Australian Shepherd Appearance - Blue Merle

Blue merle is a striking color which is made up of black spots of various sizes on a gray background. Sometimes the overall effect is to give the dog a "blue" look, hence the name "blue merle." The shades of gray can range from light silver to dark smoke, and the black spots can be small specks to very large patches, creating a wide variety of interesting combinations. Blue merle Aussies may also have white markings on the face, chest, legs, and under parts. Copper points are also commonly seen on the face and legs. So this type of Aussie may be:

solid blue merle
blue merle and white
blue merle, white, and copper

Blue merle Aussies may have solid colored eyes, but frequently the eyes will be "marbled" or flecked with other colors. So a blue merle Aussie could have blue eyes marbled with brown, or vice versa. It could also have a blue eye and a brown eye. Blue eyes are much more common in the merles than in the solid color black and red Aussies.