Dog pattern
Reverse brindle
Brindle so heavy the dark stripes cover most of the coat and the lighter ground shows through as stripes, as fanciers of Boxers, French Bulldogs and Mastiffs say.
126 Dog breeds list Reverse brindle. It is in a club standard for 87 breeds. At least one club disqualifies it in 34 breeds.
Breeds whose standards accept Reverse brindle
| Breed | FCI | AKC | UKC | KC | KUSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afghan Hound | Standard (“All colours acceptable”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“All colors are acceptable”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“All colours”) |
| Akita | Standard (“brindle (Japanese Akita)”) | Standard (“Brindle (Japanese Akitainu)”) | No ruling | Standard (“brindle (Japanese Akita Inu)”) | Standard (“brindle (Akita)”) |
| AkitaJapanese | Standard (“brindle”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | No ruling | Standard (“Brindle: defined striping, evenly distributed”) | Standard (“brindle”) |
| AkitaAmerican | Standard (“brindle”) | Standard (“Brown Brindle”) | No ruling | Standard (“brindle”) | Standard (“brindle”) |
| American Hairless Terrier | No ruling | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“brindle (Coated Variety)”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| American Leopard Hound | No ruling | Standard (“Brindle Markings”) | Standard (“brindle”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| American Pit Bull Terrier | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“Any color, color pattern, or combination of colors is acceptable”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| American Staffordshire Terrier | Standard (“Any colour ... is permissible”) | Standard (“Red Brindle”) | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“Any colour ... is permissible”) |
| Anatolian Shepherd | No ruling | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“All colors are acceptable”) | Standard (“All colours”) | No ruling |
| Azawakh | Standard (“with or without brindles”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“Light to dark brindle”) | Standard (“with or without brindle”) |
| Basenji | Standard (“brindle: red background with black stripes”) | Standard (“Brindle & White”) | Standard (“brindle (black stripes on a background of chestnut red)”) | Standard (“Brindle and white: red background with black stripes”) | Standard (“brindle: red background with black stripes”) |
| Bavarian Mountain Scent Hound | Standard (“also brindled”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“also brindled”) | Standard (“or brindle”) | Standard (“Also brindled”) |
| Berger Picard | Standard (“fawn brindle”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“brindle”) | Standard (“brindle”) | Standard (“fawn brindle”) |
| Boerboel | No ruling | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“Brindle a color pattern with irregular, apparent vertical lines of only black hair”) | No ruling | Standard (“brindle”) |
| Border Collie | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“all colors or combination of colors and/or markings permissible”) | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) | Standard (“variety of colours permissible”) |
| Borzoi | Standard (“brindle: pale, or red, or grey main colour with dark stripes”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“Any color or combination of colors is acceptable”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“Brindle: pale, or red, or grey main colour with dark stripes”) |
| Boston Terrier | Standard (“Brindle is preferred”) | Standard (“Brindle & White”) | Standard (“Brindle is preferred”) | Standard (“Brindle: being a mixture of any shade of brown and black”) | Standard (“Brindle is preferred”) |
| Bouvier des Flandres | Standard (“brindle”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“brindle”) | Standard (“including brindle”) | Standard (“brindle”) |
| Boxer | Standard (“brindle”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“brindle”) | Standard (“brindle”) | Standard (“Brindle”) |
| Bull Terrier | Standard (“brindle preferred (Coloured)”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“The preferred color is brindle (Colored)”) | Standard (“brindle preferable (Coloured)”) | Standard (“brindle preferred (Coloured)”) |
| Bull TerrierColoured | Standard (“brindle preferred”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“The preferred color is brindle”) | Standard (“brindle preferable”) | Standard (“brindle preferred”) |
| Bulldog | Standard (“brindles”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“Red brindle”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“Brindle”) |
| Bullmastiff | Standard (“Any shade of brindle”) | Standard (“Fawn Brindle”) | Standard (“Any shade of brindle”) | Standard (“Any shade of brindle”) | Standard (“Any shade of brindle”) |
| Ca de Bou | Standard (“Brindle, fawn and black, preference in this order”) | No ruling | Standard (“Brindle, fawn and black, in that order of preference”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| Cairn Terrier | Standard (“Brindling in all these colours acceptable”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“Brindling in these colors acceptable”) | Standard (“Brindling in all these colours acceptable”) | Standard (“Brindling in all these colours acceptable”) |
| Cane Corso | Standard (“black brindle, grey (blue) brindle”) | Standard (“Black Brindle”) | Standard (“brindle”) | No ruling | Standard (“black brindle, grey (blue) brindle”) |
| Cardigan Welsh Corgi | Standard (“brindle”) | Standard (“Brindle & White”) | Standard (“brindle”) | Standard (“brindle”) | Standard (“brindle”) |
