Merle Cocker Spaniel- Why are they so Popular?

Image source: Unsplash Image source: Unsplash spanieldogs.com spanieldogs.com

A rather unique color pattern, Merle Cocker Spaniels are very rare to find

[{"selector":"#anim-69a816c9-5f34-445a-bab1-96d1fc37f05e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-14ed654c-30aa-4997-8a1e-eca4fd74ed9d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(114.19939%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Image source: Unsplash Image source: Unsplash spanieldogs.com spanieldogs.com

This coat color happens when a set of genes combine to form a rather quirky apperance

[{"selector":"#anim-4994afaa-1d1d-48c9-8ca7-8867e1248b90","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7bee4646-e583-4110-99b3-cc33e7307d5a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(114.19939%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Image source: Unsplash Image source: Unsplash spanieldogs.com spanieldogs.com

Thanks to their rarity, not only are these canines popular but often overpriced too

[{"selector":"#anim-5cd4ae52-3661-4c96-9a3f-7ac286aa5705","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1c213f1f-fc3e-4fbe-9552-f2a1adccb48b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(114.19939%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Image source: Unsplash Image source: Unsplash spanieldogs.com spanieldogs.com

Merle Cocker Spaniels are also blessed with variable colored eyes, snout and paw pads

[{"selector":"#anim-793b07ac-ca2e-4f8d-af00-3dd2cf32f806","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f06389da-7be7-4132-b4e1-0ef22f6959e4","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(114.19939%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Image source: Unsplash Image source: Unsplash spanieldogs.com spanieldogs.com

This makes these rather unconventional pups even harder to ignore and rarer to find

[{"selector":"#anim-088ae932-be25-4888-a528-5b6e37e4b1eb","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cbe4c5f0-f4a9-40a5-9513-f9e048bcb977","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(114.19939%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Image source: Unsplash Image source: Unsplash spanieldogs.com spanieldogs.com

Believed to have originated from the breeding of a purebred Cocker Spaniel and a "Rusty Butch", there are however no official records of the same

[{"selector":"#anim-f336d929-765f-4654-886d-d8ac7905de58","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9de24d33-a516-477f-b28e-7b908b32c425","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(112.08458%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Image source: Unsplash Image source: Unsplash spanieldogs.com spanieldogs.com

But no matter what, Merle seem strikingly similar to their Cocker Spaniel parents

[{"selector":"#anim-38d2c925-aff9-4ee2-8038-9d24b302fba6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5d334e0f-9291-457f-96a4-e3571922aa0e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(112.08458%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Image source: Unsplash Image source: Unsplash spanieldogs.com spanieldogs.com

The only difference lies in their coat pattern, height and weight dimensions

[{"selector":"#anim-29c3ac52-8843-4bdd-a4a7-9fb385f131dc","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2de64afe-29d5-41e2-98d8-ac31ece7e917","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(112.08458%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Image source: Unsplash Image source: Unsplash spanieldogs.com spanieldogs.com

Tap here to know more about this amazing breed

[{"selector":"#anim-5d3159c6-5de3-4bc5-9446-7d2888a53009","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c574203b-54ce-4ca0-adce-3479add5a8f2","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(112.08458%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Image source: Unsplash Image source: Unsplash spanieldogs.com spanieldogs.com