What is a Merle Cockapoo? A Dainty Designer Dog Breed (With Pictures)

The Cockapoo is a mix between a pure Poodle and a pure Cocker Spaniel, producing a hybrid with characteristics of both parent breeds. According to surveys, the Cockapoo is the most popular hybrid dog.  

As the oldest breed of the “designer dog”, they may trace their origins back to the United States in the 1960s. Cockapoo breeding aims to produce a smart, lovable, and easily trainable hybrid dog.

What is a Merle Cockapoo?  

Merle is a coat pattern common in Collies, Australian Shepherds, Shelties, Great Danes, and a few other breeds. It is also starting to show up in cockapoos. Most likely, the merle trait in the cocker or the Poodle was introduced to the breed from another species many years ago.  

A merle cockapoo is not merely a cross between a Poodle and a Cocker Spaniel. Their coat has a unique pattern because of the merle gene.

The Merle’s random coat dilution similarly impacts the eyes and nose. The nose may be entirely or partially pink, while the eyes may be entirely or partially blue.

Since Merle is a dilution gene that lightens the coat, it causes the dog to have vivid patches of color all over its body.
  

What is a Merle Dog?  

Merle is a genetic trait shown in variable coat, eye, and paw coloration. Merles is only more attractive than other dogs but are also more prone to health problems like blindness and deafness. Otherwise, they are identical to other dogs.

Merle comes in many different colors and patterns, and it can change the color of any coat. The merle gene causes mottled coats, blue or odd-colored eyes, and skin pigmentation.

Since its appearance, the merle pattern has been the favorite of dog owners worldwide. No two merle puppies have the same pattern of spots and patches since each one is born with its unique genetic makeup.

What Does a Merle Cockapoo Dog Look Like?

Since a Cockapoo is a mixed-breed dog, it doesn’t have a set look, and Cockapoos have many traits in common despite being different in size and appearance.

Their size is determined by their adult height to the top of their shoulders when standing, which is classified into three groups.

Their bright coats are usually patterned with white. These dogs’ coats are often thick with various textures, including flat, wavy, and tightly coiled. Their tails may also be docked or undocked.

A Cockapoo’s ears begin slightly below the brow and dangle around the eyes. Cockapoos have large, dark-brown eyes and black nostrils.

Poodles do not shed much due to their hypoallergenic nature. So, A Cockapoo is often thought to be hypoallergenic.  

Most Cockapoos have strong, square shoulders that help them move quickly and easily. Their front legs are parallel and straight, near to the body.  

What Color is a Merle Cockapoo?

One of the most noticeable patterns on a Cockapoo is the Merle coat. This coat is decorated with a swirl of conflicting colors, giving it a marbled look. Some options are cream/white, black, grey, brown, tan, or red. A Merle Cockapoo usually has at least two distinct colors.  

Warmer tones may refer to the dog as a “Red merle Cockapoo,” while bluish undertones, such as a gunmetal grey coat, may refer to the canine as a “blue merle Cockapoo.” Because of the irregularity of the pattern, no two merle Cockapoos are alike.  

Merle Cockapoos have a one-of-a-kind appearance right down to their noses and eyes, there might be spots on the noses, and the eyes might be brown, blue, or a distinct color in each eye.

The merle gene causes the pigmentation of black hair to fade, giving the blue Merle its unique grey color.  

Blue Merle Cockapoo

Mixed from Poodles and Cocker Spaniels, a Blue Merle Cockapoo is a unique and beautiful dog breed. Both parent breeds can have the Blue Merle color; however, it is more typical in Cocker Spaniels. 

Red Merle Cockapoo

Red merle Cockapoos are distinguished by their red brick coats. They have brown eyes and a nose that may vary in color from almost black to dark brown with a reddish tinge. The red coat produced by this gene, which may be inherited from either the Poodle or the Cocker Spaniel, is very vivid.  

Apricot Merle Cockapoo

The apricot is a lighter red with an orange undertone. Apricot is one of the most popular colors, but it only comes from Poodle parents. Because the Poodle breeds curly hair, apricot merle Cockapoo puppies may have more curls.  

