This is the most detailed guide on merle french bulldog 2023 where we have discussed all the detailed information.
The fact that French Bulldogs come in so many different colors makes them one of the most unique breeds out there. As far as French Bulldog colors go, the merle is among the most elusive.
One look at one of these patterned-coat pooches may have piqued your interest. They have a charming appearance, and we know how adorable French Bulldogs already are.
A merle French Bulldog is one of a kind, but that’s not all there is to know about them. All of your questions about this unique breed of dog, including how it’s bred, what it looks like, how healthy it is, how to buy one, and whether or not it’s a good pet, will be answered today.
Small, friendly, and loyal, a merle French Bulldog shares many of the same characteristics as a standard Frenchie. A merle French Bulldog stands out because of its eye-catching coat.
In contrast to the solid-colored coat of a standard French Bulldog, a merle French Bulldog has patches of anomalous or regular streaks and spots that can be a variety of colors.
The merle Frenchie’s distinctive markings set it apart and make them a highly sought-after breed. See why merle French bulldogs are so sought after in the information below.
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How Merle Frenchies Are Bred?
The French Bulldog color pattern of blue merle is relatively new to the breed. Merle coat patterns come in a variety of shades (not just blue) and can be found in any dog breed, regardless of the parent breed.
Merle is a gene that randomly removes pigment from the dog’s paw pads, coat, nose, and eyes, resulting in patches of missing pigment where the pigment was previously present. This causes random changes throughout the dog.
Blue Merle French bulldogs are well-known for their bright blue eyes because of a condition known as heterochromia iridis, which occurs when the pigment is removed from the iris. Merle Frenchie is the only breed of French bulldog whose eyes are always a brilliant shade of blue.
There is a blue eye trait in Isabella, lilac, and blue Frenchies, but it only applies to the pups. The dogs’ blue eyes become a different shade as they mature.
Purebred French Bulldogs do not have Merle coats, and owners should be aware that this is not a recognized coat color variation in the French Bulldog breed. Chihuahuas with merle coats have been used to breed merle coats into most breeds.
The Merle French Bulldog was created for people who wanted a Frenchie with glitz and style who could also put on a good show.
To date, the Merle coat color has been the most popular and distinct. The Frenchie’s Merle pattern is created by the dog’s lightning-fast base coat.
As a result, the dark patches that give Merle pups their distinctive appearance persist. Hundreds of different markings can be found on their fur, but the most common ones are dark brown or black with cream, white, or fawn as the dominant colors.
The Merle’s striking coat color can only be achieved through breeding it with a French Bulldog or a Frenchie that has previously been crossed with a Chihuahua.
The Merle dog breed is the most elusive and expensive to own. The high defect rate of these puppies has made them a hot topic in the last ten years, and as a result, the dog’s brilliant coloring is fading away.
A merle Frenchie is the result of selective breeding. There are some misconceptions about Frenchies, one of which is that they are all mixed in with one another to create a merle variety. A purebred dog, as the term implies, is one whose parents are of the same breed.
To produce a merle French Bulldog, breeders cross French Bulldogs with a merle dog, usually a Chihuahua. A merle French Bulldog pair can be used to produce more puppies, but the offspring will not be purebred because their parents were not.
AKC does not recognize merle French Bulldogs as a standard breed color because of this.
The Variety Of Color Options Of Merle Frenchie
Merles are available in a variety of colors depending on the genetic trait that is diluted during the process of breeding.
Black, Blue, and Lilac French Bulldogs are three of the most sought-after colors because they are considered to be rare.
The merle coat develops as a result of the merle dominant gene being diluted by the merle recessive gene. As a result, the merle begins to take on a variety of colors.
Lilac Merle
French Bulldogs that have a lilac color in their coat are known as lilac merles, and they are distinguished by their light-colored eyes and brown or blue base coat.
The lilac color is revealed by diluting the blue fur. This is the rarest of the merle Frenchies, and they can fetch up to $30,000 in a private sale.
Blue Merle
A merle blue curly tail when discussing the French Bulldog, it’s common to refer to it as a blue-gene dog. However, its true color is dark blue because of its diluted black coat.
A unique feature of blue merles is that their bright blue eyes remain constant throughout their lives, while the normal Frenchie’s eyes lighten with age.
Black Merle
The Merle Black When the gene product is black, you get a French Bulldog. As a result, the other coat colors are pushed to the side.
The dominant gene shows through in the three Frenchie colors of black, tan, and fawn, giving the Black Merle its color and name.
What Are The Health Problems Of Merle French Bulldog?
The gene required to produce Merle patterning is also the gene that carries significant health risks, such as hearing loss, vision problems, and birth defects like blue eyes.
Because no French Bulldog is born with the Merle gene, they cannot be considered pure. The result of mixing breeds is a tangled web of issues.
