5 Things You Need To Know About The Merle Cocker Spaniel

The Merle Gene

The merle gene affects not only coat color but also eye color and skin pigment.

Blue Merle Cocker Spaniel

The diluted black color loses intensity and gives off the appearance of blue patches spread across the body.

Red Merle Cocker Spaniel

The dilute gene works its magic by lowering the amount of brown pigment to result in a red merle.

Double Merle

A double merle Cocker Spaniel will have very lightly colored brown, green or blue eyes.

Merle Health Issues

Studies confirmed that merle dogs have a rather high incidence of hearing loss and eye abnormalities.