'The Kennel Club has announced that it will no longer accept registration applications for merle-coloured dogs in breeds where there is no documented evidence of the colour having been well established over a sustained period.

This decision has been taken by the Board following requests from a number of breeds, most recently the Poodle Breed Council, that the Kennel Club disallow applications to register merle dogs, including those imported from overseas. 

As merle is not a coat colour recognised as historically occurring in Poodles as well as most other breeds, and there is a precedent of refusing registration applications in at least ten other breeds, the Kennel Club Board has agreed that it will not accept the registration of any merle dogs with immediate effect, except in those breeds where the colour is well established.

The breeds in which registration applications for merle animals will continue to be accepted are the Australian Shepherd, Beauceron, Bergamasco, Border Collie, Cardigan Welsh Corgi, Dachshund (colour known as dapple), Great Dane, Long Haired Pyrenean Sheepdog, Rough Collie, Shetland Sheepdog and Smooth Collie.'

Full press release HERE

no longer accept registration applications for merle-coloured dogs in breeds where there is no documented evidence of the colour

Does this mean NO registration or will they just register as 'colour not recognised' like they now do for all the other weird ones you see advertised as 'rare colour' ?

> Does this mean NO registration or will they just register as 'colour not recognised' like they now do for all the other weird ones you see advertised as 'rare colour' ?

They won't accept them at all. Although someone could just register them as a different colour and it would then rely on people reporting it.

By the sound of it the KC have gotten tired if individual breeds club's putting in the request for this when merle 'magically' starts turning up so are rolling it out for all non merle breeds now.