The 10 Rarest Pit Bull Colors and Patterns

Pit Bulls are any dog breed developed from Bulldogs and Terriers. Each Pit Bull breed has their own common and rare coat variations determined by their breed standard. However, not all rare coat variations are accepted as a breed standard, hence their rarity. Common coat colors include black, white, fawn, and buckskin, while common patterns in Pit Bulls are brindle and sable. There are many more coat variations, some of which are incredibly rare and unique.

Blue Brindle

Blue brindle is a rare brindle variation in Pit Bulls. Brindle refers to the crisscrossed stripe pattern and blue refers to the color of the coat. This coat variation is achieved by combining the predominant black gene (B) with the dilute gene (d) and brindle gene (KBr). American Pit Bull Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, and American Staffordshire Terriers are the main Pit Bull breeds that can have beautiful blue brindle coats. 

Bronze

This unique coat color is a variant of pheomelanin, a type of red pigment. Bronze Pit Bulls have stunning yellow and gold coats with vivid red undertones. Their coats look like a redder version of brown Pit Bulls. Specific coat color genes are responsible for how intense the red pigment shows in the coat. Sometimes Pit Bulls are unintentionally bred to have bronze coats, and some breeders see it as a fault. 

Black and Tan

At first glance, you might mistake a black and tan Pit Bull for a Rottweiler. Black and tan Pit Bulls are mostly black with tan markings on their faces, legs, and chests. This coat variation is very rare in Pit Bulls because a recessive black gene is required for the tan markings to show through the dark fur. This is perhaps one of the most eye-catching Pit Bull coat variations. 

Seal

The seal color is often mistaken as black in Pit Bulls but is a different color entirely. Seal Pit Bulls have dark coats with red or brown hues in the sunlight. Their coats change color under different lighting, making this an incredibly unique coat color. Seal Pit Bulls also have a distinctive dark stripe along their spines from their heads to tails. 

Blue Fawn Brindle

Blue fawn brindle is a very rare coat variation that is highly sought-after but complex to create. It gives Pit Bulls a stunning light-colored base coat with dark blue and fawn brindle markings. They will also have red noses, which stand out against their light coats and add to their unique appearance. 

Tri-color

Most Pit Bulls only have one or two coat colors, so having three coat colors is rare. Tri-colored Pit Bulls usually have three colors consisting of lilac, blue, or black as the base coat. The other two colors are either white or tan. White will always be one of the three colors. Only the American Bully and American Pit Bull Terrier can have tri-colored coats. 

Spotted

The spotted coat pattern is sometimes confused for merle, but they are not the same. The spotting gene is responsible for the colorful spots over the base color. Common color combinations for this coat type include brown and white, tan and white, along with black and white. The American Staffordshire Terrier has spotted markings listed in their breed standard. 

Solid White

Although white itself isn’t a rare Pit Bull color, it is if the entire coat is white. Pit Bulls with solid white coats are not necessarily albino or leucistic, which are conditions that cause a loss of pigmentation. Solid white Pit Bulls usually have dark eyes and black noses, whereas an albino Pit Bull’s eyes and nose lack pigment. 

Blue Fawn

Blue fawn is one of the most beautiful and rarest coat variations. Pit Bulls with blue fawn coats and blue noses are even rarer than ones with red noses. The blue nose is a rare combination with this coat variation because the dilution gene that causes this shade is linked to the red nose. Blue fawn Pit Bulls have silverish-blue coats with a fawn hue. Their coats look incredibly shiny and blend in perfectly with their blue noses. 

Merle

Merle is the rarest Pit Bull coat variation but is very controversial amongst dog lovers. It refers to the pattern of a Pit Bull, which consists of one base coat color and blotches of another color. Merle is caused by a genetic mutation that is sometimes linked to an increased risk of health issues, hence why it is controversial. Pit Bulls can either have blue or red merle coats and usually have blue eyes too, which look incredibly unique. 

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