As per the CKC Mudi Breed Standard, Mudis may come in the following colours:
• Fawn
• Black
• Blue-merle (i.e. black speckled, striped, -brindle or –spotted on lighter or darker bluish-grey primary colour)
• Ash
• Brown
• White
Only slightly extensive white markings are tolerated but not desired. A white patch on the chest, less than 5 cm (1.97 inches) in diameter, and small white markings on the toes are tolerated but not desired.
• Fawn
• Black
• Blue-merle (i.e. black speckled, striped, -brindle or –spotted on lighter or darker bluish-grey primary colour)
• Ash
• Brown
• White
Only slightly extensive white markings are tolerated but not desired. A white patch on the chest, less than 5 cm (1.97 inches) in diameter, and small white markings on the toes are tolerated but not desired.
White and Fawn
(Feher and Fako)
White and fawn in the Mudi are both caused by the same gene and technically the same colour (recessive red) - with slightly different expressions and named for the shade they appear. It is the same gene that is seen in Golden retrievers - which is why you will see a range in shade in the breed from a deep red to almost white. Recessive red dogs will either have base pigment that is black or brown - and you can usually tell which this is by looking at the colour of their nose leather, eye rims and paw pads - for brown based dogs, they will have a brown nose, brown eye rims and brown pigment on their paw pads and black dogs will have a black nose, black eye rims and black pigment. Recessive red also hides the merle pattern! So you cannot tell if the dog is merle or not without having it tested genetically.
White and fawn in the Mudi are both caused by the same gene and technically the same colour (recessive red) - with slightly different expressions and named for the shade they appear. It is the same gene that is seen in Golden retrievers - which is why you will see a range in shade in the breed from a deep red to almost white. Recessive red dogs will either have base pigment that is black or brown - and you can usually tell which this is by looking at the colour of their nose leather, eye rims and paw pads - for brown based dogs, they will have a brown nose, brown eye rims and brown pigment on their paw pads and black dogs will have a black nose, black eye rims and black pigment. Recessive red also hides the merle pattern! So you cannot tell if the dog is merle or not without having it tested genetically.
Black
(Fekete)
Classic Mudi colour. Some old time Breeders will only breed black Mudis.
Classic Mudi colour. Some old time Breeders will only breed black Mudis.
Brown
(Barna)
Produces a chocolate or earthy coloured dog
Produces a chocolate or earthy coloured dog
Merle
(Cifra)
Merle isn’t actually a colour - it’s a pattern - a modifier gene. It’s kinda of like what happens when you throw bleach on your clothing. Whatever the base colour is underneath gets patchy.
The merle gene can affect any colour base, but certain colours hide the gene completely! Additionally, depending on the length of the allele, a dog may be merle but you may not be able to tell without a DNA test! Or it may look different - but not quite like merle (atypical merle). It’s a tricky gene!
It is important to know if the dog is merle or not as if you breed two merle dogs together, about 25 percent of the puppies will end up with two copies of the gene (double merle). These dogs often have excessive white markings, blindness, deafness, eye and ear deformities and potentially other health issues. Because of this, breeding two merle dogs together is not ethical.
The CKC describes the accepted merle pattern incorrectly- they say “blue merle” - which would refer to a blue (dilute based) dog with the merle gene acting on it. The accepted merle pattern in CKC is black based merle (or just “merle). It’s a bit confusing!
Many people, especially in North America, are very attracted to this flashy pattern. Because of that it can create a higher demand and people who will refuse a pup if it is not merle. This not only pushes unethical colour breeders, but also bogs down the gene pool (since you cannot breed two merle dogs together).
Merle isn’t actually a colour - it’s a pattern - a modifier gene. It’s kinda of like what happens when you throw bleach on your clothing. Whatever the base colour is underneath gets patchy.
The merle gene can affect any colour base, but certain colours hide the gene completely! Additionally, depending on the length of the allele, a dog may be merle but you may not be able to tell without a DNA test! Or it may look different - but not quite like merle (atypical merle). It’s a tricky gene!
It is important to know if the dog is merle or not as if you breed two merle dogs together, about 25 percent of the puppies will end up with two copies of the gene (double merle). These dogs often have excessive white markings, blindness, deafness, eye and ear deformities and potentially other health issues. Because of this, breeding two merle dogs together is not ethical.
The CKC describes the accepted merle pattern incorrectly- they say “blue merle” - which would refer to a blue (dilute based) dog with the merle gene acting on it. The accepted merle pattern in CKC is black based merle (or just “merle). It’s a bit confusing!
Many people, especially in North America, are very attracted to this flashy pattern. Because of that it can create a higher demand and people who will refuse a pup if it is not merle. This not only pushes unethical colour breeders, but also bogs down the gene pool (since you cannot breed two merle dogs together).
Ash
(Hamvas)
These dogs appear blue/grey. This colour is the result of the dilution gene acting on a black dog - which kind of washes out the colour. Like merle, the dilute gene can act on any base colour and alter it. Sometimes the dilute gene is associated with balding known as “dilute alopecia” (this is uncommon but it is a risk a associated with the gene).
These dogs appear blue/grey. This colour is the result of the dilution gene acting on a black dog - which kind of washes out the colour. Like merle, the dilute gene can act on any base colour and alter it. Sometimes the dilute gene is associated with balding known as “dilute alopecia” (this is uncommon but it is a risk a associated with the gene).
Other Colours
There are other naturally occurring colours and patterns that can pop up in the Mudi from time to time. While these colours are not and should not be specifically bred for (because we want to keep breed type so that they are unmistakably Mudi in look), it does not make them any less purebred and they can still make fabulous active companions and sport dogs! As in any breed, be careful for any breeder who markets these colours as “rare” or tries to charge more for them - this is unethical.