# merle



## big hook (Dec 3, 2008)

can anybody tell me what color merle is? can you post a dog of that color? i was rereading the standards again tonight and see the color merle is a major fualt, along with blue eyes!! i've seen some on here bragging about thier dogs with the blue eyes. they didn't bring it up, but you can see them in the pictures.


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## Elvisfink (Oct 13, 2008)

Merle is not really a color it's actually a color combination in the coats. It is a usually a lighter solid base color with blue/gray or reddish patches and spots, which gives a mottled or uneven speckled effect.


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## BedlamBully (Jun 6, 2008)

Merle is most often seen in Aussies and Catahoula Lepoard dogs.
The color pattern is a disqualification for the APBT however. They got the color into the breed my mixing in catahoula's.
Here's an article on that
American Pit Bull Terrier Network Merle and the Pit Bull

This is a Catahoula, Merle








Another example, still merle









Yes blue eyes is also a fault but it does happen occasionally.


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## big hook (Dec 3, 2008)

yes the blue eyes happen, so in my mind i wouldn't breed one because of the blue eye trate. if they have any trates that are fualts i wouldn't breed them. to many people are doing that now to make bullies.


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## NesOne (Feb 7, 2008)

In addition to the blue eyes, all dogs are born with blue eyes, and they gradually change. So many times when people brag, they are probably referring to their puppy eyes, then when it gets older they change. For some reason alot of people like the blue eyes, until they read that it's a fault, then I would hope they change their mind.


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## big hook (Dec 3, 2008)

i know all pup's have blue eyes. been around this breed for way to long. it's not just this breed that has blue eyes as pups. they all do. what about gray eye's? wouldn't that fall into the blue catagory? many blue dog's are called gray. i was just wondering. i've never seen a gray or blue eyed apbt before. it's new to me. i've been seeing more and more dogs i would cull for sure do to fualts in thier biuld and temperment. so many people have dogs that bite or are to large to be standard dogs. apbt's aren't supposed to wiegh 70+pounds!!!


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## Sydney (Aug 14, 2007)

they mean like a crystal blue eye color


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## milmika (Dec 9, 2008)

I myself was wondering about this merle... There are a butt load of BYB's near here trying to push that color...


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## LiiL_L0cz_Red_N0se (Sep 15, 2008)

merle coats look like my first attempt to do laundry

lol


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## Sadie (Jun 18, 2008)

big hook said:


> i know all pup's have blue eyes. been around this breed for way to long. it's not just this breed that has blue eyes as pups. they all do. what about gray eye's? wouldn't that fall into the blue catagory? many blue dog's are called gray. i was just wondering. i've never seen a gray or blue eyed apbt before. it's new to me. i've been seeing more and more dogs i would cull for sure do to fualts in thier biuld and temperment. so many people have dogs that bite or are to large to be standard dogs. apbt's aren't supposed to wiegh 70+pounds!!!


Grey eyes are very common in this breed ... Grey eyes are not a fault BLUE eyes are a fault. You will see many grey colored dogs with grey eyes but even some black dogs have grey eyes I have even seen fawns with grey eyes so it's not uncommon at all. Coat colors and eye colors are 2 different things blue is just another term for a grey dog. A Blue coat is an acceptable color with no fault. If you go to the adba webiste and look over their coat color chart you will see blue on there. And these larger dogs you are speaking of are called american bullies they are their own breed and are recognized by the abkc. Merle is a disqualification in the breed. And faults don't equal bullies it's a preference some people prefer a larger dog the american bully is making a name for itself they are very popular amongst many people. I don't call them apbt's I call them what they are american bullies. You will find some nice well bred bullies out there it just depends on the breeder's intent if they care enough about these dogs to breed for purpose and not just aesthetics.


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## bahamutt99 (May 14, 2008)

Blue as in light blue are the eyes which are faulted. Blue/grey, blue/green, those are fine. Merle is actually a gene that randomly dilutes patches of pigment in both the coat and eyes. Which is why you'll see the eyes that have chunks of blue mixed with brown (I believe they're called marble or broken eyes). Blue merles are actually black dogs who have the merle gene randomly diluting parts of their coat to blue. Red merles are chocolate dogs that are randomly diluted to red in places. Merle can actually come in any color, but on some colors it is difficult to see, which I believe are referred to as cryptic merles.

Article on merle in the APBT: American Pit Bull Terrier Network Merle and the Pit Bull


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## big hook (Dec 3, 2008)

i know about american bulldogs as well. my dad has started keeping them after his last apbt died. he says the breed is getting to bad of a name around here because of the owners. all home insurance companies have stopped insuring homes the have apbt's in my area!! 

i've been around them longer than most people on this sight, but have never seen gray or blue eyed apbt's. it's new to me. i know the standards well enough. i also know people around here are raising bullies and passing them off as apbt's. i see adds in our paper about every week with them for sale.


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## LiiL_L0cz_Red_N0se (Sep 15, 2008)

big hook said:


> i know about american bulldogs as well. my dad has started keeping them after his last apbt died. he says the breed is getting to bad of a name around here because of the owners. all home insurance companies have stopped insuring homes the have apbt's in my area!!
> 
> i've been around them longer than most people on this sight, but have never seen gray or blue eyed apbt's. it's new to me. i know the standards well enough. i also know people around here are raising bullies and passing them off as apbt's. i see adds in our paper about every week with them for sale.


i dont want this to come out wrong, but u should be careful about "braggin" that u have been aroudn the breed so long. and like sadies said, gray colored eyes are pretty common. also, american bullies, and american bulldogs are different breeds.


