Brindle Dog Breeds: Top 12 Most Popular Mentions

Best Dogs With Brindle Coats

Brindle dog breeds are those dogs that have a coloring pattern on their coat. This pattern is often described as “tiger-striped” because it resembles the dark black stripes on tigers.

These kinds of markings are not only associated with dogs, because they can appear on other animals as well, such as: cattle, horses and guinea pigs.

The main characteristic of these markings is that they are irregular and darker than the base color of the dog’s coat. When it comes to dogs in particular, dogs with these markings are also called “trundle” and they can be confused with tricolor dogs. However, if you look closely you can notice the difference.

What is the reason for this? It is still uncertain and the researchers are looking for the source of the mutation that creates this kind of coat coloring.

However, it has been proved that the brindle comes in various types among dogs and that some dog breeds are more prone to having this gene than others.

It has also been noted that brindle is more prevalent in dog breeds with short coats rather than with long ones. However, if you’re thinking on getting such a breed, we put together a list of the breeds that are more likely to have a brindle coat.

BOSTON TERRIER #1

boston terrier brindle
Source: Pinterest

The Boston Terrier breed originated in the United States and its members belong to the non-sporting group. Actually, Boston Terriers have been one of the most popular dog breeds in the USA in the past couple of years.

The usual colors are black, seal with white markings, but also brindle (sometimes the coat can consists of all three variations). However, the brindle type is very beautiful and cherished.

When it comes to the Boston Terrier’s appearance, he is a small dog with pointed ears, small flat muzzle and usually cropped tail. His coat is very short and it is not in need of much grooming. When it comes to his temperament, he is a fierce little thing. Always loyal and protective of his owner, it seems that he does not realize how small he is compared to other dogs.

He can be very stubborn, but also curious, intelligent and affectionate. His friendly and easy-going personality even around strangers is his much known trait and that is why he is very popular among the majority of owners.

He also does not mind living indoors due to his small size. According to the American Kennel Club, this dog ranked as the 23rd most popular pure-breed in the USA in 2012 and 2013.

TREEING TENNESSEE BRINDLE #2

Treeing Tennessee
Source: hepper.com

The Treeing Tennessee Brindle is a dog breed accepted by the American Kennel Club. The existence of this breed became apparent in the 1960s, when Reverend Earl Phillips noticed a dog with tiger straps being the dominant one in hunting and treeing action. Today this dog is preserved as the one with the brindle coat – the only one that is acceptable in this breed.

When it comes to his appearance, the dog does not weigh more than 23 kg and he is not taller than 61 cm. Even though his appearance may not be unique and outstanding, this dog is a very capable and brave companion.

His job is to hunt down and tree an animal until the owner comes to get it. Another breed’s standard is that he has an unusual bark during the hunt which has been described as “crying”. The dog breed also has a strong sense of smell and fast thinking.

STAFFORDSHIRE BULL TERRIER #3

staffordshire bull terrier brindle
Source: dailypaws.com

The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is a dog breed of medium size that originated in England. Even though this dog was originally bred for the purpose of bull baiting, bear baiting and other blood sports, today he is one very loyal and gentle family dog, if trained and socialized properly of course.

When it comes to his coat, brindle is one of the acceptable colors. He looks very lovely with the stripes on the darker coat which is short and doesn’t require too much brushing. The Staffordshire Bull Terrier has a powerful build and a strong muzzle and jaw.

His stocky and muscular physique makes him a scary dog, but he can be very gentle indeed. However, this breed has been known as too affectionate, which means that they can get too friendly with strangers, even dognappers.

People should understand that the owners are the ones who are responsible for their dogs’ bad and aggressive behavior when they try to exploit their desire to please humans and turn them into profit.

BOXER #4

boxer brindle
Source: youtube.com

The Boxer is a dog breed of medium size and short coat that comes from Germany. This dog breed is known for its powerful physique and very strong bite. The Boxer comes in brindle (with or without white markings), fawn, black, white and mahogany. It has been noted that the Boxer currently holds the 8th place at the most popular dog breeds list in the USA.