Black and White Merle Cockapoo  

The black and white Cockapoo is a parti Cockapoo. Parti is a color pattern made up of two or more solid colors, at least one of which must be white. Black-and-white Cockapoos are a popular variety of the parti Cockapoo breed.  

Chocolate Merle Cockapoo  

A chocolate Merle Cockapoo is a cute little dog with a coat that ranges from caramel to dark brown with a white spot. All Chocolate merle Cockapoos have light hazel or green eyes.  

What is Double Merle  

One in four puppies born to two merles will have two copies of the merle gene, making them double-merles. This may result in a variety of health issues. Most double-merles have hearing or vision issues that are severe enough to render them deaf and blind.

Frequently, the eyes may not develop, or the eyeball is tiny. Also, the ears are not as developed as they may be. A double merle is nearly usually albino in appearance, with a pink nose and pink eyes (if any). Other health problems can also cut a dog’s life short.  

Are Merle Cockapoos Healthy?  

Mixed-breed dogs have a lesser chance of acquiring genetic disorders than purebred dogs.  

 Because Cockapoos are a cross between a cocker spaniel and a poodle, their genes make them more likely to get the health problems that are most common in both of their purebred parents.  

Merle Cockapoos are often controversial because the merle gene is linked to health problems like blindness and deafness. Merle puppies are often highly healthy if their parents are as healthy. Look for a breeder who does genetic testing on their dogs to ensure neither parent carries the merle gene.  

Merle Cockapoo Health Issues 

The merle genetic mutation has been linked to several health issues; however, not all merle cockers suffer. When merles reproduce with other merles, the probability of this happening rises.  

From the Cocker Spaniel side, your dog may be prone to the following health problems:  

Lymphoma/Melanoma  

Dysplasia of the Hip  

Intervertebral Disc Degeneration (IVDD)  

Congenital heart defects /Cardiomyopathy  

Ear issues  

Patella luxation  

From the Poodle side, Your Cockapoo may be predisposed to the following Poodle genetic health issues:  

Issues with the eyes (cataracts, glaucoma, PRA)  

Kidney/Liver Disease  

Epilepsy  

Infections of the Ear  

Are merle cockapoos rare?  

The Merle is the rarest Cockapoo, with a white coat covered in various different-colored patches. Because each merle puppy has its unique pattern of spots, they are all unique. These puppies are unusual in that they might have one blue or one brown eye.  

Are Merle Cockapoos More Expensive?

Cockapoos with several colors, such as Merle, are among the most expensive breeds. If a Cockapoo has a rare coat color, its price will increase.  

Cockapoo prices can vary greatly across breeders, and Puppies can range in price from $900 to $2500. The actual figure will differ not just by the breeder but also by the dog.  

 Puppies’ prices vary depending on a variety of characteristics, including their age, their parents’ health, their genetics and ancestry, the color of their coats, and their rarity.  

 Remember that many breeders lose money on every puppy sale so the asking price might seem fair.  

There are no low-cost Cockapoo puppies. The charge covers veterinary treatment, nutritional food, and screening for common illnesses and hereditary problems.  A good breeder will spend thousands of dollars on each puppy’s health and well-being.  

Do Merle Cockapoos Fade? 

The Cockapoo’s coat gets lighter over time because of a gene they got from their Poodle ancestor. You’ll notice that your Cockapoo’s coat starts to fade at the age of six months.

A Cockapoo requires one copy of the recessive gene that causes color fading to lose its natural color.  

The coat color of a merle cockapoo, whether blue, brown, black, or red, might fade with time, as it does in solid-colored cockapoos.  

Merle Cockapoo Adult 

A Cockapoo puppy’s coat is an excellent predictor of the adult dog’s look. Puppies’ coats change and adapt as they grow. Coat coloring in cockapoos is frequently constant, and a puppy’s curly coat is typically permanent. Like other small to medium dogs, Cockapoos reach maturity around 12 months. 

End Note 

A Merle Cockapoo with a consistent look is challenging to breed, and their appearance is determined by the features they inherit from each parent.  

For your preferences., cockapoos are available in various colors and sizes. The most popular merle Cockapoo colors are apricot, chocolate, black, cream, white, red, and golden.