Merle Bernedoodle Guide (Blue Merle, Phantom Merle & Tri Merle)

Merle Bernedoodles have beautifully patterned coats that can come in many different colors including blue merle, phantom merle, tri merle and red merle. In addition to their beautiful coats, they often feature striking amber, blue or green eyes. It’s no surprise that these dogs are super popular because of their appearance! Nevertheless, prospective owners need to be aware of the health dangers of the merle gene, especially ‘merle-to-merle’ breeding and Double Merle Bernedoodles.

If you are interested in Merle Bernedoodles keep reading this article to find out the all the answers to your questions about the different coat colors!

Table of Contents

What Is A Merle Bernedoodle?

A Merle Bernedoodle has a rare coat pattern which features mottled patches of various colors depending on whether they are a blue merle, phantom merle, tri merle or red merle. It is a genetic coat pattern that dilutes random sections of the coat to a lighter color whilst leaving patches of their original coat color remaining. It may also affects eye color and skin pigmentation on the nose and paws. Merle coats occurs when a Bernedoodle carries the “M” Merle allele and a negative “m” copy of the Merle allele. A Merle Bernedoodle is (M/m).

Despite the captivating look of a Merle Bernedoodle, prospective Merle Bernedoodles owners need to be aware that they are often a result of poor breeding practices and they are likely to suffer from ocular and auditory defects. That is not to say that all Merle Bernedoodles are the result of poor breeding practices or that they will have these health issues but there is a higher risk than an ordinary Bernedoodle.

Are Merle Bernedoodles Rare?

Merle Bernedoodles are very rare. The gene is not naturally occurring in Bernese Mountain Dogs or Poodles so it has to be introduced into the lineage of one of the breeds at some point before breeding a Merle Bernedoodle. In most cases breeders pair a Merle Poodle with a non-Merle Bernese Mountain Dog to create the Merle Bernedoodle. Alternatively, they cross a Merle Bernedoodle with a non-Merle Bernedoodle. Two dogs that carry the merle gene should never be bred together as many puppies in the litter will be double merles.

Technically Merle Poodles are not 100% purebred as the gene is usually introduced from a large dog breed that naturally carries it like Australian Shepherds, Collies or Great Danes. As Merle Poodles are not 100% purebred, Merle Bernedoodles always have a small percentage of another breed in their genetics.

Do Merle Bernedoodles Fade?

Bernedoodles may fade if they have inherited the ‘fading gene’ from the Poodle. Solid Bernedoodles fade much more often than merle Bernedoodles. Merle Bernedoodles already have a very light colored coat so they won’t lighten much more. If they do fade, it will occur within the first two years of their lives.

Merle Bernedoodle Price

Merle Bernedoodles are more expensive than other Bernedoodle coat colors as they are so rare and difficult to breed. The price of Merle Bernedoodles is usually between $3600USD and $6000USD and their average price point is around $4000USD. Breeders have to take extra care when breeding Merle Bernedoodles to ensure that they don’t produce double merles which are very likely to have ocular defects and also suffer from deafness.

You can read our full Bernedoodle price guide here to see compare the price of a Merle Bernedoodle to common Bernedoodle coat colors.

Merle Bernedoodle Names

Bambi
Amber
Galaxy
Dixie
Spot
Twinkle
Comet
Bijou

Stormi
Marble
Dusty
Storm
Merle
Brandy
Luna
Meryl

Blue Merle Bernedoodle

What Is A Blue Merle Bernedoodle?

A Blue Merle Bernedoodle features blue (black), grey, white and tan colors in their coat in a distinct mottled pattern. Usually most of their coat is grey and blue with smaller white and tan patches throughout it. Blue Merle Bernedoodles usually have black noses and can either have brown or blue eyes. They would have originally had a solid black coat but the merle gene diluted sections of it into these lighter colors.

Red Merle Bernedoodle

What Is A Red Merle Bernedoodle?

Red Merle Bernedoodles have a red (brown), copper, beige and white coat in a mottled pattern. Most of their coat is a beige-grey and they feature red (brown), white and copper patches throughout it. Red Merle Bernedoodles have light or dark brown noses. In most cases they have brown eyes however they can also have blue eyes.

Tri Merle Bernedoodle

What Is A Tri Merle Bernedoodle?

Tri Merle Bernedoodle is just another name for “Merle Bernedoodle”. All merle Bernedoodles have three main colors in their coat whether they are a Blue Merle or Red Merle Bernedoodle. That is why they are sometimes called “Tri Merle Bernedoodles”.

Phantom Merle Bernedoodle

What Is A Phantom Merle Bernedoodle?

Merle Phantom Bernedoodles have a coat with a merle background with patches of tan on their chin, throat, chest, legs, beneath their tail, above their eyes and on the sides of their muzzle.

While by definition Phantom Bernedoodles have a two-toned coat, the merle patches are considered to be one color with the solid patches as the other.

Merle Poodle Guide: Blue, Chocolate, Red & Phantom Merle!

Cryptic Merle Bernedoodle

What Is A Cryptic Merle Bernedoodle?

A Cryptic Merle Bernedoodle is a Bernedoodle that has very small patches of merle or none at all. These Bernedoodles appear to be non-merle however they carry the merle genotype and produce merle offspring. They are dangerous when it comes to breeding as people can accidentally produce double merles as they don’t realise both parents are carriers of the merle gene.

Double Merle Bernedoodle

What Is A Double Merle Bernedoodle?

A Double Merle (M/M) Bernedoodle has little to no color in their coat as they have inherited two copies of the dominant “M” allele. They are the product of ‘merle-to-merle’ breeding. Unfortunately, Double Merle Bernedoodles are affected by severe ocular defeats and deafness. They may be deaf in one or both ears and may be blind or have totally lost an eye. Double Merle Bernedoodles are also called ‘lethal whites’ due to their coloring and health issues.

It is very controversial if Double Merle Bernedoodles have been purposefully bred. This is because Double Merle Bernedoodles will always pass on a copy of Merle to their puppies and should not be bred together. Most official bodies refuse to register dogs that are a product of merle-to-merle breeding.

Double Merle Health Issues

Double Merle Berendoodles are likely to have health issues. If two Merle Bernedoodles are bred together there is a 25% chance each puppy will be homozygous (M/M) for the merle trait. M/M carriers are double merle and are very likely to have ocular and auditory defects. These are some common health issues:

Hearing Impairment – up to complete deafness
Vision Impairment – up to complete blindness
Skin Cancer – an increased risk due to the lack of pigmentation on skin
Micropthalmia – rare condition causing small and often non-functional eyeballs (high risk for Double Merles)

Responsible Breeding Practices

Breeders who want to produce merle puppies should mate a Merle Bernedoodle with a non-Merle (m/m) Bernedoodle or a Merle Poodle with a non-Merle Bernese Mountain Dog as the incidence of health risks is reduced. Roughly 50% of the litter will be Merles and most likely none will be Double Merles. That being said, there is still a risk of producing Double Merles as a cryptic merle mutation exists.

Cryptic Merle Bernedoodles carry the merle gene however they do not have a merle coat. That means there is a risk that breeders will cross a Cryptic Merle Bernedoodle with a Merle Bernedoodle and accidentally create Double Merle Bernedoodles. Breeders should perform DNA tests for the cryptic merle mutation before breeding.