No matter if you have a top notch papered pitbull or just adopted a pitbull during the puppies first few weeks of life their eyes have a blue coloration. Varying between dark and light blue which are altering everyday with the puppies age change. This color usually dosen’t last, and changes as the puppy matures. It can take a few months for the puppy to show signs of their permanent eye color. With my experience of hundreds of puppies the eyes usually change when the dog is 6 to 10 months old. The eyes slowly changes colors as the dog gets older and they reach their permanent eye color.
Newborn pitbull puppies don’t open their eyes after being born. It take between eight and fourteen days till their eyes slowly open to view the new world. The site of those diamond eyes as they first open to see the world is an awe inspiring experience in itself. The color is constant and has no hints into the puppies mature eye color.
Three to Four months into the puppy’s developing life their permanent eye color starts to show signs. Emerging slightly from the Diamond Blue coloration. To change from blue to another dark brown, grey, or hazel color doesn’t happen overnight. It can take up to 1 year from this point for eyes to take their permanent eye color. In special occasions the changing eye color takes less time.
As puppies mature in most scenarios puppies eye colors darken with time. Of course not in every situation. The American Pitbull has a wide variety of changing eye color. The blue eye is produced by the diluted pigment of the eye. It can be affected by coat color or can be inherited as a completely separate gene. To have an adult dog with a light color eye is uncommon. In most occurrences pitbull’s are born with blue eyes that darken to brown or hazel as they mature. With seeing hundreds of puppies over the years I have never seen a full grow pitbull with blue eyes unless the picture has been photo shopped.
A puppies eye color depends on the genotype or genetic make-up. While most dogs have brown eyes there is change and alteration in all breeds. Eye color in most cases is affected with coat color as examples: Amber eyes commonly occurs in liver and blue dogs while occasionally with black pigment dogs.
There has always been people with puppies for sale that are trying to produce a certain color rather if that’s a coat, nose or eye color. This is one of the worst breeding methods I have seen because breeding for color is fine if you first breed for temperament and health. Breeders who care just about color tend to disregard other key factors in breeding like health, structure and temperament. Color can be a desired trait ,but shouldn’t be obtained at the sacrifice of quality. To produce colors like grey, blue, and other rare colors of coat, it’s very hard to maintain quality without properly out-crossing to different gene pools to help generate a more diverse gene pool.
Blue eyes seen in many white pitbull puppies isn’t just held to their breed or a certain color. Many different breeds such as the Siberian Husky, most recognized and the Australian Shepherd, one of the few that eye color gene is independent of the coat color. Breeds that will likely produce blue eyes because they are excessively white spotted are Collies, Dalmatians, Shetland Sheepdogs, Harlequin Great Danes, Dapple colored Dachshunds and Blue heelers. In almost all breeds blue eyes is affected by coat color and is a rare occurrence in any breed.
The American Pitbull Terrier has so many different coat and eye colors like white pitbulls with blue eyes which many other breeds don’t have these characteristics. Being one of the most popular breeds it’s genetic diversity has went in a million different ways producing crazy eye colors and physically sound dogs. Those beautiful blue diamond like eyes are a wonderful attribute that this beautiful breed shows in its highest fashion.
How Long Do Pitbull Puppy Eyes Stay Blue?
You may get a first glimpse at your Pitbull’s adult eye color around the age of 4 months.
Their puppy coat will be replaced by a much thicker and darker adult coat when they are 6 months old.
Blue-eyed Pitbull puppies are not rare and their eye color will most likely change over time.
So don’t choose the one bright-eyed Pitbull in the litter just because of his appearance.
Even if a breeder sells them as “rarity” for a premium, the color will almost certainly vanish (if it’s a purebred, more on that below).
That being said, while blue eyes are not particularly rare for Pitbull puppies, not every pup has blue eyes.
We are not fans of breeding dogs for sale as a whole, but breeding for specific genetic traits bring up a whole new batch of potential issues.
The problem with breeding for specific traits is that often the breeder will disregard more important factors like a dog’s health.
This can turn into a medical nightmare for potential adopters (or buyers) of the dog.
There is also the scenario where a breeder will allow parents and children to breed, which is called inbreeding.
This can lead to horrific health issues.
