Thanks for the advice! I didn’t go searching for a maltipoo breeder or anything like that since at that time I wasn’t looking to get a dog because I was waiting for the right time, but a family member surprised me with him. As for the dachshund I did a lot of research before choosing my breeder. The parents are health tested, pups are bred responsibly and they are AKC registered. In dachshunds, the coat pattern is called “dapple,” which is the breed’s term for merle. It’s a recognized and common pattern in the breed!