THE MERLE MINIATURE SCHNAUZER

If you’re considering bringing home a Miniature Schnauzer, there are plenty of color options for you to choose from including black, white, salt & pepper, and black & silver. All color variants share the same amazing personality, so you can expect your furry friend to be affectionate, curious, alert and playful. They also have the same appearance: robust, sturdy and nearly square built.

In your search for the perfect Mini Schnauzer, you will likely come across the flashy Merle Miniature Schnauzer. Merle Miniature Schnauzers have become a trendy topic of discussion among fans of the breed, so here’s all you need to know about them.

History of Merle Miniature Schnauzers

Like all other variants of the Miniature Schnauzer, the history of Merle Miniature Schnauzers can be traced to the emergence of Schnauzers, which were originally a German breed dog. They were crossed with other breeds like Affenpinchsers and poodles to reduce their size so they could serve as ratters and guard dogs on farms. The result of the cross-breeding is the Miniature Schnauzers.

In the process of crossing the standard Schnauzer with other breeds, some of the dogs showed a color pattern that didn’t exactly fall into the categories of existing colors. The color patterns were not entirely new at that point but it was during that period that the word ‘merle’ was correctly used to describe the color pattern.

So what is merle?

Merle is one of the most beautiful coat patterns in the world and it is characterized by random splotches of dark pigment overlaying a lighter shade of the same color. Contrary to widespread assumptions, merle is not a color but a pattern that is actually caused by the merle gene.

The merle gene is a dilution gene that lightens whatever the color coat would have been. It can affect all colors as the alleles that produce the pattern are dominant. Also, the merle gene can affect the coloring on the nose and paw pads as well as modify the dark pigment in the eyes to complete or partial blue.

Health concerns for the Merle Miniature Schnauzer

Health concerns for the Merle Schnauzer are the same for the Miniature Schnauzer. Unless you do any sort of linebreeding, the Merle Schnauzer is just as smart, and beautiful as all the other other colors in the Schnauzer breed. They will even come out as Schnauzer if you were to dna test them. There is a lot of fear mongering about this color of the Mini Schnauzer, but a conscientious breeder will do all they can to ensure healthy puppies!

Conclusion

A Merle Miniature Schnauzer is the perfect blend of beauty and charm. Everybody loves the flashy and pretty spotted Merle Miniature Schnauzer!