There is evidence to suggest that breeding a Merle with a Merle increases the likelihood of producing Double Merles by 25%. 86 percent of Double Merles will be born with a birth defect, such as deafness, blindness, or hair loss due to color dilution alopecia.
On top of that, they’re more likely to suffer from neurodegenerative disorders, immune system problems, and severe allergies, and in the worst-case scenario, they could die.
It’s well-known that Blue Merle French Bulldogs have inflammatory skin conditions that can lead to skin ruptures. Staph infections, which can be fatal, are then a possibility. The life expectancy of a Blue Merle French Bulldog is the lowest.
For the purchase of an old merle, there are numerous “buyer beware” warnings for French bulldogs. The primary reason for this is that they are more prone to various health issues. For this reason, crosses between merles and other breeds are fraught with problems.
To begin with, studies show that breeding a merle with another merle results in a 25% chance of producing double merles. These dogs also called double merles, have an 86% chance of getting blind, deformed, or deaf in some other way.
Many health problems can befall French Bulldogs as a breed. Merle French Bulldogs, as previously stated, are hybrids. To put it another way, health issues are almost always a foregone conclusion with merle breeding.
Here are a few issues to be on the lookout for:
- Intertrigo: inflamed skin as a result of friction between skin folds.
- BOS, or Brachycephalic Obstructive Syndrome, is a breathing disorder caused by a small skull.
- Perineal Hernia: organs of the pelvis and abdomen protruding from the pelvis.
- The patella is dislocated when it luxates (kneecap).
- Allergy to an ecologic substance causes atopic dermatitis (Atopy).
- Epilepsy: seizures that occur repeatedly.
Defects In The Eyes & Ears
There are a variety of visual and auditory issues that can be caused by the presence of the m-locus (merle) gene. Due to this, it’s extremely unwise to crossbreed two merle dogs.
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The following are some issues with a vision that you should be aware of:
- Inability to see clearly with either one’s primary eye or both.
- Pupils with Jagged or Irregular Edges: The pupil’s jagged or irregular edge makes it sensitive to light.
- Small eyes or no eyes at all are known as microphthalmia and make it difficult to see clearly.
- The condition known as cataracts causes a clouding of the eye’s lens, which can be blinding.
- Corectipia is a condition in which the pupil is smaller than it should be. It doesn’t usually have a significant impact on a dog’s vision unless there are additional eye problems.
Loss of hearing in a merle French Bulldog can occur either at birth or over time. Since a merle French Bulldog is prone to a variety of health issues, it’s always a good idea to have pet insurance to help pay for any necessary medical care.
Some More On Eye Deformations Of Merles
Eyes With Deformities (Small Microphthalmia)
The occurrence of small eyes is not always symmetrical; it can affect one or both eyes equally. A nictitating membrane still trying to cover the eye socket or sockets is the likely culprit.
The absence of one or both eyes (Anophthalmia)
Anophthalmia is a birth defect in which one or both eyes are missing. If the eyes are formed, the nictitating membrane will cover them because they are too deep in the eye socket.
Wandering Eyes
Microphthalmia with Multiple Defects is a condition known as Wandering Eye. The condition is aided by eye degeneration, and as it worsens, the lens begins to dissolve.
The Pupil With A Splash Of Color (Coloboma)
This condition resembles a cleft in the eyes. Cataracts are sometimes a part of this condition as well. There are numerous reports of loss of hearing and blindness linked to Starburst Pupil, making it the deadliest.
Noting and emphasizing the Merle gene’s lack of health consequences is critical. However, the breeder must breed a Merle dog with a Merle that has a single coat color in order to achieve this. We suggest you read about the food allergies of Frenchies.
Color Dilution Alopecia & Health Risks: A Correlation Study
Alopecia areata, also known as color dilution alopecia, is a condition that affects nearly all dog breeds with blue coats.
The Merle French Bulldog isn’t the only breed that can do it. This disease affects the distribution of pigment in the hair follicles.
When light strikes a pigment, the clumping of pigments within the hair shaft alters how light refracts. Hair follicles are stunted as a result of the clumps, and as a result, baldness eventually occurs.
This disease has no known cure, and the best we can hope for is a reduction in the incidence of secondary infections.
So there you have it; all of the rare colored French Bulldogs have been explained to you. Merle French bulldogs are included in this group.
This list of acceptable French bulldogs was compiled by the American Kennel Club to aid prospective dog owners in their selection process.
The most popular color combinations are white, pied, fawn, brindle, and cream. Other colors that have been banned include liver, lilac, blue, black-tan, and mouse-grey by this organization.
If you ask us, you should put the health of your merle French bulldog ahead of its looks when purchasing one.
