Pitbulls are truly remarkable dog breeds. Their looks alone are fascinating for many canine lovers. However, if you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind dog, you should consider getting a brindle Pitbull.
Pitbull dogs come in an array of lovely colors and patterns. It’s common to see them in standard coats, but they can also have a dazzling brindle color and pattern.
To some, this gives a dog a sooty appearance, but in reality, this trait actually makes them special.
To know more about brindle Pitbulls, I will share with you the essential facts about them. We will cover a lot in this guide, so hang on tight!
A brindle Pitbull is a coat color variation of the Pitbull breed. They are known for their tiger-like stripes on a fawn, tawny brown, or dark brown base coat color, but this still varies from dog to dog. The Pitbull breeds that can exhibit this coloration are the American Pit Bull Terrier and the American Staffordshire Terrier.
Some people confuse brindle Pitbulls as a separate breed. However, brindle is actually a standard color for the two breeds I discussed above. This is stated in the kennel club standards, which also details all their other characteristics.
Brindle Pitbulls are also often referred to as brindle Pit Bull, blue nose brindle Pitbull, red nose brindle Pitbull, and brindle Pittie. Some owners also call them brindle American Staffy or brindle American Pit.
The Genetics of Blue Brindle Pits
Sometimes to truly appreciate what makes a color special, it’s fun to look at the chemistry going on at a genetic level.
Blue brindle dogs owe their looks to a very particular genetic recipe:
Blue brindle starts, counter intuitively, with the black gene, known as B.
All blue brindle dogs have a copy of the B gene. It triggers production of the black pigment eumelanin.
Blue brindle dogs only need one copy of this gene, from one of their parents.
Next comes the brindle gene, which has the unexpected abbreviation Kbr.
The brindle gene causes the narrow stripe pattern on blue brindle Pits.
Brindle dogs have one or two copies of the brindle gene (from one or both parents).
Blue brindle Pitbull puppies with only one copy of the brindle gene only develop a brindle coat if they don’t inherit an alternative gene which masks it from their other parent.
Pitties with just the black and brindle genes have black and red brindle markings. And as handsome as that is, blue brindle dogs have one more extra special element:
The dilute gene, known as d.
The dilute gene reduces the amount of pigment in each strand of hair. So that the black appears blue, and the red appears fawn.
Blue brindle Pitbull puppies receive two copies of the d gene: one from each parent.
Are Blue Brindle Pitbull Puppies Rare?
This is relative. The black gene is dominant, which means it is expressed whenever it is present.
The brindle gene is masked by some genes, but not all.
And the dilute gene is recessive, which means it is only expressed when a dog has two copies of it.
This means that if Pitbulls existed in the wild, expression of a blue brindle coat would be easily obscured by other coat types instead.
But of course, they don’t. And it’s easy for breeders to increase the odds of blue brindle Pitbull puppies by making savvy breeding choices.
Which means the frequency of this color and pattern is partly driven by fashion and demand.
But does anything make them popular besides their looks? Is their personality special too?
At the time of writing, there is no evidence that any of the genes associated with blue brindle coats affect a dog’s temperament as well.
Well-raised American Pitbull Terriers are smart, athletic, a bit goofy, and devoted to their human families.
Unfortunately though, there are also badly-raised Pitbulls who have an altogether different reputations.
American Pitbull Terriers, Amstaffs and Staffies have all been used as fighting dogs in the past.
Fighting dogs were mistreated by their owners to make them more aggressive in the fighting pit. And people used the most aggressive dogs to sire further fighting dogs.
Fortunately, dog fighting is now illegal. And (perhaps more importantly) deliberately raising aggressive dogs is becoming less and less socially acceptable.
So, by the time these researchers compared aggression in 40 pitbulls vs 44 similar sized dogs of other breeds in a shelter setting, they concluded that the Pitbulls were no more aggressive than other dogs.
The evidence in their favor isn’t entirely conclusive though. Pitbull type dogs are still significantly over-represented in dog bite statistics.
However, they are far more likely to react aggressively to other dogs than people. And bites to people are frequently the result of trying to break up dog fights.
A brief history of this dog
During the early 19th century, in the United Kingdom, there was a desire to create strong, fighting dogs for pit fighting, bull baiting, bear baiting and other aggressive-type blood sports entertainment.
Old English Bulldogs and Old Terrier dog breeds were crossbred for this purpose
This combined the fierce nature and loyalty characteristics of the Bulldog and the intelligence and cunning nature of the Terrier breed to produce a perfect fighting dog: the Pitbull.
Fact: The original Old English Bulldogs and the Old English Terriers are both now extinct breeds.
Around 1845, these Pitbull-type dogs soon made it to the US and were specifically bred as fighting dogs. They became known by the name American Pitbull Terrier and were recognised as a part of the ‘bull breed. They are often referred to as a bully breed or dangerous dog breed.
However, shortly after arriving in America, it was realised that this Pitbull mix dog in the right hands actually had a loving and caring nature around children. This earned it the nickname ‘The Nanny Dog’.
The American Pitbull Terrier is a purebred dog but it is not recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC). It is however recognized by the UK Kennel Club and the American Dog Breeders Association.
Fact: In 1835, Great Britain, UK, introduced Animal Welfare laws and banned blood sports such as bull-baiting and bear-baiting.
In 1898, the United Kennel Club (UK) recognized the American Pit Bull terrier breed.
In 1976, dog fighting was finally banned in all states of America
FAQ
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