Lone Star Merle Jacks is a passion project started here at Bear Creek Jack Russells to produce highly unique merle Jack Russell puppies. 

The merle coat pattern is caused by a genetic mutation that causes irregularly shaped patches with diluted pigment while other patches on the coat are fully pigmented in color. The result is a striking dappled pattern that is seen in many breeds such as the Australian Shepherd, Border Collie, Cardigan Welsh Corgi, Chihuahua, Cocker Spaniel, Dachshund, French Bulldog, Great Dane and the Pomeranian. In Jack Russells, just as the aforementioned breeds, the presence of the merle gene causes the tan or black spots on the dog to look specked with light and dark patches. 

According to every breed standard written for the Jack Russell Terrier, acceptable colors for the breed include tan and white, tricolored and black and white. At least 51% of the dog should be white (because JRTs carry the gene for the piebald coat pattern). Other color patterns such as merle or brindle are not allowed. 

So where did merle Jack Russells come from? In terms of kennel club recognition, Jacks are a relatively new breed. Prior to this, there were no written standards for Jacks and they came in many size and color variations. Because many breeds went into the development of early Jack Russells, some even had patterns such as brindle and merle. As a breed standard developed, breeders shifted goals to meet that standard. Color and pattern variations outside the standard started to disappear. Fast forward to modern day, you can still find a few non standard Jacks that are registered but not show quality due to color. When a merle JRT is bred to a standard color Jack, some puppies will exhibit the merle pattern.

Our Goals
We think merle Jack Russells are absolutely stunning and decided to make this a pet project at our family farm.  Our goal is to produce puppies that look exactly like a short Jack Russell but with the merle pattern. We prefer a short and stocky build with beautiful heads and ear sets. We also breed for a calmer disposition so that our puppies make good pets. A merle Jack with a single copy of the merle gene is every bit as healthy as a regular Jack- we do not breed for “double merles” which can lead to health problems including blind and deaf dogs. For this reason, some of our puppies will have traditional Jack coloration (tricolored or tan and white). 

Is a merle Jack Russell right for you?
There are many people who will tell you that a merle Jack is not a “real” Jack Russell. It is not our intention to deceive anyone or make false claims. Merle is not an acceptable color according to the Jack Russell breed standard. However, we love Jacks and think merle is really beautiful on them. If you want to show your dog, are going to be offended by people telling you it’s not a “real” JRT, or any thing along those lines a merle Jack is not the right dog for you. If you want a unique dog with stunning markings then please contact us to discuss our merle JRTs. 

Visit Lone Star Merle Jacks Facebook page!