This is why it’s crucial to contact an ethical and reputable breeder. The colors, too, are coveted by a select few, it can’t be denied.
To be sure, the dog’s well-being should always come before anything else. This is especially true when the variations in color cause various health problems, organ defects, and morphological changes.
In the end, it all comes down to personal preference vs. health and safety considerations.
The Interesting Facts About Merle French Bulldogs You Must Not Miss
Dogs with Merle coats have a particular pattern on their coats due to a genetic condition called Merle.
This gene causes a wide range of hair pattern styles, including solid and piebald hair. Dogs with this condition may have different-colored eyes as well as a discoloration of the coat called heterochromia iridium.
We have explained Frenchie’s heat cycle in this guide to make your pup’s life easy.
Double Merle
Breeding two merle dogs result in a 25% chance of each pup being a double merle. The merle gene is passed down twice in a double merle.
The coat of a double merle dog differs from that of a merle dog in that it is almost entirely white with only a few flecks of color.
A double merle’s odds of being born either blind, deaf, or both are extremely high.
When a dog has only one copy of the M allele, it will have a merle coat
A merle dog’s genotype is Mm, which means the dog has one allele for merle (M) and one allele for non-merle (Nm).
A litter that is half merle and half non-merle is the result of breeding a non-merle dog (mm) with a merle dog (Mm).
A litter of puppies produced by mating two merle dogs will be half merle, half non-merle, and half double merle.
Dogs with Merle Coats and Blue Eyes are known as Merle Bulldogs
French bulldogs with merle coats are known for having bright blue eyes. M-locus (or merle) genes are found in their bodies, so these people have merle skin.
Random pigment dilution occurs as a result of this gene, lightening the person’s eye color. The ALX4 gene can also cause blue eyes in merle French bulldogs, but this gene is more common.
Blue eyes are likely in a French bulldog if they carry this gene. A French bulldog without the ALX4 gene will most likely have brown eyes.
In addition, because of low melanin levels, some merle French bulldogs may have blue eyes. The dog is more likely to have blue eyes if its body contains a low concentration of this amino acid.
French Bulldogs with Merle Coats Cost More than Regular Coats
It costs significantly more to own a French bulldog of this variety because they are not native to France. The cost of these dogs ranges from $6,000 to $8,000, as opposed to the $1,500 to $3,000 cost of a regular French bulldog.
Merle French bulldogs aren’t cheap to buy, and they require a lot of upkeep. They are voracious eaters who, due to their genetic makeup, require frequent trips to the veterinarian.
These dogs are extremely uncommon, and locating one can be a challenge
You can usually find a breeder by performing a quick online search. Even so, this doesn’t always imply that the breeders in question are of high quality.
As a buyer, you should always ask for the dog’s DNA test and get a quick vet check to ensure you’re dealing with an ethical breeder.
French Bulldogs With Merle Coats Are Not a Purebred Variety
This is due to the fact that different dog breeds are sometimes required to create a merle French bulldog. When looking at purebred dogs, it’s important to remember that both parents must be of the same breed.
Health Issues Are Regular for Merle French Bulldogs
Genetic deformities are a common issue. If left untreated, the condition could cause stunted growth, blindness, and/or deafness in the dog.
Allergies, heart murmurs, immune disorders, and hip dysplasia are common in merle French bulldogs.
Also, bear in mind that people with light-colored eyes are more likely to suffer from eye abnormalities. Cataracts, a nictitating membrane in one eye, and coloboma are some of the more common problems.
Buying a merle French bulldog has sparked a heated debate about whether it’s ethical or not
Many people believe that buying a merle French bulldog is critical to preventing these adorable animals from ending up in animal shelters.
Disreputable breeders would have the incentive to stay in business if this law was passed, say those opposed.
They also claim that because this particular breed of French bulldog is prone to serious health issues, it is an agonizing existence.
If you’re considering getting a merle French bulldog, you should be aware of the potential health issues that could arise.
Additionally, make certain the dog comes from a reputable breeder. They’ll get proper nutrition, care, and socialization this way.
If you have any questions about a breeder’s dogs, an ethical breeder will be happy to answer them.
Merle The distinctive coat pattern distinguishes French bulldogs from other breeds. This breed is known for its patience and affection, but it does come with a few health risks due to its genetic makeup. Are you confused about your Frenchie’s growth? we suggest you read this guide.
How To Purchase A Merle French Bulldog?
The popularity of French Bulldogs is understandable. The Merle French Bulldog is a sought-after pet due to the desire for all things extremely rare that comes with owning one of these amazing and fascinating little pups.
Before making a final decision, make sure you’ve done your research on this particular breed variation.
Merle French Bulldog breeders are few and far between due to the numerous challenges of breeding these little Frenchies, as well as the fact that most states now have specific requirements that must be met in order to breed and sell these adorable little Frenchies.
