Red Merle Australian Shepherd: Info, Facts, Pictures & More!

The Red Merle Australian Shepherd has a beautiful coat featuring mottled patches in copper, white, red and tan. They’re not as common as Blue Merle Australian Shepherds, however you still come across them quite regularly. While Merle Aussies are so pretty, prospective owners need to be aware of the health dangers of the merle gene when breeding, especially surrounding Double Merle Australian Shepherds.

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

Cover Image Credit: @lottieauss

Table of Contents

What Is A Red Merle Australian Shepherd?

Red Merle Australian Shepherds feature a mottled coat with red, copper, tan and white patches throughout it. They usually feature a large white patch on their chest and neck as well as smaller white patches on their paws and muzzle. They look very similar to Blue Merle Australian Shepherds except Red Merle Australian Shepherds would have originally had a red (liver) base coat instead of a black one. Besides the merle gene affecting coat coloration, it may also result in them having blue or green eyes and areas of their skin that lacks pigmentation.

Are All Australian Shepherds Merle?

No, not all Australian Shepherds are merle. There are also regular solid-coated or tri-color Australian Shepherds. These coat colors include solid black, solid, red, red tri-color and black tri-color. Approximately 40% of all Australian Shepherds are merle.

Red Merle Australian Shepherd via @maple.in.time

Red Merle Australian Shepherd Characteristics

Red Merle Australian Shepherd Characteristics
Size	Teacup, Toy, Mini or Standard.
Temperament	Loyal, affectionate, eager to please.
Activity Levels	Moderate to high.
Exercise Requirements	30 to 60 min per day.
Lifespan	10 to 12 years.
Coat	Red merle double coat.
Eyes	Amber, brown, green or blue.
Shedding	Moderate to heavy.
Apartment Adaptability	Small Australian Shepherds may be able to live in an apartment.
Good with Children	Yes.

Are Red Merle Australian Shepherds Rare?

Red Merle Australian Shepherds are rarer than Blue Merle Australian Shepherds because their red (liver) base coat is a recessive gene while the black base coat of a blue merle is a dominant gene. While they are less common than Blue Merle Australian Shepherds, Red Merle Australian Shepherds are by no means extremely rare. They are about as common as Red Tri Australian Shepherds.

What Is The Difference Between Red Merle and Blue Merle Aussies?

The main difference between Red Merle and Blue Merle Aussies are the colors that are featured in their coat. They both carry the merle gene however Blue Merle Aussies would have originally had a black base coat diluted to grey, white and tan. On the other hand, Red Merle Aussies would have originally had a red or brown coat diluted to copper, beige and white. Blue Merle Aussies are much more common than Red Merle Aussies. In fact, blue merle is one of the most common Australian Shepherd coat colors.

blue merle vs red merle australian shepherd — Blue Merle & Red Merle Australian Shepherds

Red Merle Coat Variations

Light Red Merle Australian Shepherd

Light Red Merle Aussie via @miniaussie_ari

Light Red Merle Australian Shepherds have lots of diluted sections so most of their coat is copper and beige instead of a darker red. They may also have larger sections of white that spread onto their back instead of being isolated to their chest.

Self Red Merle Australian Shepherd

Self Red Merle Australian Shepherds feature a mottled coat with only red and copper. There are no tan or white patches on their coat. Self Red Merle Australian Shepherds do not have the large white patch on their neck and chest like most Red Merle Australian Shepherds. They are much rarer than the typical Red Merle Aussie that features a white patch around its neck and chest area and also on their paws.

Tri Color Red Merle Australian Shepherd

Tri Color Red Merle Australian Shepherd is just another name for a Red Merle Aussie. All Red Merle Australian Shepherds have three colors in their coat: red, white and tan.

Red Merle Australian Shepherd Price

Red Merle Australian Shepherds usually cost between $3000USD and $7000USD depending on the breeder. They are more expensive than Blue Merle Australian Shepherds as they are a rarer coat color, the result of a recessive gene. Their unique and beautiful coat color is highly sought after by buyers.

Additionally, Red Merles that have been ethically bred usually sell towards the higher end of the price range as the breeders have meticulously chosen breeding lines and done genetics tests to certify that they are not Double Merles.

Red Merle Australian Shepherd Breeders

If you are looking for an Australian Shepherd breeder, consider PuppySpot where you can use our discount code PUPPY300 for $300 dollars off any dog! Check out the adorable Aussie puppies that are currently available here!

PuppySpot is a dog adoption website that connects breeders with prospective pet owners. They have a zero tolerance policy for puppy mills which is why they screen every breeder annually! They have placed over 200,000 puppies in homes and offer various trusted, USDA-certified transportation options to deliver your puppy to your home safely! You won’t regret having a look at their Australian Shepherd puppies here as they are so cute!

red merle aussie puppy — Red Merle Australian Shepherd via @indiana_y_montana_aussies

Are Merle Aussies Healthy?

Merle Aussies can have health issues but being merle does not necessarily mean that they have them. Manly Merle Aussies, whether they are blue merle or red merle are perfectly healthy. If a Merle Aussie does have heath problems it’s likely to be hearing problems and blindness however this is much more common in ones that irresponsibly and Double Merle Aussies.

Responsible Breeding Practices

Breeders who want to produce merle puppies should mate a Merle Australian Shepherd with a non-Merle (m/m) Australian Shepherd as the incidence of health risks is reduced. Roughly 50% of their offspring 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. Breeders should perform DNA tests for the cryptic merle mutation before breeding.

