Australian Shepherd colors are one of the features that make them loved by many. Also referred to as Aussies, the Australian Shepherd is a hard-working, sweet-natured, and energetic dog.
Even though their name suggests an affiliation to Australia, Aussies are an American breed, known for being a companion to cowboys and the star of rodeos and movies.
After a lengthy trip around the world, Aussies settled in the American West. The Pyrenean Shepherds are their ancestors, and they journeyed to Australia.
Nowadays they perform any job you can think of because of their intelligence and loyalty. They are useful search and rescue dogs, therapy dogs, K-9 police dogs, seeing-eye dogs, and shepherds. Additionally, they still enjoy doing rodeo tricks.
There are four coat colors recognized by American Kennel Club (AKC) for purebred Australian Shepherds. They are blue merle, black, red merle, and red.
The AKC recognizes a few mixtures of markings, within these groups, giving a total of fourteen diverse colors. An Aussie that has a color that is not listed, will not technically be a purebred. However, they will still be adorable, loyal, and loving dogs.
12 Australian Shepherd Colors
1. Black Australian Shepherd
It is not often that you see Australian Shepherds with only one color because the solid color is determined by a gene that is recessive within them.
Although it is not impossible, it is unlikely that you will find completely black Australian Shepherds on suburban sidewalks or ranches without markings.
To qualify as a solid color, Aussies don’t need to be unblemished, however, all other spots, whether tan or white, should be minor. Although the shades may vary from dark to light, black Aussies have brown eyes most of the time.
You’ll rarely see an Aussie that is totally black with hazel eyes. It will count as an even rarer occasion if that happens.
The Australian Shepherd is a dog with a beautiful coat of color that attracts everyone. Aussies have the advantage of having a wide variety of colors.
The eye-catching black coat color combined with brown eyes makes the black Aussie aesthetically pleasing and will entice every dog lover with its charm.
2. Black Bicolor
An Aussie that has the coat colors of only black and white is called Black bicolor, shortened to “black bi”. They are sometimes simply referred to as black and white Aussies.
Most of the time, black bi’s coats are white, starting from the face down to the front paws, and also solid black in all other places including the back of the head to the tail.
Although above its eyes, there may also be white “points” with spots of white color.
Instead of white, many black Aussies have the second color of a tan. Black and tan Aussies may have tan patches on their chest, legs, eyes, throat, or cheeks.
They’re not considered “black bi,” although they possess these two colors, because that term is only used for Aussies who are mostly black and have white as a secondary color.
3. Black Tricolor
An Australian Shepherd who has a predominantly black coat with both tan and white highlights is sometimes called a “black tri”.
A black three-colored Aussie has white markings mostly visible on its paws, muzzle, stomach, and chest. However, their tan spots are most noticeable on their cheeks, legs, and eyes.
Of the entire Aussie breed, black tricolor seems to be one of the most prevalent colors of coat. Their eyes are usually dark to light brown because black is their dominant color.
Since this is one of the more popular coats, many people tend to the black tri-coat, especially those with lighter colored eyes.
4. Blue Merle Australian Shepherd
You will see Merle much more frequently than you’ll see the solid red or black coats because it is the dominant gene pattern in Aussies. Many people may be unfamiliar with the word, “merle,” which simply means a coat that is marbled.
It is where the darker and lighter shades of the coat are layered and forms a richly combined pattern.
Australian Shepherds that are merle, may be red or black, but if black Aussies have the merle gene, it is instead referred to as a “blue merle”. If you look at a typical Merle Australian Shepherd you will understand why this is so.
Their black spots are mixed with the patches of gray, in a particular way that they typically end up looking blue at a distance.
To be considered a blue merle solid Aussie the entire coat has to be marbled all over. Sometimes on the same Aussie, the gray shades can range from silver to charcoal. Australian Shepherds with this coat color are uncommon but memorable.
5. Blue Merle Bicolor
For a purebred Australian Shepherd to be classified as having a blue merle bicolor, the coat needs to be mixed with either white or tan and their marbled color as the base.
In bi-colored Aussies, blue mixed with white merle may be as minimal as one spot on their chest or it may extend to the dog’s middle, chest, and forelegs.
It is not very often but Aussies that are tan and blue merle can be found sometimes. They occasionally have tan beards, or they may have tan or copper points on the eyebrows, which gives them a regal look.
