Merle is a genetic pattern that can be present in a dog's coat. It can affect all coat colors. The merle forms of brown are usually called "red" though genetically, red and brown are different, and for black, they are referred to as "blue."
Here's the tricky part. Dogs who are recessive red can still be affected by merle, but the patches aren't visible, which is why they are referred to as "Hidden Merles" - this is especially important to be aware of if you plan to breed a red do who has a Merle Parent. And even more so, if the dog you plan to breed the red with is Merle.
Merle can also modify the eye color, and the nose and paw pads. You might see dark eyes present as blue, or partially blue. This is why you might come across some dogs with two different colored eyes, or heterochromia. (More to come on that.)
To the left, is Hartleigh, who is a Phantom Blue Merle Aussiedoodle. In addition to the Merle Pattern, she has copper points.
Below, is Ellis, who is a Red Merle AussieDoodle.
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