The name “bully,” as this dog breed is called, comes from the name Bulldog. This can only tell us one thing: that this dog breed is descended from the much more famous Bulldog breed.
Unlike their ancestors, the classical fighting bulldogs, the American bully is considered a family dog and is one of the best family pets. A well-socialized American bully dog is friendly to people and animals, and even to strangers.
Imagine this situation – An American Staffordshire Terrier and American Pit Bull Terrier in one place. Can you imagine the scene? What is the first association you can think of? Is it chaos or something else?
Well, I would rather imagine a romantic date with lots of fireworks between these Terriers? And do you know the result of that date? Well, the result might be our hybrid – the American Bulldog.
But this is just when this date is in America. A hot French date might result in a French Bulldog, while the English one might result – well, as you may guess, in an English Bulldog.
As for American bully colors, they come in a variety of colors, although the most common are gray colors. His eyes are typically quite dark, but they can be brown or blue eyes.
Finally, it should be noted that the AKC (American Kennel Club) and UKC (United Kennel Club) do not recognize this dog breed because they are not purebred.
Because of that, ABKC (the American Bully Kennel Club) is the only place you can officially find this breed.
Disparity And Variety Of Colors And Markings
When it comes to the dog coat colors almost anything is possible. Perhaps one of the most important facts about this interesting dog breed is that it comes in lots of different colors.
Maybe you have heard of the Exotic Bully, but there is also something else that can be exotic – the variety of his color palette.
So which colors are we talking about? Can you think of blue Bully, because he exists? There is also a fawn and red variation. But we should not forget to mention the classics – black and white, separately.
As for the markings on the dog’s coat, they can include a mask, ticking, and brindle.
There is also a nose. You might say, well of course there is, what about it?
Nose has its own story when it comes to color. There are even more color variations and combinations here so be not surprised to find a red nose, tan, pink, black, liver or blue nose.
Finally, based on the coat color, six categories are created, which this breed can be separated into. Those categories are:
• Fawn
• Red nose
• Brindle
• Striped
• Solid color or solid combined with white color
• Tri-color
Fawn
Do you wanna know the most frequent coat colors in the American Bully palette?
Tadaaa, this scary dog breed you will commonly see in fawn.
We will mention just a few facts about the fawn color. There are many dog breeds that you can find in fawn. For example there is a fawn Doberman and a fawn Pitbull. So it makes perfect sense to find one Bulldog in this, otherwise, unusual color.
How to describe this shade?
Think of tan with a yellow reflection, and then imagine the whole spectrum of this shade, from pale to dark which resembles red in a way a deer coat is red.
Some would say that it is actually a type of caramel brown.
The first use of the term fawn as a color in the English language occurred in 1789.
Boxers, Great Danes, and Pugs are just some of the dog breeds whose coat color can be fawn. Genetically, this color is due to the recessive ay gene on the Agouti locus.
There is a high possibility that your fawn Bulldog will also have a black nose and conspicuous eyelids. And that is something that adds up to his look of an aggressive dog breed. There is also a combination with white.
It is not rare to see a type of mascara and honey or dark-colored eyes when it comes to this category.
Blue Fawn
We have already mentioned a blue fawn Pitbull, so it is not a surprise to find a blue fawn Bulldog.
When you are trying to imagine a blue fawn Bulldog, you can go for a light brown tone with a bluish reflection. It is a little bit different then the whole blue Bully. American bullies with this type of coat color are seen very often.
For this coat color, they must inherit two specific genes from their parents. The name of the color, blue fawn, doesn’t mean that they have a blue coat. It means a dilution of the black in the dog’s coat color, which gives it the blue-fawn coloration.
This specific color is very desirable and popular in the Bully community. Blue fawns can also have brindle markings.
As we have seen it in all fawn, white is quite a common combination in every fawn variation, including blue fawn.
Red Nose Family
When we are talking about American Bully colors, the red nose family takes a special place among the color groups. The red nose family is kind of a subgroup among dog breeds. Our American bully dog also belongs to this incredible family.
Maybe the most famous breeds that belong to the red nose family are the pit bull breeds. And it is not a surprise that this is the case with the American bully dog too, because it is one of their ancestors.
The one thing that makes this dog so beautiful is his coat, which is almost champagne in color. But this color doesn’t come only in the light champagne shades but also in the darker tones, something like milk chocolate.
We won’t find white here, but we will find blue tones in the light variation. When it comes to eye colors, they will be yellow to amber.
Lastly, we have to mention that they are a breed of dog that is considered an extension of the Tri-Color, with their red nose that is easy to notice.
Brindle
The recessive gene is responsible for the coat that the Brindle American bully possesses. There are many brindle dog breeds and to get a brindle you have to mix up a little bit of black and a little bit of red.
