As sounds go, “smut” is such a delicious word. Short, sweet, and ending with emphasis. As a color, however, we’re aware of only one breed that includes it in their breed standard, and that’s the Bull Terrier (the colored variety, to be exact) – and oh, the possibilities:

Smut seems to be a darker masking, but we always defer to breed experts, and our reading tells us that it’s the MC1R gene that’s responsible for the dark facial mask known as “smut marking.”  In a comprehensive piece written by Tracey Butchart, she writes, “Up until 2007, it was believed that only Red Bull Terriers could have smut markings and that Brindle, Black Brindle and Black & Tan/Tricolour Bull Terriers did not have this at all. We now know that all Coloured Bull Terriers can have smut markings. It is only is Red Bull Terriers that the mask is easily visible. In the other Coloured and White Bull Terriers the mask is either camouflaged by dark brindle patterning, hidden by the Black on Red base coat or covered by the white mask.”

The only image we could find of a smut Bull Terrier was this one from Pinterest, and we’ll happily give credit upon receipt of information. If you have a smut colored Bull Terrier, that would be even better, so please do add it below!