Colour Guide

The Merle colouring is controversial, and I want to explain the facts around it to alleviate any concern around our breeding practices.  

The Merle gene can cause health issues. If you breed two dogs together that are Merle then the resulting puppies can suffer serious health issues. 

Merle is a coat pattern, and it is not always easy to spot, even if a dog does not look Merle to the human eye, does not mean that it is not Merle in its genes. 

So when two dogs are bred together it is crucial that the breeder has a full and clear understanding of the genes prior to mating. 

Certain dog breeds are known to have Merle in their coat pattern. Border Collies for example, are often Merle. 

However, we breed Sproodles. Springer Spaniel x Poodle. Springer Spaniels are NOT Merle. Historically they never have been, it is not a colour pattern seen in the breed at all. 

Therefore when we cross a Merle Poodle with an English Springer Spaniel, we know that we can do this without fear of producing puppies that suffer as a result. 

Having knowledge, understanding, facts and data is what makes good breeding decisions, and we have been breeding Merle Sproodles for more than a decade without issue. 

Sadly there are many people using Merle in their breeding programs with little or no understanding of how it affects the puppies they are breeding, however in an F1 Sproodle there will be no issue relating to the Merle gene.