Blue Merle Pit Bull

It is a well-known fact that Pit Bull Terriers come in a variety of colours. In this article, we will talk about the kind that always stands out in the crowd, – Blue Merle Pit Bull.

This Pit Bull variety has grown in popularity in recent years and fascinates dog-lovers all around the world.

For many, the word Pit Bull brings up the image of a fearsome, aggressive dog. That image, however, is far from the truth of what most Pit bulls, and especially the Blue Merle Pit Bull, actually are.

If you are thinking about welcoming a Blue Merle Pit Bull into your family, this article is a great starting point. You will learn what precisely this beautiful canine is, what it looks like, its lifespan, and much more.

What Is A Blue Merle Pit Bull?

Blue Merle Pit Bull is simply a Blue Nose Pit Bull with a Merle pattern present.

The Blue Nose Pit Bull can be an American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, or a combination of both.

A recessive gene causes the blue colour in Pit Bull. For a blue nose Pit Bull puppy to be born, both parents would need to carry this gene.

On the other side, Merle (called Dapple in dachshunds), is a gene that causes patches of darker and lighter colouring, looking like swirls or splashes of colour.

Another unique trait of the Merle gene is the blue eyes that many dogs have.

Controversy Over The Merle Coat

Blue Merle Pit Bulls cause a little bit of controversy among breed lovers, and not because of their temperament.

The cause of arguments is, in fact, the blue merle coat. Some breed adepts will tell you that a Blue Merle Pit Bull is not a purebred.

On the other side, many breed experts say that it does indeed come from a true-breeding.

The American Dog Breeders Association (ADBA) states that there have been rumours that irresponsible breeders were striving to create a new designer colour.

Therefore, they cross other breeds into their American Pit Bull Terriers to create the merle colour pattern in the offsprings.

For this article, we took a look at the history of the breed and feel confident in saying the Blue Merle Pitbull is purebred. Let’s take a closer look at when the Pit Bull breed itself originated.

Historical proof of the existence of the Blue Merle Pit Bull as a pure breed comes to light when you look at well-known dog handler John Colby.

Colby bred Blue Merle Pit Bull, and a picture of his dog Goldie was included in Louis Colby’s book about the American Pit Bull Terrier.

The existence of the Blue Merle Pit Bull was later documented in many other books, including one by Richard Stratton.

As time moved on, the Merle color pattern fell out of favor, which leads us to the modern-day debate about the color pattern.

Blue Merle Pit Bull: Registration Issues

Despite the fact that the creator of the breed, John Colby, himself bred the Merle Pit Bulls, and the health claims against them are not proven to be accurate, most of the Breed Associations and Kennel clubs do not register Blue Merle Pit Bulls.

For instance, the American Dog Breeders Association (ADBA), no longer accepts the registration of Pit Bulls with the merle pattern since 2005.

Blue Merle Pit Bull Physical Appearance

The basic physical appearance of a Blue Merle Pit Bull will be just like that of any Pit Bull. A Pit Bull must be a medium-sized dog with a well-muscled solid build.

Everything about the Pit Bull has been put together to make a powerful athletic dog, so the muscles should be smooth and well defined.

The head is perhaps one of the most well-known traits of a Pit Bull. Ideally, you will want to see the head that is of moderate length and quite broad in shape.

The skull should be flat, and the muzzle nice and deep. The Blue Merle Pit Bull eyes should be full of life, and alert. Pit Bulls are protective dogs who are loyal and caring about their owners.

The ears should be set high on the head and will be a medium size. Ears should be left uncropped, but as with other breeds, you will find some breeders that crop the ears.

The tail of a Pit Bull is shorter than of the other breeds, with a thick base that thins down as it goes. For your attention – you will see those tapered tails wagging happily most of the time!

Temperament & Personality

The Blue Merle Pit Bull has a temperament just like their less colorful breed mates. The Blue Merle is always outgoing, fearless, and extremely friendly. They are also very playful and athletic dogs and love to be able to express their happiness through playtime.

Some individual dogs within the breed will have a high prey drive. This part of their personality harkens back to what the breed was bred for in the past – chasing down and pinning livestock for farmers.

However, these natural athletes were never bred to be aggressive towards humans and will never naturally be so. Pit bulls have a high drive to please their owners, and they tend to adore children.

This intelligent breed has been nicknamed the Nanny Dog in the past, for their protective nature over their littlest pack mates.