We are not confident enough to provide a list of reputable breeders for this breed, but you should check to see if the breeder you’re considering meets the following requirements.
- The role of DNA is critical in this case. You’ll want to confirm that a canine department DNA test and DNA profiling are both available. This lets you know if you’re getting a real deal Merle French Bulldog from the breeder.
- Take all necessary precautions and immunizations and give them. Including anti-tick, anti-worm, and anti-flea medications. You’ll also need to get this in writing, as well as the history of your puppy’s vaccinations.
- Request a health guarantee and a comprehensive veterinary examination. Ideally, you should wait a year before making a decision.
Normally, we’d advise you to verify with the AKC that your breeder has registered your dog, but the Merle coat color is not accepted by the AKC.
A lot of sites claim to have filed with the AKC, but other sites claim that the only way to do so is to fabricate the dog’s coloration.
Because the AKC has blacklisted several French bulldog colors, it’s best to do some extra research before you buy any kind of French bulldog.
Finding a breeder of merle French Bulldogs is difficult due to the difficulty of breeding them. Health checks and ensuring that both dogs are at least fairly healthy are mandatory for responsible breeders when looking for a merle dog to breed with a purebred French Bulldog.
Breeding, on the other hand, necessitates effort and resources. It should be noted that it is difficult to locate a merle French Bulldog.
This breed is difficult to come by, and when you do, the breeder may already have households lined up for new puppies because people eagerly await the arrival of this exceptional pup.
So you should start looking into your options well before you’re prepared to bring your new fur baby home, if not even before!
Because you want to make sure your merle French Bulldog is as healthy as possible, you should ask yourself a few key questions before you buy.
While trying to rescue French Bulldogs is always an option, finding an adoptable merle French Bulldog is next to impossible. To be clear, this does not mean it cannot be done.
Many wonderful dogs end up in shelters because their owners were unable to care for them as they had hoped due to a variety of reasons. Rescue French Bulldogs can be found through organizations like this one.
Cost
The stunning merle French Bulldog is without a doubt remarkable. Because of the time and cash it takes to raise a Frenchie, as well as the scarcity of merles, the high price isn’t surprising. French Bulldogs, especially merles, can be quite expensive.
The standard French Bulldog is already in the two-thousand-dollar range. As previously mentioned, the most expensive lilac merle sold for nearly $30,000.
When getting a pet, be sure to factor in all of the associated expenses, such as food, bedding, toys, collars, leashes, shampoo, and pet insurance.
Due to their small size, French Bulldogs don’t require as many of these items as a larger dog would. This saves you money over time.
Caring For Your Merle French Bulldog [What Should You Do?]
There are a few things you should know about caring for a merle Frenchie if you decide to become a parent to one. The good news is that these dogs can be a lot of fun to live with.
Grooming
Regular hair brushing can reduce Merle shedding and keep them fresh between baths by getting rid of dirt. Merles don’t shed much.
A bath every few months is usually sufficient for Frenchies, who shouldn’t spend too much time outside due to the breathing problems mentioned earlier in this article.
To avoid infection, make sure to clean their skin folds and ears frequently. Before thoroughly drying, use a cloth or sponge or a clean, wet wag to clean the surface.
Physical Activities
French Bulldogs are great pets for people of all ages and physical abilities because they don’t require a lot of exercise to stay healthy and happy. It is sufficient to take one or two short walks each day.
Training
Because French Bulldogs are notoriously difficult to train, it’s important to keep your cool. They do, however, enjoy receiving treats and pleasing their owner.
Food
You must, of course, feed your merle French Bulldog. Most Frenchies can eat anything. Due to their lack of physical activity, it is critical for them to maintain a healthy weight by controlling their eating.
If they seem to be gaining weight, cut back on their food intake or have them follow a diet with only a few ingredients. Get advice from a veterinarian to make sure your dog is eating properly and remaining in good shape.
Few Words Before Wrapping Up…
Even though it was a lot of information, my final thoughts on the Merle French Bulldog controversy are that not whether you should own one depends on where you buy one.
This breed’s propensity for terrible birth defects, some of which can be fatal, makes it imperative that breeders are well-versed in Merle French Bulldog, and that all breeding is done correctly to keep the birth defect percentage in French Bulldogs the same as it is in the breed as a whole.
The merle French Bulldog is without a doubt a stunning canine. Health issues, costs, and how much time and effort you want to put into caring for this special pup are all things to think about. Fortunately, you now have the knowledge you need to make the best choice for you.
If you’re drawn to vibrant hues, do your homework on the breeder and make certain that health, temperament, and appearance are always given precedence over coat color when choosing a French Bulldog.
The color of a dog’s coat has no bearing on his or her health as long as there is enough genetic diversity.