6. Blue Merle Tricolor
Another very widely held color mixture in purebred Aussies is the Blue merle tricolor. These Aussies are perhaps the most beautiful dog you will ever see as they have white faces and ruffs, tan legs, ears, and cheeks, and a cloudy blue merle along the back.
These Aussies are special types of dogs because they could be the champion in both a rodeo contest and kennel club competition. These types of Aussies are also well-loved.
With blue merle Australian Shepherds, you usually get either brown or blue eyes which are a favorite of many. Sometimes an Australian Shepherd will have one of both eye colors and these can be stunningly marbled like the fur.
7. Red Merle Australian Shepherd
A mixture of a red color gene and a merle gene pattern gives us the Red merle color pattern. With an Australian Shepherd, black coat marbling leads to a cloudy gray-blue, while red coat marbling results in a striking sandstone effect.
It is reminiscent of the harsh outback where the Aussie ancestor breed first started herding sheep.
An Aussie need not be flawlessly marbled about the whole body to be a red merle solid Aussie. This is because a few white and/or copper spots are allowed before it is legitimately categorized as a coat of a different color.
The Australian Shepherds that have coats that are red merle frequently have eyes that are marbled as well. Their eyes have flecks of color within the irises which gives them a deep, intense stare.
The dominant colors are blue with brown marbling and brown with blue marbling. However, there are very special dogs that possess one of both.
8. Red Merle Bicolor
Australian Shepherds that have red merle coats that are bicolor need to have a white patch on the legs, necks, or faces. Sometimes, a new look is added to the intricate colors, as white is also embedded throughout the merle coat itself.
Red merle bicolor Australian Shepherds occasionally have white and red patches mixed on their faces, which gives a splash of color which looks like endearing freckles.
Tan points that don’t have white trim seldom occur on Red merles. On the rare occasions that they do, the copper/tan is so downplayed that American Kennel Club does not consider it as a shade of its own.
9. Red Merle Tricolor
To be officially classified as a purebred Australian Shepherd with red merle tri-color needs to have a marbled red base with white trim and tan highlights.
The white parts can cover the chests, legs, faces, and occasionally bellies. However, the copper seems to be most visibly located along the tips of the paws and over their eyes.
It is important to remember that as a responsible dog parent, you should only go to knowledgeable dog breeders who understand the merle gene. Responsible breeders should never couple a merle Aussie with another merle Aussie.
This is because there is a possibility that the two merles may produce a litter of prominently white puppies. Aussies tend to develop poor hearing, bad eyesight, and other troubles as they develop if they don’t have pigments close to their ears and eyes.
10. Red Australian Shepherd
Within the Australian Shepherd, red is a recessive gene. This means that it only expresses itself when the dominant black gene is not present.
The reason why red Australian Shepherds are considered rare and precious beauties is that they are a lot harder to breed.
The coats of Australian Shepherds typically grow in several different shades of red. Cinnamon is the lightest and appears to be almost gold in some lights.
On the other hand, the darkest shade is liver and is close to dark gray or black. In between, red Aussies can be ruby, chestnut, auburn, and more.
Solid red Aussies are the rarest of all the coat colors, because the red gene is recessive, and the solid color is controlled by a recessive gene within them. If you were to see a solid red Aussie, it would be a rare occasion indeed.
12. Red Bicolor
Just like the black bi, red bi refers to a red and white Australian Shepherd. Red bi-colored Aussies have white markings on their legs, chests, and faces, and sometimes on the backs of their necks as well. They’re usually entirely red, from the forelegs backward.
Tan markings don’t occur in red Aussies without any white presence. This goes for either solid or merle. All red bicolor Aussies are red and white.
13. Red Tricolor
Typically red tri-colored Aussies have a red and white coat with copper points and markings. On top of their base red coats, red tricolors can have white on their faces, paws, and fronts, with copper highlights most frequently occur on the legs and face.
The most frequently occurring eye color for all three kinds of red Aussie is Amber, which adds a beautiful complement to their coats.
It is a bit uncommon but some red Aussies have blue eyes. A few of them even have a condition called heterochromia, with one eye amber and the other blue.
How Do Australian Shepherd Color Genetics Work?
