Blue Merle colour development

[seashel]

I am used to sable and tri puppies and know as they grow the amount of white they are born with gradually reduces, so a puppy born with a broad white blaze will mature usually into a dog with a thin stripe.

However, I am not so familiar with merle puppies. Is a more heavily marked merle likely to become less so as it grows? (i.e do the black patches reduce in size?) I looked at a few pictures and it would seem that what in a blue merle is present at birth is likely to stay pretty much the same as an adult. So it is possible to chose a good coloured merle in the nest?

 

[Justicemom]

What I have noticed with Ember, Grizz and Diva's puppies is the black patches stay pretty close to how they are born but they do shink a tiny bit if any. The gray tends to get more black ticking and little spots develop as they get older.

Here are a few pictures. The blue merle girls are 1 days old and then 6 months. Ember is 7wks and 4yrs. As you can see they didn't change too much. The white got smaller though and tiny white spots disappear. The blazes act just the same as the tri and sables. Shiraz had a huge white blaze when she was born and as you can see not so much now

 

[seashel]

Thanks Dr Shelli and for posting the pictures too. It would seem then that a good coloured blue can be picked early and a heavily marked one is not going to significantly improve.
(Must say what a cutie Ember puppy was and she is just as stunning as an adult!)

 

[danisgoat]

I have the same experience as Dr. Shelli. Dandie is now 17months old and her markings are pretty close to how they were when she was born. You can take a look in my Dandie Album for her progresssion.