This color pattern can range from light to heavy, and it is difficult to say how much brindle a dog will have. Other shades include silver, beige and blue.
In this case, the color of his nose can be black, brown, or liver.
Blue Brindle Bully
One of the most intriguing combinations that includes brindle patterns that make a specific coat pattern, is the blue Brindle Bully. It is also, at the same time, very rare, and that makes it so special.
The reason for its rarity is the fact that it possesses two recessive genes.
When it comes to his appearance, the blue Brindle Bully is unique because of the tiger-like patterns on his body. Those stripes are blue, and they can vary depending on the intensity of the pigments.
Because of his rarity, this incredible dog can cost a heavy price, but it will definitely be worth it.
Striped
Term tabby coat is a synonym for striped.
Striped can be expressed in all shades but in the case of our breed it is usually brown in all of its varieties while the stripes are also brown but a bit darker.
An interesting fact is that this is a similar pattern to that of a tiger.
Well, maybe a little bit darker kind of tiger, but still.
Solid Color Or Combination With White
Although simple, they are very beautiful and interesting and their simplicity makes them very special.
The two main colors that, in this case, prevail in the American bully colors are black and blue.
We have to mention that the color blue is some kind of identifying sign of its origins, although it has lost prominence and interest as the years have gone by.
The color blue is also the thing that first made this dangerous dog breed so popular.
When it comes to the black version of the coat, honestly, it is not as appreciated and popular as the blue one. This coat color is predominantly represented through the so-called American Bully Gottyline bloodline.
But we have to say that in combination with white ones, it is considerably spectacular. Here, we are talking about white dogs that are perfectly pigmented, and that is important to emphasize.
The reason for that is the existence of so-called albino dogs and merle dogs. Albino and merle coats are not accepted as the norm because they are considered abnormalities in the genetics within the breed.
They are also associated with various illnesses and health problems.
Albino: Extremely Rare And Very Intriguing
We have to admit that there is something attractive about any rarity that is deep inside all of us. And albino animals, and especially albino Bullies, are very, very rare. That is a good enough reason to say something more about it in this text.
The first thing is that a lot of people do not distinguish between albinism and whiteness. Albinism is a genetic mutation, and dog breeds with white coats are considered to have a gene for whiteness.
There is one thing that makes the difference here, and that is melanin, actually the lack of it. In albino dog, there was a genetic mutation and the gene for melanin production was lost. So, their skin and fur appear white.
On the other hand, white dogs are white because they have a different gene than others of the breed.
White Bullies are also very rare. The reason for the white color of their coat is a recessive gene, a very recessive gene. And the only color that is rarer than white is albino. Those are the secrets of American Bully breeding.
A bad thing about albinos is their health issues. The absence of melanin may have fatal consequences for them. Blindness and deafness are health problems that have a high probability of occurrence.
There is also a problem with sun exposure, which is fairly obvious because of the absence of melanin. Therefore, they are at a higher risk of developing skin cancer, which is unfortunately, as we already know, a fatal condition.
On the other hand, white Bully dogs can get all of the same health problems that all other colored dogs can get.
When it comes to the lifespan of albinos, it is not entirely clear how long they are expected to live.
All in all, when all is settled, we can conclude that this is an extraordinarily rare species that is certainly special in its own way.
But we must also emphasize that this is overshadowed by the excessive tendency of this breed to have more serious health problems throughout their life, which is, unfortunately, a very negative characteristic.
The Merle Coat: Unique And Unusual Coat Pattern
A merle coat is a result of a gene that alters the way that a pigment appears in a dog’s coat. It is something that is very similar to the albino coat.
This coat pattern is very unique because every dog and different breed with this merle pattern has a different coat pattern.
This merle coat is typical for most breeds, but it is very rare for this Bully breed.
When it comes to genetics, we have to say that this merle pattern is the result of the dog having two copies of the merle gene, and the result is them having patches of different colors on their coat.
This pattern comes in a few colors: blue, brindle, red, and black. The patches on the coat come in various colors too. Their eye colors can be green, blue, brown, or a mix of colors.
We also have to mention that Bully breeders are still developing this Merle American Bully, and that it is still a relatively new breed.
There is also a classification of Merle American Bully by breeding, and there are three types of Merle American Bully: standard type, designer type, and hybrid type.
When it comes to coat color, there are also three types of merle, and those are red merle, blue merle, and cryptic merle.
We will find two types of eye colors here: glass and standard eye colors. Black or brown belongs to the group of standard eye colors. Merled blue or green eyes belong to the group of glass eye colors.
Lastly, we will say a few words about health problems and conditions that, similar to the albinos, can occur in a nasty form.
The two main problems that can occur are auditory problems and ocular problems. Other health problems that can arise are heart defects, neurological problems, bone problems, autoimmune diseases, hydrocephalus, etc.
