Merle Goldendoodle Guide (Blue Merle vs Chocolate Merle)

Merle Goldendoodles (AKA Merle Groodles) feature a trending coat color that has escalated in popularity in the past few years. It is no surprise that their beautiful patterned coat paired with their friendly and playful nature has made them highly sought after! Nevertheless, prospective owners need to be aware of poor breeding practices, specifically ‘merle-to-merle’ breeding that causes severe health issues.

If you are interested in Merle Goldendoodles keep reading this article to find out the all the answers to your burning questions about this dog breed!

Table of Contents

What Is A Merle Goldendoodle?

A Merle Goldendoodle has a rare coat pattern which features mottled patches of various colors depending on whether they are a blue or chocolate (red) merle. Merle Goldendoodles carry the ‘merle’ gene which dilutes what would’ve been a solid coat color into the distinct merle pattern. The merle gene also affects eye color and skin pigmentation on the nose and paws.

There are two main types of Merle Goldendoodle: Blue Merle Goldendoodles and Chocolate Merle Goldendoodles. Sometimes people call Chocolate Merle Goldendoodles “Red Merle Goldendoodles.”

Despite the captivating look of a Merle Goldendoodle, prospective Merle Goldendoodle 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 Goldendoodles are the result of poor breeding practices or that they will have these health issues but there is a higher risk than an ordinary Goldendoodle.

What Makes A Merle Goldendoodle?

Merle is a genetic pattern of a Goldendoodle’s coat that dilutes random sections of the coat to a lighter color whilst leaving patches of their original coat color remaining. It occurs when a Goldendoodle carries the “M” Merle allele and a negative “m” copy of the Merle allele. A Merle Goldendoodle is (M/m).

Golden Retrievers do not carry the merle gene so you can only create Merle Goldendoodles by breeding a Merle Poodle with a Golden Retriever. There is a lot of debate as to whether Merle Poodles are purebred. The Merle gene is only naturally present in a small number of breed such as the Australian Shepherd, Great Dane and some other herding breeds. Because of this many people suspect that another breed was introduced into the Poodle lineage to create the merle coat. Therefore, a Merle Goldendoodle may not be just Golden Retriever and Poodle. There may be a small percentage of another breed in the mix.

What Does A Merle Goldendoodle Look Like?

The merle gene typically changes dog’s eyes from their normal color to a light color like blue or green. It also affects skin pigmentation, resulting in light pink patches on their nose and paws. While these changes can occur for Goldendoodles, in most cases than not, Merle Goldendoodles will still have dark brown or hazel eyes and will have a jet black or brown nose.

The difference between a Blue Merle and a Chocolate Merle Goldendoodles is that a Blue Merle is a black Goldendoodle with a merle pattern while a Chocolate Merle is a liver (brown) Goldendoodle with a merle pattern.

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Blue Merle Goldendoodle

Blue Merle Goldendoodles feature a blue, grey, white and tan coat in a distinct mottled pattern. Usually most of their coat is grey and blue with white and tan patches throughout it. They usually have jet black noses and dark brown or hazel eyes however they can sometimes have blue eyes. They would have originally had a solid black coat but the merle gene diluted it into this pattern.

Chocolate Merle Goldendoodle

Chocolate Merle Goldendoodles feature a chocolate, copper, beige and white coat in a mottled pattern. Most of their coat is a beige-grey and they feature chocolate, white and copper patches throughout it. Chocolate Merle Goldendoodles have light or dark brown noses. In most cases they have light brown eyes however they can sometimes have blue or greenish eyes.

Chocolate Merle Goldendoodles are sometimes called Red Merle Goldendoodles. Chocolate and Red describe the same liver or brown base coat the Goldendoodle would’ve had if the merle gene did not dilute certain sections of it.

Are Merle Goldendoodles Rare?

Merle Goldendoodles are very rare. Only the Poodle can carry the merle gene and it is very rare if they do. It is extremely unlikely for a Merle Poodle to pass on the merle gene to a Goldendoodle.

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They’re also rare as breeders often avoid breeding this coat color due to the health issues merle dogs often suffer. This includes ocular defeats and auditory issues – especially for Double Merles.

Are Merle Goldendoodles Healthy?

Responsibly bred Merle Goldendoodles can be just as healthy as Goldendoodles that have a solid color. Health problems occur with “merle-to-merle” breeding which creates Double Merle Goldendoodles. These dogs are at a highnrisk of suffering from severe ocular and auditory defects.

Double Merle Goldendoodles

It is problematic when two Goldendoodles that are carriers of the merle gene (M/m) are bred together as there is a 25% chance for each puppy born to be homozygous (M/M) for the merle trait. (M/M) carriers are called Double Merles and they suffer from severe health issues such as blindness and deafness. They also usually have no color in their coats and are totally white.

Merle Goldendoodle Price

Merle Goldendoodles are the most expensive coat color as they are extremely rare. They usually sell for $4000USD to $4500USD. Make sure you purchase a Merle Goldendoodle from a reputable breeder as merle breeds can suffer from many health issues.

Merle Goldendoodle Names

Speckles
Stormi
Comet
Sonic
Freckles
Valentine
Scarlet
Clementine
Tabasco
Arizona

Cinnamon
Sienna
Ruby
Chilli
Flame
Marble
Bolt
Dusty
Merle
Bambi

Merle Goldendoodle Size

The size of an Merle Goldendoodle depends upon whether the Golden Retriever was bred with a Teacup, Toy, Miniature or Standard Merle Poodle. The majority of Merle Goldendoodles are standard or miniature sized. They are already a very rare coat color so it is unlikely to find them in rarer Goldendoodle sizes such as teacup, toy or medium.

A Standard Merle Goldendoodle gets to a height of 20 to 26 inches (50.8cm to 66cm) tall at the shoulder. They weigh between 50 and 90 pounds (22.7kg to 40.8kg).
A Medium Merle Goldendoodle gets to 17 to 20 inches (43.2cm to 50.8cm) tall at the shoulder and weighs between 35 and 50 pounds (15.9kg to 22.7kg).
A Mini Merle Goldendoodle gets to 15 to 17 inches (38.1cm to 43.2cm) tall at the shoulder. They weigh between 15 and 35 pounds (6.8kg to 15.9kg) when fully grown.
A Toy Merle Goldendoodle gets to a height of 10 to 16 inches (25.4cm to 40.6cm) at the shoulder and weighs between 10 and 25 pounds (4.5kg to 11.3kg).
A Teacup Merle Goldendoodle reaches a height of 8 to 13 inches (20.3cm to 33cm) at the shoulder. They weigh between 7 and 10 pounds (3.2kg to 4.5kg).

Merle Goldendoodle Lifespan

Merle Goldendoodles that are the result of responsible breeding have the same life expectancy as any other solid coated Goldendoodle. Therefore, Merle Goldendoodles have a lifespan of 10 to 15 years.

On the other hand, Double Merle Goldendoodles have a much shorter life expectancy as they suffer from many health issues.