Like people, every Blue Merle Pit Bull is going to be different, and it is important to socialize and train your new four-legged companion early on. Some bloodlines have a throwback gene towards being somewhat aggressive with other dogs.

However, if you socialize and expose your dog early on, you can nip that trait before it blooms fully. As long as you socialize your Pit Bull correctly, it will be a great canine companion.

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Blue Merle Pit Bull Lifespan

One of the first questions asked about any breed tends to be, how long will Blue Merle Pit Bull live for? As much as we wish that our four-legged friends would stay with us forever, that is, of course, not possible.

There is good news about the Blue Merle in the lifespan department. Pit Bulls are a robust and healthy breed of dog in general, which directly helps them live longer. A breed that most people consider being medium to large in size, Blue Merle Pit Bulls, almost have the longevity of a small breed dog.

You can expect the average lifespan of your Blue Merle Pit Bull to be 12 to 15 years.

However, there are a fair number of individuals on record that lived up to 18-20 years.

Making sure your Blue Merle gets yearly check-ups at the vet and fed a quality food will go a long way to helping your best friend live longer.

Blue Merle Pit Bull Health

On the whole, the Blue Merle Pit Bull is an extremely healthy dog breed. Pit Bulls are incredibly athletic and robust dogs.

However, as with any dog, they can be prone to specific health issues that any new owner should educate themselves about.

The first health issue that is entirely preventable to watch out for is obesity. Due to the Blue Merle Pit Bull being muscular breed and heavy in the chest, it is quite easy for them to become overweight.

Once they do become overweight, Pit Bulls can start having a myriad of other health problems. Making sure your dog has a proper diet, and exercise routine will help guard against weight gain.

Hip dysplasia is another common problem with the Pit Bull. You can often see the early signs by a change in your dogs’ gait.

Dogs with hip dysplasia are often uncomfortable or even in pain, and they will talk with a hitch in their step, in an attempt to relieve the pain.

It isn’t much you can do about hip dysplasia other than vet your breeder because this health issue is genetic.

Some vets will recommend surgery if your dog is healthy otherwise and able to recover from a surgical procedure.

Other health issues that can happen with you Blue Merle Pit Bull include:

• Cataracts
• Congenital heart defects
• Allergies

Just remember always to make sure your canine friend gets regular checkups. If you are proactive about their health, you will have a happy, healthy friend for as long as possible.

Pit Bull Exercise And Activity Requirements

As we have covered throughout this article, the Blue Merle Pit Bull is an athletic dog that is muscular and agile. Due to this athletic temperament, they require a fair amount of activity to be happy and healthy.

One great thing about Pit Bulls is that they love to try new things. Moreover, they enjoy a mental challenge too, so there are many ways you can exercise your new friend.

You can, of course, take your dog on regular walks, which they are sure to love. Just make sure you are getting in at least 1-2 hours of a moderate pace every day on your walks.

If you have a route with different terrain, make sure to use that route when possible. It will help keep your dog fit and trim. All Pit Bulls can quickly learn how o run next to a bike, roller skates, and skateboard.

Just make sure you give them enough time to learn the new skill. Pit bulls are extremely smart and love the challenge of new tasks.

Hiking is another favourite activity of the Blue Merle Pit Bull. Therefore, if you are an outdoorsy person, this breed will be a great companion for you.

Alternatively, if hiking isn’t your thing, you can take your canine pal to the off-leash dog park and allow them to run around without their leash.

You need to make sure they have had all of their shots and have been appropriately socialised for this one.

One final great way to exercise your Blue Merle Pitbull is taking up canine agility. Most people think of breeds like border collies when they think of agility. However, with their drive and athletic nature, Pit Bulls excel at the sport.

How To Choose A Blue Merle Pit Bull Puppy?

Now that you know all about the Blue Merle Pit Bull, the next step will be to find the right breeder of these elegant dogs.

As with any breed of dog, you will want to research the breeder you will be taking your puppy from.

Responsible breeders should have health paperwork, proof of genetic tests, and health check records.

Important to note: the Blue Merle Pit Bull puppy should result form breeding the merle parent with the solid coloured one. Breeding two merle dogs can result in genetic health complications.

The breeder should also be willing to let you meet the parents of your new Pit Bull puppy, or at least the Mother.

If your breeder has everything in order, it is just a case of picking the puppy you feel fits best with your family.

If you enjoyed this article, you might also like our reviews about Catahoula Pit Bull Mix and Dachshund Pit Bull Mix (Doxbull).