There is also a scenario possible in which breeders can breed two merle bullies, and the result is double merle American Bully puppies.
It is highly likely that these merle bullies are going to have major health problems that are more serious than ordinary ones.
We also have to mention that these double ones don’t have, or have very little, color in their coat.
Tricolor American Bullies
When we talk about American Bully colors, this is one special group of bullies that represents patterns with a wide range of colors. There are colors like tri choco, lilac, red/tan, blue/tan, etc.
It is not enough to just have three colors to be considered a Tricolor Bully, they must have minimum proportions too.
As far as genetics are concerned, the Tricolor Bully is produced by rare genetics from the Agouti series gene locus.
The specific gene that is needed to produce this type of Bully is the Tan Point gene, which is recessive, and that means that both parents need to possess one.
Among American Bully colors, the Tricolor is relatively uncommon. Maybe some of the American Bully breeders produce this type of dog. But, we have to say that, due to different combinations, there are some rarer types than others.
Tricolor Bullies are a new trend, and there were concerns that they were crossbreeds. That made them less desirable.
But, in recent times, that has changed. Now, there are a lot of breeding programs that are working on producing more of these incredible dogs.
As we already mentioned, there are a lot of different amazing Tricolor combinations. Some of them are the black tri Bully, choco tri Bully, blue tri Bully, lilac tri Bully, brindle tri Bully, or trindle, piebald tri Bully, and ghost tri Bully.
There are also some variants that are able to display the Tri colors, and those are the pocket Bully, classic Bully, standard Bully, and XL Bully. These are also expressions of different sizes of bullies.
Unique Champagne Tri Bullies
This type of bully is one of the most controversial topics among bully owners. The reason is that Champagne Bullies cannot be Tricolor at the same time.
They have recessive red alleles with dilution, and this causes coat colors ranging from yellow to cream to pearl. The Agouti gene cannot express patterns because of the recessive red.
Genetics is the reason why some of these colors can’t be expressed.
What About Tri Merle Bullies?
There is a possibility that the already mentioned and described, Merle Bully can have three colors on the places on their coat where there are ordinarily two colors. That is why some people may say that these are Tri color types.
But, actually, they are not. They are not considered to be a true Tri color. They are linked to all kinds of health issues, and they are not recognized by AKC (American Kennel Club) due to this.
Because of that, responsible breeders do not breed for this to be present.
Bullies And Their Nose Colors
When we talk about American Bully colors, we can’t help but say something about the colors of their noses.
So, what is the color of an American Bully’s nose? We will offer an explanation to this questio.
The American Bully’s nose color can sometimes depend on the color of their coat. For example, if the coat is blue, then the nose is blue too.
But we have to say that this is not a rule, it just happens very often.
There are some major nose colors that we will mention here, and say a little something about them.
First, there is the black color nose, and that is his most common nose color.
There is also a very intriguing blue nose, and this can vary from a light blue version to a dark blue version.
Pink and red noses are very similar to one another, but we must emphasize that the red nose is much more popular. Bullies with this nose color belong to the already mentioned Red Nose family.
And the Red Nose family is very popular among Bully enthusiasts.
And last, but not least, are the liver and tan noses. You can imagine a color liver as brownish, while a tan is similar to the Tan Points.
Popular Coat Color Combinations
This incredible dog comes in a wide variety of colors, and they can vary from darker tones to lighter tones.
There are also a lot of combinations of colors that can occur and some of them are: blue and fawn, liver and brindle, black and brindle, black and red, red and white, black and blue, fawn and white, brindle and white.
We also have to mention that there is a color called “Pinto”. Those colors occur when a dog has large patches of white fur with another color, and the most common ones are black and white, blue and white, red and white, and brindle and white.
Last Thoughts
All in all, we can conclude that there is a wide range of American Bully colors. There are also a lot of interesting combinations out there, and we can surely find one that we like and that will be pleasing to our eyes.
But we also have to say that there are a lot of factors that can affect the American Bully colors. And our task is to take all of these various factors into account when choosing our future best buddy.
One important factor is, of course, genetics, which we have already mentioned in the text. This is very important to say because genetics can have a big influence on the colors, and the colors can also have a big influence on the overall health of the dog.
For example, this is the case with albinism. As we learned earlier in the text, no matter how much their rarity and unusual appearance attract us, we still have to be aware of the health problems that this can produce and any other consequences.
Of course, there are also other important characteristics besides color. Primarily, appearance in terms of physical appearance, there are different shapes and sizes, which can also greatly influence our final decision.
But probably, the most important thing, that we cannot help but take into account, is a dog’s temperament and overall personality.
Read More:
Pocket Bully: A Complete Guide To The Pocket American Bully Dog Breed
How Much Does An American Bully Cost? American Bully Puppy Price And Other Expenses