When it comes to his personality, the Boxer is a loyal, family, affectionate and brave dog. He is also very active, bright and energetic dog breed that thrives in a home filled with love and care. This breed is also known for being very good with children because of their patient temperament.

He responds well to positive reinforcement training and should be trained from an early age in order to prevent any stubborn and headstrong traits. The Boxer may not go well with adult dogs, especially those of the same sex unless socialized properly since being a puppy. They are also very instinctive guardians and love being near their owners.

CARDIGAN WELSH CORGI #5

Cardigan Welsh Corgi
Source: pinterest.com

The Cardigan Welsh Corgi is a dog breed of small to medium size from Wales. This Corgi is different from the Pembroke Welsh Corgi and it is also one of the oldest herding dog breed in the world.

The Cardigan Welsh Corgi comes in a variety of colors, and one of them is also brindle, which can be with or without white markings. Corgi is a wonderful, playful and loyal companion and he needs regular physical and mental training and exercise, even though he can be kept in an apartment as well.

The Corgi resembles a fox with his huge ears, long slim body and short cute legs. This breed is rarer than the Pembroke Corgi and it is not very easy to find it. In the old times it was used as a herding dog and then as a working dog in dog agility trials, obedience, showmanship, fly ball and tracking events.

DACHSHUND #6

Dachshund Brindle
Source: hcb.cat

The Dachshund is a dog breed of small size that belongs to the short-legged, long-bodied, and hound-type dog breed group. The country of origin is Germany and the dog is famous for its unique appearance and sense of smell.

His original role was to hunt animals such as rabbits, but even deer and prairie dogs. When it comes to his coat, he comes in a variety of colors and one of them is brindle. The others include black, grey, brown and the mix of all together. The Dachshund can also be long coated, but only the short coat ones can be bindle.

The Dachshund is a very playful, affectionate and energetic dog breed. He can be very stubborn from time to time, but with an affectionate and careful owner he can learn to be obedient. He is a non-sporting dog breed due to his short legs but that does not mean that he cannot be fast or that he should not exercise regularly.

However, this breed has shown signs of aggression towards unfamiliar people and dogs so they should be trained from an early age, but that can prove to be a real challenge, especially to those who do not have much patience.

GREAT DANE #7

Great Dane Brindle
Source: wikimedia.com

The Great Dane is a dog breed of large size that originated in Germany. His original purpose was to hunt big animals and the appearance was a bit different than it is today. The other names include the German Mastiff and the Gentle Giant.

This dog is among the tallest dogs in the world as he can reach 76 cm or 30 in. Even though this breed’s size is frightening and intimating, his nature is exactly the opposite – gentle, easy-going, friendly and passive.

When it comes to his coat, it is always short and it can come in a variety of colors and markings, one of them being brindle. Other coat colors include: fawn, black, harlequin, mantle, and blue. As with every other breed, the Great Dane should be trained from an early age, but he is recommended as a great candidate for families with children.

AKITA #8

Akita
Source: pinterest.com

The Akita is a dog breed of large size that originated in Japan – it is also the national dog of Japan. There are two varieties of the same breed (considered to be completely different breeds in Japan) – the first one comes in only one color while the American Akita comes in all colors, including brindle.

Most people are familiar with this breed from the famous Japanese film about a famous dog Hachiko who could not forget his owner even after his death.

When it comes to his appearance, the dog has fluffy short and thick coat, curvy tail and big ears. The muzzle is long and protruded and the legs are muscular with large paws.

Akita is a large, powerful and willful dog which needs a really strong and confident owner; otherwise he can become aggressive, not only to other dogs but people as well. It has been stated that Akita in general do not tolerate dogs of the same sex unless socialized properly. All in all, this breed is definitely not for the beginners.

