The red dog from two black parents has the same genetic make-up for color as the red dog from two red parents. Occasionally a red will show up in a long line of only black ancestry. Occasionally a dog appearing to be solid black or solid red is a merle. One or two flecks of lighter merling on a solid dog will make him genetically a merle. Diluted patches will show up as gray, rusty or brown, and are not desirable.
Copper trim color ranges from pale cream to dark deep tan.
All black and blue merle dogs have black noses, eye rims and lips. Blue eyes almost never appear in solid colored Aussies, although they are common in some other breeds. Blue eyes and blue flecks in dark eyes occur in merles, and are not reliably predictable in a given litter. One eye color is not preferable over another. For questions about ASCA, ASCA programs, or Australian Shepherds, click here .