| Catahoula Leopard Dog | No ruling | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“Brindles may have a light or dark base coat color with contrasting stripes”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| Caucasian Shepherd Dog | No ruling | Standard (“Brindle Markings”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| Central Asian Shepherd Dog | Standard (“Any”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“brindle”) | No ruling | Standard (“Any colour”) |
| Cesky Terrier | Disqualifying (“Long brindled coat on dogs older than 2 years”) | Standard (“A brindled or reverse brindled coat is permitted in a dog up to 2 years of age”) | Fault (“A long brindled coat on dogs over two years old”) | Standard (“Striping, (brindling) ... is only acceptable in dogs under two years of age”) | Disqualifying (“Long brindled coat on dogs older than 2 years”) |
| Chesapeake Bay Retriever | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“slight light and dark striping effect through the body and on the legs”) | Standard (“Masking and brindling in coat pattern is permissible”) | No ruling |
| Chihuahua | Standard (“All colours in all possible shades and combinations are admitted”) | Standard (“Black Brindling”) | Standard (“All colors in all shades and combinations are acceptable”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“Any colour or mixture of colours”) |
| Dachshund | Standard (“red with dark brindle”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“striped (brindle)”) | Standard (“brindle (smooth-haired, miniature smooth-haired, miniature long-haired)”) | Standard (“brindle (smooth-haired, miniature smooth-haired, miniature long-haired)”) |
| DachshundSmooth | Standard (“red with dark brindle”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“striped (brindle)”) | Standard (“brindle”) | Standard (“brindle”) |
| DachshundWirehaired | Standard (“red with dark brindle”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“striped (brindle)”) | Not recognised | Not recognised |
| DachshundLonghaired | Standard (“red with dark brindle”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“striped (brindle)”) | Standard (“brindle (miniature long-haired)”) | Standard (“brindle (miniature long-haired)”) |
| Drever | Standard (“All colours with white markings are permissible”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“All colors with white markings are acceptable”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| Dutch Shepherd | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“Gold Brindle”) | Standard (“Must be brindle”) | No ruling | Standard (“Brindle”) |
| Estrela Mountain Dog | Standard (“Brindle: Fawn, yellow or grey base colour with blackish brindling”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“with or without brindling”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“Brindle: Fawn, yellow or grey base colour with blackish brindling”) |
| Fila Brasileiro | Standard (“Brindle”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“Brindle”) |
| French Bulldog | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“Brindle”) |
| Glen of Imaal Terrier | Standard (“Blue brindle”) | Standard (“Blue Brindle”) | Standard (“brindle”) | Standard (“brindle”) | Standard (“Blue brindle”) |
| Great Dane | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“Brindles: must be striped”) | Standard (“Brindle”) |
| Greyhound | Standard (“brindle”) | Standard (“Red Brindle”) | Standard (“Immaterial”) | Standard (“brindle”) | Standard (“brindle”) |
| Hanoverian Scenthound | Standard (“more or less intensely brindled”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“more or less intensely brindled”) | No ruling | Standard (“more or less intensely brindled”) |
| Havanese | No ruling | Standard (“Black Brindle”) | Standard (“All colors are acceptable; singly or in any combination”) | Standard (“Any colour or combination of colours permissible”) | No ruling |
| Hokkaido | Standard (“brindle”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“brindle”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| Irish Wolfhound | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“brindle”) | Standard (“brindle”) | Standard (“Brindle”) |
| Jindo | Standard (“brindle”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“brindle”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | No ruling |
| Kai Ken | Standard (“Black brindle, red brindle and brindle”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“All brindle colors are equally acceptable”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| Lhasa Apso | Not recognised | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“All colors are acceptable”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Not recognised |
| Löwchen | Standard (“All colours and combinations of colours are permitted”) | Standard (“Black Brindle”) | Standard (“All colors and color combinations are acceptable”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“All colours and combinations of colours are permitted”) |
| Mastiff | Standard (“brindle”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“dark fawn-brindle”) | Standard (“brindle”) | Standard (“brindle”) |
| Miniature Bull Terrier | Standard (“brindle preferred”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“The preferred color is brindle”) | Standard (“brindle preferable”) | Standard (“brindle preferable”) |
| Mountain Cur | No ruling | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“brindle”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| Neapolitan Mastiff | Standard (“All these colours may be brindled”) | Standard (“Brindle Markings”) | Standard (“Each color may be brindled”) | Standard (“Brindling in any of the colours acceptable”) | Standard (“All these colours may be brindled”) |
| Olde English Bulldogge | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“brindle”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| Pekingese | Standard (“All colours and markings are permissible and of equal merit”) | Standard (“Red Brindle”) | Standard (“All colors and markings are equally permissible”) | Standard (“Red Brindle”) | Standard (“All colours and markings are permissible and of equal merit”) |
