/dapple”) | No ruling |
| Bichon Havanez | No ruling | No ruling | Nerecunoscut (“except merle which is unacceptable”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| Borzoi | No ruling | No ruling | Nerecunoscut (“merle which is unacceptable”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| Boston Terrier | No ruling | No ruling | Nerecunoscut | No ruling | No ruling |
| Câine de Canaan | Nerecunoscut | Nerecunoscut | Nerecunoscut (“Blue Merle”) | Nerecunoscut | No ruling |
| Câine Laponez Finlandez | No ruling | No ruling | Nerecunoscut (“except merle, which is unacceptable”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| Chinese Crested | No ruling | No ruling | Nerecunoscut (“except merle, which is unacceptable”) | Nerecunoscut (“except merle, which is unacceptable”) | No ruling |
| Eurasier | No ruling | No ruling | Nerecunoscut (“merle, which are unacceptable”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| Lhasa Apso | Nerecunoscut | No ruling | Nerecunoscut (“merle, which is unacceptable”) | Nerecunoscut | No ruling |
| Löwchen | No ruling | No ruling | Nerecunoscut (“merle which is unacceptable”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| Ogar Afgan | No ruling | No ruling | Nerecunoscut (“merle which is unacceptable”) | Nerecunoscut (“merle which is unacceptable”) | No ruling |
| Pekinez | No ruling | No ruling | Nerecunoscut (“Albino, liver or merle unacceptable”) | Nerecunoscut (“Albino, liver or merle unacceptable”) | No ruling |
| Saluki | No ruling | Nerecunoscut | Nerecunoscut (“brindle, blue or merle which are unacceptable”) | Nerecunoscut (“brindle, blue or merle which are unacceptable”) | No ruling |
| Shih Tzu | No ruling | No ruling | Nerecunoscut (“except merle, which is unacceptable”) | Nerecunoscut (“except merle, which is unacceptable”) | No ruling |
| Spaniel Tibetan | No ruling | No ruling | Nerecunoscut (“merle which is unacceptable”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| Terrier Tibetan | Nerecunoscut (“any colour except chocolate, liver or merle permissible”) | No ruling | Nerecunoscut (“chocolate, liver or merle, which are unacceptable”) | Nerecunoscut (“any colour except chocolate, liver or merle permissible”) | No ruling |
| Welsh Corgi Pembroke | Nerecunoscut | No ruling | Nerecunoscut | Nerecunoscut | No ruling |
| Whippet | Nerecunoscut (“Any colour or mixture of colours, except merle”) | No ruling | Nerecunoscut (“Merle unacceptable”) | Nerecunoscut (“Merle unacceptable”) | No ruling |
| American Staffordshire Terrier | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Câine Ciobănesc Welsh | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |