The puppy on the left is a dilute dog. }. These dogs have a base coat of the blue merle color, which is essentially black spots on a gray coat. The Australian Shepherd, often known simply as the "Aussie", is a medium-sized breed of dog that was developed in the United States, and identified as a breed in the early 20th century. Merles characteristically become darker with increasing age. However, this can’t be said for other breeds, such as a dilute Dobermann. Way before the four standard colors were set, we saw all types and color combinations of these dogs. Solid red Australian Shepherds are hard to come by. And often times, they’ve been mistaken for huskies at an early age. Some red Australian Shepherds come in only red and white, as seen above. Color & Marking Description: Color and Markings for your breed. All of which, are distinct in their own right. Please refer to the breed standard for additional details. They’re just as exotic-looking as their blue merle counterparts, except with a different color merle effect. This means that an Australian Shepherd showing these colors will need both parents to carry this specific color gene. Aussies have a coloring that makes them Unique and Beautiful. White markings are the most genetically complex aspect of normal Aussie color.  Only two white marking genes have been clearly identified so far in dogs.  One causes the type of pattern seen in Boxers.  The other is associated with the “Irish” pattern seen in collie-type dogs, like the Aussie.  However, the specific extent of these markings on any individual dog can be highly variable due to the actions of other genes or gene regulatory factors.  In general, though, less white is dominant to more:  Two dogs with little white can sometimes produce offspring with lots of white, but two with maximum white trim will not produce a puppy with almost none. The Australian shepherd coat comes in four colors: blue merle, red merle, solid black and solid liver brown, called “red” in this breed. They can live just as well as the non-dilute dogs. They also have copper highlights usually seen on the face and legs only. For example, a blue eyed Aussie may have brown highlights and vice versa. In fact, I know they are! She is an absolute sweet heart. As for the base color of the eyes, blue merles have been known to have brown or blue eyes – often marbled with the other color. Like the dilute Australian Shepherds, the yellow counterparts don’t experience any negative side effects from this condition. This means they have no white or copper marks anywhere on their body. This color only affects black and liver-colored hair. Australian Shepherds come in four officially recognized colors. If just one of these markings is present, we would call the dog bicolor with a merle pattern. Also called the “Maltese dilution” or MLPH for short, the dilute color is a recessive gene that’s become one of the most common non-standard color on Aussies. The breeder says he’s a Merle. I’ll be breeding her with a puppy whose parents are red merle with copper eyes. One of the best things about the Aussie is the color combination of their eyes. Disqualifications - White body splashes, which means white on body between withers and tail, on sides between elbows and back of hindquarters in all colors. A parent carries Merle gene, but they haven’t produced a Merle puppy yet. Dudley Nose. this is due to some unknown reason I have yet to hear about. However, i’d argue that they’re just as great as any Aussie. Breed Standard PDF Created January 15, 1977: Revised June 01, 2013. Mini and toy variants of the Australian Shepherd also exist. Topaz is an Australian Shepherd puppy. It’s not so much a specific color, but rather a recessive mutation that causes the colors on a coat to be a different shade, typically lighter. A blue merle & white Aussies have blue merle as its base coat and have white markings. The red patches can range in color, size and shape. Gait: The Australian Shepherd has a smooth, free and easy gait. On top of that, even more color combinations are seen outside of the recognized colors. Still, I would always go to a reputable breeder for an Australian Shepherd. On the other hand, a yellow Aussie will not have these highlights of dark black or blue over the yellow coat. It wasn’t until the late 1970’s that organizations established the standard colors of the Australian Shepherds. The black spots and patches on a blue merle Aussie will likely become slate colored instead. They don’t look like your typical Aussie, but this color combination has been increasing in popularity over the last few years. White will be in points similar to the tri-colored version – but without the copper. The eyes of the Australian Shepherd come in a wide variety of colors, making this one of the most notable features of the breed. Find tri colored Australian Shepherd puppies and dogs from a breeder near you. Personally, this is my favorite combination of the black.