# merle coloring



## crystalcountry (Dec 26, 2010)

I know you shouldn't bred for color, but is there color ethics connected to pits like there are Danes? you know, it's okay for matings between blacks, harliquins and blues, and then fawns to brindles. But not okay to breed across the color line. Merles are not to be bred- no exceptions. And there is huge health concerns if two merles were bred? Deafness, blindness, etc? 

One thing (amoung many others) that has drawn my hubby and I to pits is better overall health. After years with rotties and danes with the finger crossing and dealing with poor decisions on our part (heartstrings) and breeders parts(we've been cleaning up and taking care of others "breedings" for y-e-a-r-s) 

The only reason I include Danes is because it's what I know. If this is a slip let me know and I won't do it again- Period- I like what I've been reading and doing the occasional post/reply and wouldn't want to jeporidize (sp?) it.
Thanks


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## beccaboo (Dec 27, 2009)

Breeding are based more off quality and the product the breeder is looking for i.e. size drive and such. Color is a side product and is pretty predictable just from what you breed- reds to reds will give you reds. Blues to blues produce blues and blacks although a blue to a blue may increase chances of skin issues. Merle isn't an accepted color in apbt's and would mean somewhere in the line it was crossed out with something that has that coloring such as a catahoula as seemed so popular more south a while back... I'm by no means an expert but this is what I have gathered so far  hope it helped.


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## crystalcountry (Dec 26, 2010)

it did help. thanks. I was wondering were the merle would have crept up from.
C


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## aimee235 (Apr 29, 2007)

There aren't really any issues breeding any colors together except merle. To get that one parent has to be merle whether you can see it or not. On some colors it's harder to spot and it's not an acceptable color at all. If a merle was produced in one of my breedings I would suspect that a different male some how got a hold of the female. That's easy to identify with DNA verified parentage.

I have noticed in my peds though it seems that sable/seal is bred to brindle a lot.

Viewing Pedigree Details for Nevada's New Moon - Bully Breed Resource
Viewing Pedigree Details for Cali Girl's Itza Stickup of DMG - Bully Breed Resource

Both my dogs are seal/sable.


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## bahamutt99 (May 14, 2008)

I do know that if you breed dilute to dilute repeatedly (ie, blue to blue or blue fawn), you run the risk of washing out the pigment and you have to re-introduce it. Some people mourn the loss of a strong black in some lines. Because of that, there is a stigma against blues with some of the die-hard fanciers. While there is nothing fundamentally wrong with the color itself, so many people are breeding for those recessive dilutes that others are starting to avoid them like the plague.

Merle is easy. It's not an APBT color. (There is a can of worms on the end of that string, of course.)


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