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We have been approached many times regarding our Black & Tan Pit Bulls. We thought we would
take the time to write a little something about it and explain it more. I have researched it a lot
online and have seen a few other Black & Tans or Tan-Pointed Pit Bulls. Many seem to think that
this is due to crossbreeding or a sign that it is not purebred. That is not the case what so ever. We
are very proud to have the Black & Tan trait in the Haynes bloodline. This is not, however,
available through all Pit Bulls.
If you know that your dog is a carrier of the Black & Tan trait, mating him/her to just any Pit Bull
will not guarantee that a Black & Tan Puppy will be produced. More information on that below.
From my various sources from online and in books I have read, I will be quoting and stating
important facts or opinions on this page. I am in no way trying to take credit of the information or
photos. I am simply collecting what I think is relevant and valuable information. References are
below.
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Moonbeam
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Here is an excerpt from the Encyclopædia Britannica explaining Pit Bull Terrier:
Breed of terrier developed in 19th-century England for fighting other dogs in pits. The breed
was created by crossing the bulldog, then a longer legged and more agile dog, with a terrier,
possibly the fox terrier or one of the old breeds known as the white English and the
black-and-tan terriers. Once known by such names as bull-and-terrier, half and half, and pit
bull terrier.
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Here is an excerpt from an article by Ed Faron:
The tan point pattern is caused by a recessive gene on the Agouti series gene locus, the following
are the alleles (variations) that are definitely known to occur in the American Pit Bull Terrier. There
are also a couple of other genes on this same locus, but they are most likely not present in this
breed, so we will ignore them in this article to try and keep things simple.
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Agouti locus alleles present in the APBT
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A dog needs to inherit two copies of the tan-point gene to be a black & tan. If a pup inherits one copy of the gene
and one copy of the dominant yellow gene, which causes a red or buckskin coloration, then the dog will be red or
buckskin, not black and tan. If the dog inherits one copy of the tan-point gene and one of the dominant black
gene, the result will be a solid black dog. Because of the recessive nature of the tan-point gene, it can actually
remain hidden in the gene pool for many generations without expressing itself. In the case of our breed (where
this is not a common color) this is what often happens, but it is important to realize that when the tan-point
pattern does pop up it is not some new color mutation that appeared out of nowhere, but rather the manifestation
of a gene that has been present in this breed all throughout the known history of the American Pit Bull Terrier.
Though it is impossible to say for sure where the coloration originated, our best guess would be that it came
from some sort of terrier blood that was introduced many, many years ago, probably during the early formation of
the breed in the British Isles.
Actually, part of the reason the color is uncommon is that there has been a distinct prejudice against it by many
people, either because they feel it is not a typical Pit Bull color, or even actually thought it was the result of a
mixed breeding. The latter reason shows an ignorance of basic genetic principles, because the gene is recessive,
there is no way you could breed a Rottweiler or a Doberman or Manchester Terrier to a Pit Bull and get puppies
with the tan-point markings unless the Pit Bull was carrying the tan-point gene too. If in fact the black and tan
color was not present in the APBT gene pool, you would have to breed to a dog of another tan-point breed, and
then breed two offspring from such a breeding back together to get black & tan dogs, in the first generation you
would get no tan-pointed offspring.
The tan point gene does not actually create a black & tan animal, the gene itself does not produce any color but
rather a pattern of a solid color with light-colored 'points'. These 'points' always appear in specific places but the
actual size and distribution of them is somewhat variable. The exact coloration that is produced by the tan-point
gene is dependant on the color genes present at other loci, for instance if the pigmentation is black, the result
will be a black & tan, but if the dog's pigmentation is chocolate or blue then the pattern would produce a
chocolate & tan or a blue & tan, respectively.
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Referring back to the statement above as to the Black & Tan not being a favorable color/marking, here is another
example from PuppyFind.com. Personally, we don't agree with this at all!
Coat: Short and shiny. Any color is acceptable, however red and beige with highlights, either with or without
white highlights, is preferred. Less favored are black and tan, liver, or any color combination that is more
than 80 percent white.
From the ASPCA: Pet Care: Dog Care website
The Pit Bull Heritage
The pit bull’s ancestors hail from England and were brought to North America by English immigrants. These
descendants were bred from bulldogs, who were selectively bred to participate in an inhumane blood sport called
baiting. In this “sport,” a dog was trained to attack a bull, bear or other large animal around the face and head,
and had to hang on without releasing his grip until the animal became exhausted from fighting and from loss of
blood. When animal baiting was banned in the early 1800s, people began to make their dogs fight against each
other instead. As this sport gained popularity, enthusiasts developed a lighter, more athletic dog by breeding
bulldogs with black and tan terriers. Known as “bull and terriers,” these dogs made their way to North America to
become the forefathers of today’s pit bulls.
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