Since they look blue from afar, back dogs that have the merle pattern are referred to as blue merles instead of black merles. Because merle is a dominant gene, it can affect both red and black dogs.
Many of the coat colors that are disregarded by both the American Kennel Club as well as the Australian Shepherd Club of America are those that come from latent genes.
Prominent dog owners of this breed are adamant that dogs with coats that are not a part of the breed standard are not purebred. Nevertheless, that’s not the way genetics operate.
Particular genes are repressed by other more dominant genes and will only present in pups if the partner parent dog possesses the same gene.
Even though you can create merles if you breed one with a solid-colored dog, you will still need to mate two dogs that have the dilute gene to produce a liver or blue puppy. These are the characteristics of recessive genes because you need two to tango.
It is common knowledge among breeders that merles shouldn’t be bred with other merles. This goes for any breed of dog.
hom*ozygous merle pairings always increase the likelihood of giving birth to pups that have health problems deafness and other deficiencies.
What Is The Most Common Australian Shepherd Color?
Many potential Australian Shepherd owners often wonder what the most common Australian Shepherd color is. The answer to this question is clear and easy. The black tricolored Aussie is the most common Australian Shepherd color variation.
These Aussies have a mostly black coat with tan and white markings on the limbs, belly, chest, and muzzle.
Another very common and popular variety of the Australian Shepherd is the Blue merle tricolor. But, it is the subject of much debate because of the problematic nature of Merle genes.
What Is The Rarest Australian Shepherd Color?
Without a doubt, the rarest Australian Color is solid red. This is because, within the Australian Shepherd, red is a recessive gene. Meaning that it only expresses itself when the dominant black gene is not present.
The reason why red Australian Shepherds are considered rare and precious beauties is that they are a lot harder to breed.
The coats of Australian Shepherds typically grow in several different shades of red. Cinnamon is the lightest and appears to be almost gold in some lights.
On the other hand, the darkest shade is liver and is close to dark gray or black. In between, red Aussies can be ruby, chestnut, auburn, and more.
Solid red Aussies are also the rarest of all the coat colors, because the red gene is recessive, and the solid color is controlled by a recessive gene within them.
Additionally, compared to other single-colored Aussie Shepherds, solid-white Australian Shepherds are rare. The reason for this is because the genes responsible for the leucism or all-white coat are extremely rare and often recessive.
This means that both parents are required to be carriers of the gene.
White Australian Shepherds usually have dark pigmentation on the eyes and nose. The white Aussie Shepherd is probably expressing albinism genes if the nose is pink and the eyes are blue.
Aussie Coat Color vs Price
With Australian Shepherds, the topic of price is somewhat of a gray area. Generally, many people would think that reputable breeders do not charge additional fees for popular coat colors. But, demand and supply would say otherwise.
For example, many breeders charge extra for, tri-colored or merle Australian Shepherds because they are higher in demand. many potential dog owners prefer the beautiful look of merles and tri-colors but not everyone.
On the other hand, breeders are frequently left with black Aussies on their hands because they are seen as “less desirable” puppies.
In many instances, the breeders may simply charge less for those puppies harder to sell instead of charging more for preferred coat colors. These Aussie breeders are attempting to operate a business at the end of the day and this is their livelihood.
Realistically we won’t blame them for attempting to be profitable. However, some believe that this practice gives the breeder less credibility.
Do Aussies Change Their Coat Color As They Age?
As the dog ages, the coat can slightly change. Dogs are expected to appear totally different from adults in some breeds like the Pomeranian.
However, the Aussie working dogs, have a higher likelihood of becoming lighter as they age. Many blue merle puppies begin their lives quite dark, but start to lighten to a soft grey.
Additionally, a lot of dogs that have a white blaze on their heads may sometimes lose them with age. This has also been noted in Collies.
Final Words
The color of your Aussie’s coat should never affect temperament. Your Australian Shepherd should be courteous and calm with proper training and socialization.
You can expect to enjoy many forms of physical activity with an Aussie for hours on end because they are well known for their high energy and trainability.
Even though you need to take them out every day, you should be wary of how long you exercise. This is especially true for younger dogs.
The Australian Shepherd has a double coat to protect him from the elements. You should never shave his coat unless it is recommended by a vet. When they blow out their undercoat in particular, you will need to pay attention to their grooming.
