I thought apbts could Genetically NOT be merle???

This is where I am coming from - as rally said, there is proof for BOTH sides, so while I do admit some could be mixed, I myself as an open minded individual find it both illogical & irrational to say NEVER to the possibility to a purebred merle, especially considering the information I have studied on merle, dogs I personally have heard about &/or met & where they came from.

As for a proven dog, here in the U.S. we cannot talk about such things lest the AC come get you & kill your dogs. But I do know there have been some merles who not only have been worked, but won. Back in the day one poor fellow had his dog poisoned by a man who was upset his dog lost to a merle! Now these dogs were extremely rare b/c when this took place the patten in itself was still very little seen, but while their numbers were quite small, they did exist.

 

there are american bullies that are pure apbt also....but doesn't make it them a true apbt a true apbt carries the traits of the dog that can accomplish the task it was created for...anything bred aside of that is another breed. If you are to agree that a merle should be bred and continue his genes and be called apbt then you would also agree on blue eyes and american bully still being registered and called apbt. Amstaff's also came from pure apbt but since they were bred for a different reason they have become distant cousins...Just because it might be papered APBT does not mean its true APBT...the registries only have one job and that is to keep records it is the breeder's responsibility to be ethical and preserve a breed truthfully. Eddington dogs for example great weight pull dogs registered as apbt are they true to the breed? NO are they truly APBT's no.
Now what is interesting is that even in other breed that accept this merle color openly and agree its part of the breed they still advise how dangerous it is to breed them...One lil wrong breeding everythign goes wrong. If you read on catahoula dogs and australian shepherds all breeders who know about the breed greatly will advise how that specific color that shows how it is connected to many faults that if not bred correctly will damage the breed....SO how much more can damage our breed in which I haven't heard any TRUE reputable breeder say they saw a pit dog being merle or if they did the dogs were culled. So again merle color could come from being bred to another breed which most likely it is true since studies show that one of the parents need to be merle but lets look at the other way and say that in fact yea a merle registered apbt can be pure...What is that merle letting you know about that gene pool? What can that gene you don't see but that is vivid in that dog, what will it pass in the offsprings what we will create.
I will like to emphasize on the blues now. I own a blue she is a great dog but I fully recognize she is a curr, She is a bad ass dog but still not a true apbt. Now you see blues in the ring and there are many that fit the standard beautifully but from teh time the true dogman's started to see these blues when it became illegal to pit fight from now look at how largerly the breed went to now. THERE IS a link there you might not like it but its true...Genentics is very specific and complex and ONE change changes the whole direction...I would like to add this video to show how really breedign should be left to true breeders who really understand in full the aspect of breeding a dog and in elaborate terms the specific breed....

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enrLSfxTqZ0[/ame]

So although you might say color has nothing to do with one thing that is not true. After years of commitment to have a balanced bulldog to fight to the outmost performance in the pit...It is not a coincidence we do not see many merle as part of our Breed's history or among the BEST OF THE BEST dogmen who are still alive today...and when I say dogmen I say the dogmen that made revolution to the breed who consistently produced pit dogs and preserved and still preserve the breed to its core existence.

If you own a Merle does not mean its a bad dog or anything liek that but as far as our breed American Pit Bull Terrier and preserving it it does not bring any positive benefits. Now the breed is not bred for color but there are traits seen in dogs that a true breeder knowing a breed front to back will say "HMMMM" this is now a gene showing me something is not right within my gene pool period. Reason why too you did not see many true dogman when pit fighting was still very vivid having Blue dogs.

I say take your time and read on the MERLE color in other breed and see that within those breed you will find breeders consitently saying its something to be carefully delt with because it does bring awful results to the gene pool and mind you this will be of breeds that recognize this color full in their standard and still they say this....
Something also I find interesting most MERLE dogs also Blue eyes is also present. Matter of fact most dogs that also contain merle like australian shephers australian shepherds that tend to have blue eyes usually are the merle's....anyways just a thought....