While you may be interested in finding a breeder that will create a blue-eyed pup for you, we highly suggest you do not go that route.
Even AKC breeders who do not do this kind of breeding have tons of problems with healthy dogs.
Can you imagine the disaster of trying to create a dog with certain traits?
Merle describes a beautiful coat color pattern that can create odd-colored eyes.
It’s commonly seen in these breeds:
The merle gene sadly comes with many health issues like deafness and blindness.
Double merles (MM) are extremely prone to these genetic diseases and therefore merles should never be bred together.
Heterozygous merles (Mm) are healthier and resemble the merle pattern best.
A Pit Bull with a merle coat pattern is excluded from the APBT breed standard and might not be purebred because the gene must have somehow found its way into the bloodline.
Tyrosinase is an enzyme that controls the production of melanin. Albino dogs are “tyrosinase-negative” meaning that their body is incapable of producing melanin.
Therefore, these dogs will be born with a unique white coat, blue eyes and a pink nose.
Albinism in dogs is an extremely rare mutation and both parents need to carry the recessive gene.
Be very cautious when a breeder is trying to sell you a rare white pitbull.
Albinism comes with many health issues, including deafness or skin cancer.
Due to their pale coat, they must be protected from direct sunlight at all times using either bodysuits or sunscreen.
White patches around the eyes or nose can occur due to a lack of pigmentation.
Pit Bulls or any other breed with dominant white coats can develop light eyes or a pinkish nose.
Can A Pit Bull Have Blue Eyes?
Yes, pit bull breed dogs can have blue eyes, but usually only as puppies.
Some may keep those baby blues into adulthood, but that is rare.
Just like people are born with blue eyes, but they darken, the same applies to dogs.
Color, like everything, is determined by the genetic makeup and developed by the amount of melanin production in your dog.
Melanin is a natural skin pigment that determines how light or dark your skin, hair and eyes are.
Less melanin production leads to lighter blue eyes, pale skin or blonde hair.
A complete lack of pigmentation is called Albinism.
In dogs, this low production of melanin can cause a white coat, blue eyes or a pink nose.
Melanin production only starts a few weeks after birth and slowly increases with age.
That’s why most puppies are born with bright blue eyes and a lighter coat.
The coat color oftentimes influences the eye, nail and nose color.
My Rottweiler, for example, has so much melanin in her fur that blue eyes would be nearly impossible.
Will My Pitbull’s Eyes Change Color When Growing Up?
As I have mentioned in the former section, your Pitbull’s blue eyes are not permanent. Unless, of course, they have a merle gene or they lack melanin.
When your pups are born, it takes 8 to 14 days before they can open their eyes and show you its diamond blue shade.
If you aren’t informed regarding this phenomenon, you will probably assume that they have rare eyes because there are no hints regarding their mature shade.
By the 9th to 12th week of your Pitbull, their permanent eye color will finally settle in. Note that this doesn’t happen overnight, so you will be able to witness the slow transformation of your Pitbull’s eyes.
It is quite possible to own a blue-eyed Pitbull without any health issues. However, some may have an increased chance of inheriting specific health problems from their parents and acquiring diseases throughout their lives.
Here are some health issues that blue-eyed Pitbulls can get afflicted with:
Because of having blue eyes, some dogs, including Pitbulls, may develop vision defects. This is due to the presence of the merle gene that dilutes the eye pigmentation.
Not all of those who have merle genes will automatically be afflicted with this problem—only those pups whose parents are both carriers of merle genes.
Deafness is another medical problem that can affect some Pitbulls with blue eyes. This is still linked to the merle gene’s presence but is also associated with the Piebald gene, which causes a lack of mature melanin-producing cells or melanocytes.
To ensure that your blue-eyed pup doesn’t have a hearing impairment, you can have him checked through BAER testing.
Eye diseases such as cataracts and glaucoma are often found in blue-eyed pups. If you noticed that your Pitbull’s eyes are turning cloudy, better have him checked by a trusted veterinarian. He may suggest eye drops to protect and hydrate your dog’s eyes.
FAQ
How much is a GREY pitbull with blue eyes?
Do GREY Pitbulls have blue eyes?
What kind of Pitbulls have blue eyes?