Is It Safe To Breed Merle Dogs?

It can be safe to breed merle dogs if proper research is completed and DNA tests are taken. It is never safe to breed two merle dogs together as it will result in a double merle puppy. Breeders should only ever breed a non-merle with a merle dog together to reduce the risk of inherited health problems.

Can You Breed A Red Merle With A Blue Merle?

No, you cannot breed a Red Merle with a Blue Merle as it will result in a litter with Double Merles. Even though they are two different colored merles, they still both carry the merle gene and will result in puppies that inherit two copies of the M allele.

Double Merle Australian Shepherds

What Is A Double Merle Australian Shepherd?

A Double Merle (M/M) Australian Shepherd has little to no color in their coat as they have inherited two copies of the dominant “M” allele. Unfortunately, Double Merle Australian Shepherds 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 Australian Shepherds are also called ‘lethal whites’ due to their coloring and health issues. They are very controversial if they have been purposefully bred. Most official bodies refuse to register dogs that are a product of merle-to-merle breeding.

Double Merle 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)

red merle mini aussie — Red Merle Australian Shepherd via @mini.aussie.kiwi

Red Merle Australian Shepherd Names

Red Merle Australian Shepherd Girl Names

Ruby
Sienna
Cinnamon
Ariel
Pippi
Anne
Autumn
Amber
Pumpkin
Maple

Red Merle Australian Shepherd Boy Names

Blaze
Fox
Chilli
Jasper
Redmond
Pepperoni
Bandit
Rosso
Hunter
Bandit

red merle aussie — Red Merle Australian Shepherd via @sweet.sadie.grace

Red Merle Australian Shepherd Sizes

Red Merle Australian Shepherds comes in four main sizes: teacup, toy, miniature and standard. If you want to know about all of their Aussie sizes in depth, you should read our full Australian Shepherd size guide here!

Red Tri Australian Shepherd Guide – Everything To Know!

Teacup Red Merle Australian Shepherd

Teacup Red Merle Australian Shepherds are the smallest Australian Shepherd size. The “teacup” size is not an officially recognised size by kennel clubs however breeders do create them. Teacup Red Merle Australian Shepherds were originally created by breeding two Australian Shepherds on the smaller size together until they consistently produced an even smaller dog size.

Teacup Red Merle Shepherds reach a height of 10 to 14 inches (25.4cm to 35.6cm) tall at the shoulder and weigh between 12 and 17 pounds (5.4kg to 7.7kg) when fully grown. They are the same size as Toy Australian Shepherds.

Toy Red Merle Australian Shepherd

A Toy Red Merle Australian Shepherd is the smallest Australian Shepherd size. They are the same size as Teacup Red Merle Australian Shepherds – the two names are used interchangeably.

Toy Red Merle Australian Shepherds gets to a height of 10 to 14 inches (25.4cm to 35.6cm) tall at the shoulder and weigh between 12 and 17 pounds (5.4kg to 7.7kg) when fully grown. You can read our full in-depth Toy Australian Shepherd guide here!

Mini Red Merle Australian Shepherd

Mini Red Merle Australian Shepherds are the middle Australian Shepherd size – somewhere in between the Teacup/Toy Australian Shepherd and the Standard Australian Shepherd. They are a medium sized dog breed with a solid build.

Mini Red Merle Australian Shepherds gets to a height of 13 to 18 inches (33cm to 45.7cm) tall at the shoulder and weigh between 30 and 40 pounds (13.6kg to 18.1kg) when fully grown. You can read our full in-depth Mini Australian Shepherd guide here!

Standard Red Merle Australian Shepherd

Standard Red Merle Australian Shepherds are the largest size of the breed. A Standard Red Merle Australian Shepherd gets to a height of 18 to 23 inches (45.7cm to 58.4cm) tall at the shoulder and weighs between 40 and 65 pounds (18.1kg to 29.5kg) when fully grown.

Out of all the Australian Shepherd sizes, you are most likely to find a Red Merle Aussie in this size.

Red Merle Australian Shepherd Shedding

Do Red Merle Australian Shepherds Shed?

Australian Shepherds, regardless of their coat color, are moderate to heavy shedders. They shed all year round and it is particularly heavy during moulting season. As Australian Shepherds have a double coat, the thickness of their undercoat will change depending on the season. It’s thicker during winter to keep them warm and thinner in summer to keep them cool. The transitional periods towards winter or summer are the two periods where shedding will be much heavier than normal.

If you are looking for a dog breed that doesn’t shed that much, a single coated breed is probably more suitable than a double coated one. Nearly all Poodle Mix breeds are classified as light to non-shedders so something like a Goldendoodle, Labradoodle, Sheepadoodle, Bernedoodle or Aussiedoodle would be suitable if you are still looking for a larger dog breed. If you love the temperament or look of an Australian Shepherd, an Aussiedoodle would be your best option as they are a cross between an Australian Shepherd and a Poodle.

Are Red Merle Australian Shepherds Hypoallergenic?

Red Merle Australian Shepherds are not hypoallergenic as they release a considerable amount of allergy inducing dander into their immediate environment. Dog allergy symptoms are usually caused by dander which is composed of tiny particles of skin shed by dogs along with a bit of their fur. It can be really problematic as dander is so small and can linger in air for long periods of time.

Allergy symptoms can also flare up from the proteins founds in dog saliva, urine and feces. Like dander, dried saliva can flake off a dog’s skin or fur and become airborne.