Aussies have a coloring that makes them Unique and Beautiful.
They have a range of coat markings that fit into four categories. Black, Blue Merle, Red, and Red Merle. Within these categories they can range from a solid colored coat, to tan and white Tri colored markings.
They have a range of coat markings that fit into four categories. Black, Blue Merle, Red, and Red Merle. Within these categories they can range from a solid colored coat, to tan and white Tri colored markings.
Australian Shepherd Color Chart
As unique as their colors, so is their breeding. Breeding particular coat colors together will result in what range of coloring the litter will have. Red Factor (RF) refers to whether or not the Aussie carries the red colored coat gene. If both parents carry the RF gene, they can produce Red Merle, and Red coats in the litters.
Below is a chart of what your litters might look like depending on the coat coloring and gene factor in your breeding pair.
Below is a chart of what your litters might look like depending on the coat coloring and gene factor in your breeding pair.
Eye Coloring
Australian Shepherd eyes can range from pale blue, to chocolate brown, and any range of color in between.
A lot of Aussies will have heterochromatic eyes, meaning they have two different colored eyes.
Fun Fact: This coloration gave them the nickname "The Ghost eye dog" by Native Americans. They believed that the dog was able to see into the spirit world through the lighter colored eye and they regarded them to be sacred.
Aussies can also have bicolored eyes, which is a marbling of two different colors in a single eye. This is linked to the Merle gene.
A lot of Aussies will have heterochromatic eyes, meaning they have two different colored eyes.
Fun Fact: This coloration gave them the nickname "The Ghost eye dog" by Native Americans. They believed that the dog was able to see into the spirit world through the lighter colored eye and they regarded them to be sacred.
Aussies can also have bicolored eyes, which is a marbling of two different colors in a single eye. This is linked to the Merle gene.
Pigmentation
Pigmentation on the lips, nose, and around the eyes differ in Australian Shepherds. For Red, and Red Merles, they will have liver colored pigmentation, whereas Black, and Blue Merles have black pigmentation.
The Butterfly Nose
Australian Shepherds are all born with pink noses, lips, and eye lids which gradually turn liver or black as they mature. It is normal for Australian Shepherds to have pink spots on their noses until they are around one year of age.
Double Merle Breeding
PhotoHomozygous merles (MM) or Double Merle breeding, refers to the breeding of two dogs that both have the merle gene (ex: a Red Merle to a Red Merle, Blue Merle to a Blue Merle, or Red Merle to a Blue Merle). If both parents bred have the Merle gene, this results in puppies with excessive white in the coat coloring, and on average, 25% of the puppies will be born blind and/or deaf. They can also have mishapen eye pupils, and lack of pigmentation on the nose and around the eyes. There can be other internal health defects as well that are associated with Homozygous Merles.
Double Merle breeding is highly discouraged and is usually a result of breeders who are uninformed, or who are not concerned with the health of their dogs.
If you are looking to buy an Australian Shepherd puppy, take the initiative to ask the breeder about the Sire and Dam Genetics and Health History.
If they are not willing to provide you with a pedigree, or breed Australian Shepherd pairs that are both Merle coloring, be prepared with the knowledge that you may have a dog that could range in a variety of genetic defects, and need a lifetime of specialized care.
Double Merle breeding is highly discouraged and is usually a result of breeders who are uninformed, or who are not concerned with the health of their dogs.
If you are looking to buy an Australian Shepherd puppy, take the initiative to ask the breeder about the Sire and Dam Genetics and Health History.
If they are not willing to provide you with a pedigree, or breed Australian Shepherd pairs that are both Merle coloring, be prepared with the knowledge that you may have a dog that could range in a variety of genetic defects, and need a lifetime of specialized care.
Double Merle Resources
Cryptic Merles
Not to be confused with a Double Merle, the Cryptic Merle or "Phantom Merle" as they are nicknamed, are a wild card among litters. On rare occasion Cryptic Merles can be born in a litter of any parentage with the Merle gene. Cryptic Merles are a mutation of the Merle gene and look like a Tri black, or Tri red but can have excess patches of white on the body, and splashes of merle.
They are nicknamed the Phantom Merle because in some cases there can be no apparent merle coloration detected and could be mistaken for a Tri colored Aussie. Other Cryptic Merles can be easily noticed for the excess white or larger patches of Merle on the coat.
Cryptic Merle coloring comes from the Merle gene called SINE (Short Interspeed Nucleotide Element). This gene is what makes the Merle coat so versatile and unique. The length of the SINE gene in a dog will determine how small or large the dark spots or patches will be on the Merle coat.
If a Cryptic Merle is bred to another Merle, they will produce both Tri, and Merle puppies. There is however, a 3% chance they will produce double Merles and the associated risks of deafness and blindness, and therefore, Cryptic Merles are also discouraged to breed.
The longer the SINE gene is in a dog, the more merle you will see. Whereas the shorter the SINE gene is in a dog, the merle will be less apparent, and will start to look more like a Tri, as seen in the photos below from left to right.
They are nicknamed the Phantom Merle because in some cases there can be no apparent merle coloration detected and could be mistaken for a Tri colored Aussie. Other Cryptic Merles can be easily noticed for the excess white or larger patches of Merle on the coat.
Cryptic Merle coloring comes from the Merle gene called SINE (Short Interspeed Nucleotide Element). This gene is what makes the Merle coat so versatile and unique. The length of the SINE gene in a dog will determine how small or large the dark spots or patches will be on the Merle coat.
If a Cryptic Merle is bred to another Merle, they will produce both Tri, and Merle puppies. There is however, a 3% chance they will produce double Merles and the associated risks of deafness and blindness, and therefore, Cryptic Merles are also discouraged to breed.
The longer the SINE gene is in a dog, the more merle you will see. Whereas the shorter the SINE gene is in a dog, the merle will be less apparent, and will start to look more like a Tri, as seen in the photos below from left to right.
Cryptic Merle Resources