French Bulldogs possessing a merle pattern have a solid base color varying from chocolate brown to blue, and black to fawn, marked with regular or irregular stripes or spots.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) does not recognize merle as an official color. In fact, the regular Frenchies are crossed with official merle breeds like the Chihuahua, with the outcome being a litter of mostly merle puppies.
A merle French Bulldog needs to inherit a copy of the dominant gene – “M” allele. Only when a dog has the combination of a dominant “M” allele and a recessive “m” allele, it will display the merle pattern. When a Frenchie possesses two dominant “M” alleles, it is a double merle French Bulldog.
It can often develop blue eyes because of either the M-locus gene or a low melanin level. Don’t panic if your dog has two different colored eyes as it is caused by a genetic condition called heterochromia.
Chocolate Merle
These Bulldogs display merle patterns over a brown base coat.
Pied Merle
This dog has blue and gray patches over a white coat.
Black Merle
This dog displays dark fur over a base coat ranging from light grey to brown and black mottling.
Brindle Merle
The brindle merle Frenchie has a series of patterns consisting of tan and merle spots.
Red Merle
One of the common patterns, the coat has a slightly pink tone covered with merle streaks.
Tan Merle
These dogs have a tan coat, with brown spots all over, though some have grey spots instead. Other characteristic features include pink or light brown noses and pale paw pads.
Brown Merle
The brown merle is very similar to the red merle, just with a darker tone.
White Merle
Often confused with the pied merle, these Frenchies have black and tan patches over a white coat.
Black and Tan Merle
These Bulldogs have black patches along with a merle pattern over a tan coat.
Harlequin Merle
When a French Bulldog inherits both the harlequin and merle genes, they develop this pattern.
Tri Merle
These dogs have a blue and fawn coat, with black patches all over.
Spotted
When a merle pattern on a French Bulldog is broken down into spots, it appears like this.
More Merle French Bulldogs
On average, a merle Frenchie costs between $7,500 and $15,000.
