Lilac Merle or other?

[Shawnee]

 

I have attached several pictures of my male border (Amans Patriae, call name Patriot). The breeder says he is a lilac merle, but I am not sure. The pictures show him at various ages and I would like to get some feedback from others familiar with the breed and with coloring. I have been researching genetic testing places but can't find one that does the merle gene (VetGen does all the colors except merle). Any suggestions? I will try to get a better picture of him today. I understand how the merle gene works, that is not my question. I just want to know if any of you think he is a lilac merle or another color merle. I just don't see the dilution being on the chocolate/red, but it is possible as he has a few patches that are darker chocolate/red....coule he be a lilac/blue merle...his brother in the litter was clearly a blue merle....my little guy is an unusual merle color and I just want some other opinions on which "merle" he is....we are trying to narrow his color/markings down for his paperwork....

thank you!

Shawnee

[Liz P]

The lighting is bad in some of the photos, but he looks like a blue merle to me. Some people would call his color "muddy" because of the brown tint to certain areas.

 

Lilac merles are genetically red and dilute. I am seeing a black nose, which rules out both of those genes.

[Pam Wolf]

The lighting is bad in some of the photos, but he looks like a blue merle to me. Some people would call his color "muddy" because of the brown tint to certain areas.

 

Lilac merles are genetically red and dilute. I am seeing a black nose, which rules out both of those genes.

 

 

Possible sable merle?

[juliepoudrier]

Liz is correct in pointing out that with a black nose, black patches, and black eye rims, your dog cannot be red or lilac. I would have said blue or tri blue merle, but as I don't keep up on all the candy merle colors folks are producing these days I couldn't say for sure if he's some other sort of merle. I can say for sure that he is not a red or lilac merle. (For your own confirmation, you could find out if the cross has produced red dogs or dilutes before; if not, then it's less likely that your dog could be either, even despite the phenotypic evidence that says he's not.)

 

J.

[PSmitty]

I think he's a blue merle or tri blue merle. He looks a lot like Kristine's Dean. http://www.bordercollie.org/boards/index.php?showtopic=28694

http://www.bordercollie.org/boards/index.php?showtopic=29543&st=0&p=367483&hl=dean&fromsearch=1entry367483

[Echo]

I would say blue merle...but that's just from looking at google images and this website http://www.bryningbordercollies.com/Border-Collie-Colours

[Shawnee]

 

Thanks for all the replies. I was thinking blue merle also, but the red/chocolate color is throwing me off. Here are several pics I just took outside, hopefully you all can see him better. He has a few darker chocolate/red spots also, hopefully you can see those. I tried different angles. His coloring is so odd from what I am used to seeing in merles. His tail, however, is the typical blue merle coloring. I looked at the picture of the tri-color merle and he looks a LOT like him...so maybe that is what he is.

In the third and last photo you can see the darker red/chocolate spots on the lighter red/chocolate coat color.

[sixx]

Kind of looks like a sable merle...

 

Twisp just posted a thread like this, you should check it out in the general discussion area... the puppies posted look very similar.