CURSINU #9

Source: twitter.com

The Cursinu is a dog breed of medium to big size that originated in Corsica (France). The origin of this breed goes to the 16th century but it became popular once again in the 20th century.

The Cursinu is used for various working events and there are no specific health issues that have been noted. The breed can reach 23 in or 58 cm and the males are always bigger than the females.

When it comes to the coat, it can be black, fringed, fawn and brindled, which is not rare at all.  Speaking of his temperament, due to his size, he has been used as a herding dog, but also as a hunting dog whose job was to hunt down boar, deer and rabbits. He can be very pleasant and a nice companion if trained and socialized properly.

BULL TERRIER #10

Miniature Bull terrier

The Bull Terrier is a dog breed of medium size that belongs to the terrier group. The miniature variety of this breed is called the Miniature Bull Terrier and the country of origin is England.

This dog has a very recognizable appearance – his head is ‘egg-shaped’ and the skull appears to be almost completely flat. This trait makes him stand out and it definitely add to the reputation. They come in a variety of colors and brindle is not the unusual one for this breed.

When it comes to his temperament, the Bull Terrier is a stubborn and independent dog. If his owner is not a dominant person, he may become too much to handle. However, if he is trained properly and loved, there is no reason to fear any aggression from him.

The same applies to socialization – if he is socialized from an early age, he will get along with other animals and dogs. This breed has recently even been compared to the Golden Retrievers, because of their fun-loving and affectionate temperament, especially towards children.

AMERICAN PIT BULL TERRIER #11

American Pit Bull Terrier

The American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT) is a dog breed of medium size that originated in the United States. This breed belongs to the molosser and terrier group. He is very similar to Staffordshire Bull Terrier, however, the American Pit Bull Terrier is larger by 8 inches or 20 cm and also heavier by 16 kg or 35 pounds.

The coat is short and it is not unusual for it to be brindled. When it comes to his physique, this dog has a muscular and powerful built, with even more powerful jaw and built.

The breed is also one of the most shunned and criticized by the media because of their history as the attack dogs and illegal guardians. This has resulted in its being banned from more than 10 countries in the world. However, people should be aware of the fact that if trained properly, this breed can be very loyal and gentle to the children.

AMERICAN BULLDOG #12

American Bulldog Brindle
Source: dog-learn.com

The American Bulldog is a dog breed of large size that can be found in various colors, one among them brindle as well. The country of origin is the United States. The people who were responsible for breeding and introducing this breed are John D. Johnson (Bully) and Alan Scott (Standard).

This breed can reach 54 kg or 120 lbs and the height of 65 cm or 26 in. He has a very powerful, stocky and muscular built. The head is big, rounded with small ears, small ears and powerful bite.

The dog has the short coat always and even though it does not require black, red, brown, fawn, and all shades of brindle much brushing, it still needs to be groomed. When it comes to the colors of the coat, they include: black, red, brown, fawn, and all shades of brindle, which means that it can be even lighter markings on a darker coat, and they can look beautiful.

The American Bulldog has a bad reputation which follows most pit bull breeds; however, people should know that this dog can be a loving and affectionate companion.

Just like any other dog, he needs training, socialization from an early age, love and affection, and only then will he learn to be patient and socialized with the others. His physique may be frightening, but he can have a very gentle heart and personality.

Read Also: Maltese Shih Tzu – Everything you Need to Know

IN CONCLUSION

To sum up, we have covered 12 most popular brindle dog breeds. They are all breeds with short coats since brindle is more prevalent in them than in dogs with long coats. The tiger straps are regarded as really beautiful and they are accepted as the official coat color in many breeds.

The dogs that have this kind of coat are not any different from other dogs with the usual colored coats. It just happens that some breeds, especially the short coated ones, are more prone to having the gene which is responsible for this outcome.

The grooming and brushing should be the same and the brindle only makes them stand out more and look unique, which is also something to cherish and appreciate.