interesting thing I heard is that maybe the color was undesirable because of the black being a "hot color" and a heat absorbing color and that wasn't good in the bull fighting ring. There may not be any real known reason for the color being undesirable, just alot of assumptions.

please post it.
I've never heard a definitive reason for the black coloring being undesirable in the Standard, just that it is. So I figured it might be from either another breed brought into the foundation stock, or a particular person's dogs that were black and that person was 'out of favor' and it was put into the Standard to keep those dogs out? Either way, it was long, long ago.
But my thinking on it is - since it is only cosmetic and not a health related issue, it isn't a big deal. But that is to be tempered with the knowledge that breeding for blacks, blues or other un-recognized colors shouldn't be a goal for a breeder.

I remember reading an article in the AKC Gazette several years ago, I think it was on Affenpincers, where the author got 1 puppy in a litter that looked so much like a Miniature Schnauzer that she had DNA testing done on the dog to be sure her bitch didn't get bred by a 2nd male.
The pup's test came back as being sired by the dog she bred to, so she started to do some research into her dog's ancestry and she found that 37 generations back there was an approved cross to a Schnauzer. She got bitten by recessive genes that were floating around riding along with the desirable genes from the out-cross.
Moral of the story, even in the best breeding program, stuff can happen.

especially the brillant red like your boy. My MacKenzie is just a gorgeous red and he has the nicest coat I have ever seen on a bulldog.

I personally love the red and whites... maybe cause I'm a redhead




My Kids

is more then likely a dominant gene like Cathy said....and I don't think they wanted a bunch of Rotties or Dobes because eventually that is what you would have.

I personally don't care for the black and tan or tri-color. I've seen a tri-colored puppy and that color reminds me of a coon hound not a bulldog. Just doens' seem right.

Either way the standard is written for a reason and if you posed this question on the show site maybe E will give you some of her insight as a historian of the breed. Or try a search if its working as this topic has come up many times.

Thanks for the information, interesting. i will have to search for it too


My Kids

attitude towards a color in the breed standard, so I tried finding out why.
I found some info, and I am kicking myself now for not saving it because now I can't find it again.
It said that when they were working on the standard in England, (don't know when, I don't think it was the original, very first one, but a tweaking of it)they wanted to make sure the bulldog stayed a medium sized dog. There were breeders in (Spain? I think?) that were breeding them VERY large, and the predominate color of them was black. So they made black undesirable to discourage continuing breeding with the very large dogs. I also think that black is a dominant gene, so black parents tend to produce black yungins.
Like I said, I can NOT find it again, but I would love to know how much truth is in that. Seems crazy to me to continue discriminating against a color like that if every other feature of the dogs conform to the standard and they have the same good health that any other color has. Especially since it also seems like there are some BIG champion show bulldogs, well over the 40 pound for females and 50 pounds for males standard.

Cathy
when she first came home

that is what I thought reading the akc standard, but just thought I would start a discussion
i wonder how far back the tri color goes and if it is mixed with another breed


My Kids

thanks for the forum...

and thanks for the compliments on my dogs


My Kids

even though they don't fit the breed standard I think they are beautiful! Your babies are precious!

Bulldogs...its an obsession!


"PollyAnna's Words of Wisdom" the book!
Click here for a link!
http://www.lakeside-studio-petportraits-andmore.com

Color doesn't make any difference in how lovable or how good a Bulldog will be for a pet.
But a dog with the coloring like you describe - this dog shouldn't be bred, for, towards or from. And while not ineligible for the conformation show ring, its coloring isn't desired.

i really like the black and white ones


My Kids

Black is not a desirable color according to the standard.

black tan and white, the face almost looks like a rottweiler


My Kids

Or brindle?

is what bugs me the most!
To me a breed standard should be for the betterment of the overall health of the breed, and to describe the best speciman of any particular breed to suit the purpose it was bred for.
Cosmetic issues are purely personal opinion, and if it has nothing to do with what the breed was bred to do, or it does not deter from the health of the dogs, it should not be part of the description of what the 'ideal'dog should look like.
I can see though the early bulldog lovers wanting to keep the bulldog a medium sized dog instead of a huge 100 pounder, so if they used the color to help achieve it, that is not a purely cosmetic issue. It is kinda sneaky, but you have to admit very effective!

Cathy
when she first came home

http://www.bulldoginformation.com/alano-espanol-spanish-bulldog.html

the Bulldog Club in England was formed in 1875, and was incorporated in 1894. It's main objective was to control the infiltration of the Spanish bulldog strain, which weighed around 100 pounds or more. Their color was black and white, brindles or reds were very rare.
So they made brindles and reds desirable, and black very undesirable.

Cathy
when she first came home

more sense than any other reason I've heard. =D

Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it. ~Confucius
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