The Australian Shepherd is arguably the most colorful dog breed in the world! Australian Shepherd coats offer different looks, including black and white, red and white, and merle. The merle is a mottled pattern with contrasting shades of blue or red (red merle or blue merle). When purchasing a dog, looks/color is very important to many people. And if you happen to be one of those people, below are the top 10 Australian Shepherd coat colors for you.
1. Black and White Australian Shepherd
The black and white Australian Shepherd resembles a black and white Border Collie. Also called Black Bi Aussie, the black and white Aussie is, for the most part, black, with a small amount of white. Black Bi Aussies can have white fur on the chest, legs, belly, or bridge of the nose. For their breed standard, most of the Black Bi Aussie's head should be black. Their noses should be black and most of their body color again should be black. A Black Bi Aussie with excess white is deemed a disqualification–meaning such a dog cannot participate in dog shows and should not be bred.
2. Red and White Australian Shepherd
Also called "Red Bi," the Red and White Australian Shepherd is mostly red, with a small amount of white visible on the chest, belly, legs, and face. The Red Bi Aussie's head should be mostly red or liver as well as most of their body color. Red and White Australian Shepherds are to have liver-colored noses. A black nose on a Red Bi Aussie is a disqualification. Red Bi Aussies aren't as popular as their Black Bi counterparts because the red coat color gene is recessive.
3. Black Tri Australian Shepherd
The Black Tri Australian Shepherd is, for the most part, black, with white markings and copper points visible on the face, chest, and legs. So, a Black Tri Aussie is a black and white dog with copper points. Black Tri is one of the most beautiful and popular Australian Shepherd colors! Black Tri Aussies usually have brown colored eyes and are to have black noses.
4. Red Tri Australian Shepherd
The Red Tri Australian Shepherd is mostly red, with white markings and copper points on the face, chest, and legs. Red Tri Aussies are red and white dogs with copper points. The tones of the red coat range from light cinnamon to dark liver. Like Red Bi Aussies, Red Tri Aussies should have liver-colored noses. However, these dogs are not to be confused with Tricolor Red Merle Aussies, which have red and white hair with copper points.
5. Red Bi Merle Australian Shepherd
The Red Bi Merle Australian Shepherd is a red and white dog with the merle pattern. Merle is a genetic pattern in a dog's coat that results in different colors and patterns and can affect skin pigment as well. Red Bi Merle Aussies have beautifully marbled red and white markings. A white trim covers their chest and legs and their face is dotted with red and white markings. Generally, Red Merle Aussies have liver-colored or brown noses. They may have solid-colored eyes, but usually, the eyes will be marbled with other colors. For example, a Red Merle Aussie could have blue eyes marbled with brown, or vice versa, and could also have different-colored eyes, aka Heterochromia.
6. Red Tri Merle Australian Shepherd
The Red Tri Merle Australian Shepherd is a red tricolor dog with the merle pattern. They have beautifully marbled red, copper, and white markings. Their face is dotted with red, white, and tan markings, while a white trim covers their chest and legs. A Red Tri Merle Aussie is easy to confuse with a Red Bi Merle. However, there are subtle differences. The Red Tri Merle Aussie has some patches of white, and patches of copper as well as their marbled coat. The Red Bi Merle's red coat, on the other hand, is marbled with white and no patches of copper.
7. Blue Merle Bicolor Australian Shepherd
The Blue Merle Bicolor Australian Shepherd is a black and white dog with the merle pattern. Their black coat is marbled with white, with white patches covering their chests and maybe legs. The Blue Merle Bicolor Aussie's face is dotted with black and white markings. Generally speaking, Blue Merle Aussies usually have blue eyes, but they could also have brown eyes marbled with blue or vice versa. They could also have Heterochromia, aka different colored eyes.
8. Blue Merle Tricolor Australian Shepherd
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The Blue Merle Tricolor Australian Shepherd is a black tricolor dog with the merle pattern. Unlike the Blue Merle Bicolor Aussie, the Blue Merle Tri have white and copper patches on their face, chest, and maybe legs. They might also have copper-colored spots over their eyebrows. The rest of the dog's body is covered in a blue merle coat. Blue Merle Aussies, whether tricolor or otherwise, generally have black noses. Some Merle Aussies have patches of bright pink on their nose leather.
A Blue Merle Tricolor Australian Shepherd Puppy
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