A fluffy Pit Bull? Are you referring to the singer-songwriter Pit Bull or some new plush toy? No, I am referring to the rare gene some Pit Bulls can express, making their hair long and “fluffy.”
Image: EP Animal Services
Image: EP Animal Services
ARE FLUFFY PIT BULLS DIFFERENT THAN STANDARD PIT BULLS?
Fluffy Pit Bulls are no different from their short-haired brothers and sisters. Long hair, or fluffy, is not typical amongst Bully breeds.
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WHERE DID FLUFFY PIT BULLS COME FROM?
Fluffy Pit Bulls have likely been around since the breed began more than 150 years ago. The Lh mutation is rare, meaning long-haired pups probably went unnoticed or were treated as one-offs.
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Image: reddit
LH: THE LONG HAIR GENE (FLUFFY GENE)
The Lh mutation is what causes Pit Bulls to have long hair. The mutation occurs in the FGF5 gene, which is responsible for when hair will or will not stop growing.
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More specifically, the L Locus region determines the dog’s hair length. The L Locus is like a tiny instruction manual that is part of a dog’s body.
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Image: EP Animal Services
The Lh mutation means long hair or fluffy. In contrast, Sh means short hair. There is more science behind it than that.
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Image: EP Animal Services