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## Sydney (Aug 14, 2007)

big hook said:


> i know about american bulldogs as well. my dad has started keeping them after his last apbt died. he says the breed is getting to bad of a name around here because of the owners. all home insurance companies have stopped insuring homes the have apbt's in my area!!
> 
> i've been around them longer than most people on this sight, but have never seen gray or blue eyed apbt's. it's new to me. i know the standards well enough. i also know people around here are raising bullies and passing them off as apbt's. i see adds in our paper about every week with them for sale.


Easy there Greenhorn...if you are so versed, as you say, then why don't you have a little respect. You sound cocky and full of  to me.


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## LiiL_L0cz_Red_N0se (Sep 15, 2008)

Sydney said:


> Easy there Greenhorn...if you are so versed, as you say, then why don't you have a little respect. You sound cocky and full of  to me.


:rofl:lmao, i tried to be polite haha but u said it they way i thought it in my head lol


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## big hook (Dec 3, 2008)

there is pictures of my families dogs in the picture section. i can get pictures of his bullies as well. each is solid white, but the female has one black eye and a black eye brow over the other. i've been around them a long time!! my grandfather even longer. he used them in **** on the long races. has many awards from some of them. i'm really not to sure he didn't fight them as well. there are somethings i don't want to know about my family. if you counted the ones i was around before mom and dad got thiers it's 35 years, but i don't count them. 

i have found these apbt sights to be full of people who think they know this breed, but don't have much of a clue. merle is not a color i had seen in this breed or many others. around here they call dogs colored like that ticks. they'll say it is red, blue, white, ect with dark ticks. that is why i asked. 


when i got the dog i have now i was lucky. dad new i was looking and took me to a friend of his. he doesn't put adds up. his pups are already sold before they are winged. real breeders don't have to advertise. people know who they are. that is what gets me about the people around here. there is a breeder who has great dogs that meet the standards. he just doesn't let it out. then there are razers edge and gotti breeders who post adds in the papers and net. that should say something right there. each brings the same price. one is real. the other is a bully sold with apbt papers on them.


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## bahamutt99 (May 14, 2008)

big hook said:


> i have found these apbt sights to be full of people who think they know this breed, but don't have much of a clue. merle is not a color i had seen in this breed or many others. around here they call dogs colored like that ticks. they'll say it is red, blue, white, ect with dark ticks. that is why i asked.


Big difference between a ticked dog and a merle. Of course, you being in the breed for hundreds of years, you already knew that. 

Seriously, why don't you just take a step back and not assume that you know the depths of everyone else's knowledge. Maybe we have something to contribute. Just maybe we can help you with your questions. Maybe that's why you asked in the first place, because you're not as all-knowing as you'd like to be, and there might be something to be learned from others. All you're doing right now are asking questions and then when people answer, you're saying "I already knew that!" So if you knew the answer and asked anyway, that means you're just here to test us. That in mind, I think you got some very good information here, which means we passed. Anything else you want to know that you already know?


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## LiiL_L0cz_Red_N0se (Sep 15, 2008)

thats fine that u say u ahve been around them for a long time, and it might be true. i am not calling shananigins on u, however, u said

*"i have found these apbt sights to be full of people who think they know this breed*, but don't have much of a clue. "

ur adding to this statistic of people claiming the know about the breed, yet u were asking about merle, gray eyes and like i said american bulldogs are diffrent then bullies. AB are all white, american bullies are the short muscualr dogs that look similar to our APBT and are not limited to one color. i would just watch ur words and the way u phrase them. im just trying to help u out becuase the poeple on here dont like cocky "know-it-alls" when they in fact, dont know it all


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## BedlamBully (Jun 6, 2008)

Ticking IS an allowed color. As Linsday said though you would of course already know that!  
And you did just learn something about merle from those of us that 'don't have a clue' lol

The bully argument/debate is also an old worn out topic, if you'd taken the time to research the forum and look at other posts, its pretty much been beat to death.


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## NesOne (Feb 7, 2008)

big hook said:


> i have found these apbt sights to be full of people who think they know this breed, but don't have much of a clue. merle is not a color i had seen in this breed or many others. around here they call dogs colored like that ticks. they'll say it is red, blue, white, ect with dark ticks. that is why i asked.


Some advice for ya, try using Google first, then you won't have to worry about people who don't have a clue doing it for you. And when you use it, click the "images" link, and you will get plenty of pictures for whatever you type in, and the more you would like to narrow it down, the more descriptive you would get on what you type.


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## LiiL_L0cz_Red_N0se (Sep 15, 2008)

:rofl: lmao 

please type in the google image bar "american bulldog" check out those dogs

and then type in "american bullie" and u will see a HUGE difference just on the first page alone...


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## BedlamBully (Jun 6, 2008)

American Bulldog








European Style American Bulldog








American Bully









There ya go, learned something new again!


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## LiiL_L0cz_Red_N0se (Sep 15, 2008)

he already knew that tho BBB lol


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## ErikH (May 26, 2005)

If you continue to be so condescending and disrespectful to members who are trying to help you, you'll end up banned... *But you already knew that *


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## buzhunter (Sep 3, 2007)

Thanks for the laughs! Been a long day.


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## ericschevy (Nov 10, 2006)

And you know this!, Maaaaaann


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