What breeds make a merle pitbull?

Most merle pitbull puppies are bred from a pitbull and catahoula leopard mix. Merle was a natural Pitbull color, but nowadays it is very rare to find a purebred merle puppy. The gene in pitbulls has always naturally existed, but historically it was not popular. Merle was often associated with health issues.

How did pitbulls become merle?

A puppy may inherit a single merle gene from their parent and then be merle. Dogs with two dominant genes will also be merle. Of course, if the dog doesn’t inherit any merle gene, then they will have whatever coat they would have otherwise. The merle gene covers up other coat colors.

Is merle a bloodline?

The merle is a color adaptation based on a mutation, so the bloodline of the merle is based on which type of pitbull it is and has nothing at all to do with whether it is dapple or not. In fact, merle pitbulls are not recognized at all by the American Dog Breeders Association and similar organizations.

Where does the merle gene come from?

The merle pattern is produced when a dog has a single copy of the M< allele. All merle dogs have the genotype Mm — meaning they have one allele for merle and one allele for non-merle. All non-merles are mm.

Is merle a genetic defect?

Merle is actually a heterozygote of an incompletely dominant gene. If two such dogs are mated, on the average one quarter of the puppies will be “double merles”, which is the common term for dogs homozygous for merle, and a high percentage of these double merle puppies could have eye defects and/or be deaf.

How much is a merle puppy worth?

The quick answer is – somewhere between $800 and $2,000, with an average of $1,300. Where exactly your puppy falls in this range will depend on his breed, pedigree, health and other factors. Let’s look at what determines the cost of a merle dog, and why they are so expensive!

How are merle bullies made?

Are merle dogs healthy?

Yes – merle dogs can be just as healthy as dogs that have a solid color. They have the same life expectancy, they are just as strong and athletic and smart as their counterparts without the merle gene. In lines with responsible merle breedings, all offspring will be healthy and live a long life.

Is merle a defect?

Do merle dogs always have blue eyes?

No, the merle gene does not always cause blue eyes. The merle gene causes the lightening of pigment in patches throughout the body. If these patches do not coincide with the eyes, the dog will have brown eyes instead. They may also have multicolored eyes.