Blue Brindle Pitbull – Is Their Character As Beautiful As Their Coat?

Blue brindle Pitbull usually refers to an American Pit Bull Terrier with blue coloring and a brindle pattern in their coat.

But, it could also mean one of the other pitbull-type breeds with this coloring.

Blue brindle Pitbull puppies are beautiful. So many prospective puppy parents are keen to know if they have great personalities and good overall health to match.

In this article, we take a look at how the blue brindle Pitbull compares to other colors, and whether they make a great pet.

What is a Blue Brindle Pitbull?

Blue brindle is a combination of coat color and pattern.

So a blue brindle Pitbull is a Pitbull with a blue coat in a brindle pattern, rather than a breed in its own right. Although they can appear to have three different colors, this isn’t a tri-color Pitbull.

Most people interested in blue brindle Pitbulls have an American Pitbull Terrier in mind.

However, American Staffordshire Terriers (Amstaffs) and Staffordshire Bull Terriers (Staffies) also belong to the Pitbull type, and can have blue brindle coats.

What Makes A Blue Brindle Pit Special?

Blue brindle coats are popular and highly sought after.

You only need to look at this picture to see why:

It’s a beautiful look!

Of course, they aren’t literally blue like the sky. In dog color parlance, blue means gray.

But it has to be said that ‘gray’ just doesn’t do these coats justice – it’s a very special shade of gray indeed.

What About Brindle?

Brindle is a pattern of stripes. The exact width and spacing of them is as unique as a fingerprint, but they’re always pretty narrow.

Blue brindle stripes are gray with soft fawn in between them.

Blue brindle Pits also have blue noses. So, they’re sometimes called blue nose brindle Pitbulls.

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:

The black gene

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.

The brindle gene

Next comes the brindle gene, which has the unexpected abbreviation K^br.

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.

The dilute gene

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?

Blue Brindle Pitbull Temperament

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.

Are Blue Brindle Pitbulls Aggressive?

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.

The Importance Of Good Breeding And Training

The keys to a blue brindle Pit with a great disposition are:

• choosing a puppy from a good breeder,
• or rescuing an older dog with a proven temperament already,
• and training them well.

Good breeders only breed from dogs with wonderful personalities, and don’t even pursue sought-after colors like blue brindle at the expense of securing a good nature instead.

And careful socialisation training teaches dogs they never need to be frightened of unfamiliar people or dogs, so that they don’t react to them aggressively.

Blue Brindle Pitbull Health

Let’s move on to health next.

Like all purebred dogs, the American Pitbull Terrier breed has some heritable health conditions which occur more frequently than in the dog population at large.

Among them are:

• The neurological disorder degenerative myelopathy
• The joint disorders elbow and hip dysplasia
• And autoimmune thyroiditis, where the immune system attacks the thyroid gland and stops it working properly.

Responsible breeders screen for these issues in breeding dogs. This protects future generations and reduces the number of affected Pits.

   

Color dilution alopecia

A health condition specific to fawn, blue, and blue brindle Pitbulls is color dilution alopecia (CDA).

CDA is a pattern of hair loss linked to the dilute gene.

It’s more common in Doberman Pinschers, Dachshunds and Yorkies, but occasional cases are reported in Pitties too.

Unfortunately it is untreatable. But the discomfort it causes can be managed.

Affected dogs should be excluded from future breeding. But unfortunately the exact way it’s inherited isn’t fully understood. So we don’t know if Pitbulls without CDA can be carriers.

And if they can, there’s no way of identifying them yet.

Your Blue Brindle Pitbull

Blue nose brindle Pitbulls are usually American Pitbull Terriers with a brindle pattern coat in soft shades of gray and fawn.

They are sought after for their pleasing looks. But their personality is the same as a Pitbull of any other color. It depends on their exact breed, and how they have been bred and raised.

Blue brindle Pitbull puppies should always come from health tested parents, with no family history of color dilution alopecia.

In the right home, with the right training, these dogs can be irresistible and loving companions – real one of a kind pets!

Do You Have A Blue Nose Brindle Pitbull?

Have they got a blue nose as well?

Tell us all the things that make them special in the comments box down below!

References and Resources

• Schmutz & Berryere, Genes affecting coat color and pattern in domestic dogs: a review, Animal Genetics, 2007.
• Kim et al, Color dilution alopecia in dogs, Journal of Veterinary Science, 2005.
• The Institute of Canine Biology
• MacNeil-Allcock et al, Aggression, behavior, and animal care among pit bulls and other dogs adopted from an animal shelter, Animal Welfare, 2011.
• Orthopedic Foundation for Animals Canine Health Information Center
• Looking for something different? Check out the Pitbull Chihuahua mix