Old Family Red Nose

Old Family Red Nose (OFRN) is an old strain of American Pit Bull Terriers known for their specific look and gameness. A dog of the red-nosed strain has a copper-red nose, red lips, red toe nails, and red or amber eyes.

"Gameness" is a euphemism for the dog's eagerness and desire to never quit.

History

In the middle of the 19th century, there was a family of pit dogs in Ireland that were known as the "Old Family." At that time, all the strains were closely inbred. Closed genetic pool of that type, were likely to have a slide toward the recessive traits, because the dominants, once discarded, were never recaptured. Since red is recessive to all colors but white, the "Old Family" eventually became the "Old Family Reds." When the dogs began coming to America, they were beginning to show the red nose.

The "Old Family" dogs found their way to America mainly via Irish immigrants. The term "Family dogs" was used in two ways: It could mean a strain of dogs that was a family unto itself that was kept by a number of unrelated people in Ireland, or it could refer to a strain of dogs that was kept and preserved through the years by a family group. It is believed, that the old Family Reds are of the first category.

Many strains have been crossed with the Old Family Reds at some time in their existence. Consequently, nearly any strain will occasionally throw a red-nosed pup. To many dog owners, these red-nosed individuals are Old Family Red Noses even though the great preponderance of their blood is that of other strains. Sometimes such individuals will fail to measure up and thereby reflect undeserved discredit on the red-nosed strain. However the red noses produce their share of bad ones as well as good ones-just as all strains do.

As a strain, the Old Family Red Nose has several things going for it. First, it is renowned for its gameness. Second, some of the most reputable breeders in all Pit Bull history such as Lightner, McClintock, Menefee and Wallace have contributed to the preservation and development of the strain. Finally, as McNolty said in his 30-30 Journal (1967) "Regardless of one's historical perspective, these old amber-eyed, red-nosed, red-toe-nailed, red-coated dogs represent some of the most significant pit bull history and tradition that stands on four legs today."