For example, a merle-colored dog, which can often be found in Australian Shepherds and Great Danes, is often born deaf or with eye issues. Another type of rare colored dog is the blue or lilac dog.

LAKE FOREST – Cooper, a red merle Australian shepherd puppy with tiny blue eyes, lifted his white snout and sniffed the air. Within a second, he caught Tim Welch’s scent and ran a few feet ...