| Perro de Presa Canario | Standard (“All shades of brindle up to sand color”) | Standard (“Tiger”) | Standard (“brindle”) | No ruling | Standard (“All shades of brindle up to sand colour”) |
| Peruvian Inca Orchid | Standard (“The hair can be any colour or combination of colours, except merle”) | Standard (“Tan Brindle”) | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“The hair can be any colour or combination of colours, except merle”) |
| Plott Hound | No ruling | Standard (“Any shade of brindle”) | Standard (“Any shade of brindle”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| Pomeranian | No ruling | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“any solid color with sable or brindle shadings”) | Not recognised | Not recognised |
| Poodle (Miniature) | Standard (“Brindle and white; Brindle”) | Disqualifying | No ruling | Not recognised | Not recognised |
| Poodle (Standard) | Standard (“Brindle and white; Brindle”) | Disqualifying | No ruling | Not recognised | Not recognised |
| Poodle (Toy) | Standard (“Brindle and white”) | Disqualifying | No ruling | Not recognised | Not recognised |
| Pyrenean Mastiff | No ruling | Standard (“Brindle Markings”) | Disqualifying | Not recognised | No ruling |
| Pyrenean Shepherd | Standard (“brindle”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | No ruling | Standard (“brindle”) | Standard (“brindle”) |
| Rafeiro do Alentejo | Standard (“with or without brindling”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonka | No ruling | Standard (“Brindle”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Saint Bernard | Standard (“A brindle reddish-brown colour permissible”) | Standard (“Brindle & White”) | Standard (“brindle and white”) | Standard (“mahogany-brindle, red-brindle”) | Standard (“A brindle reddish-brown colour permissible”) |
| Saluki | Fault (“Brindles are undesirable”) | Standard (“Red Brindle”) | Fault (“brindles, which are undesirable”) | Not recognised (“brindle, blue or merle which are unacceptable”) | Not recognised (“brindle, blue or merle which are unacceptable”) |
| Scottish Deerhound | Standard (“brindles”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“brindles”) | Standard (“brindles”) | Standard (“brindles”) |
| Scottish Terrier | Standard (“brindle of any shade”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“brindle of any color”) | Standard (“brindle of any shade”) | Standard (“brindle of any shade”) |
| Shih Tzu | Standard (“All colours permissible”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“All colors and markings are acceptable”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“All colours permissible”) |
| Sloughi | Standard (“with or without black brindling”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“brindling”) | Standard (“Brindle with or without black mask”) | Standard (“With or without black brindling”) |
| Spanish Greyhound | Standard (“Fawn and more or less dark brindles”) | No ruling | Standard (“Fawn and well pigmented brindle”) | No ruling | Standard (“Fawn and more or less dark brindles”) |
| Spanish Mastiff | Standard (“brindle”) | Standard (“Brindle Markings”) | Standard (“brindle”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| Staffordshire Bull Terrier | Standard (“any shade of brindle”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“any shade of brindle”) | Standard (“any shade of brindle”) | Standard (“any shade of brindle”) |
| Taiwan Dog | Standard (“brindle, ... white and brindle”) | Standard (“brindle, ... white and brindle”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Teddy Roosevelt Terrier | No ruling | Standard (“Brindle”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Tibetan Terrier | Standard (“in fact any colour ... permissible”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“Any color or combination of colors, including white, are acceptable”) | Standard (“in fact any colour permissible”) | Standard (“in fact any colour ... permissible”) |
| Tosa | Standard (“brindle”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“any combination of red and black brindling”) | No ruling | Standard (“brindle”) |
| Treeing Tennessee Brindle | No ruling | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“brindle or black with brindle trim”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| Whippet | Standard (“Any colour or mixture of colours”) | Standard (“Fawn Brindle”) | Standard (“Color is inconsequential”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“Any colour or mixture of colours”) |
| Xoloitzcuintli | Disqualifying (“brindle”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“Any color combination is allowed”) | Standard (“Black Brindle”) | Disqualifying (“brindle”) |
| XoloitzcuintliCoated | Disqualifying (“brindle”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“Any color combination is allowed”) | Standard (“Black Brindle”) | Disqualifying (“brindle”) |
| Belgian Tervuren | Fault (“brindle”) | Alternate (“Brindle”) | No ruling | No ruling | Fault (“brindle”) |
| Lakeland Terrier | No ruling | Alternate (“Brindle”) | No ruling | Not recognised | No ruling |
Breeds where Reverse brindle is a fault
| Breed | FCI | AKC | UKC | KC | KUSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belgian Malinois | Fault (“brindle”) | Not recognised (“the blackening must not appear as patched or brindled”) | No ruling | No ruling | Fault (“brindle”) |
| Kangal Shepherd Dog | No ruling | No ruling | Disqualifying (“brindle”) | Fault (“Brindle undesirable”) | No ruling |
| Portuguese Podengo | Disqualifying (“Brindle”) | Fault (“Brindle”) | Disqualifying (“Brindle”) | Not recognised | No ruling |
| Romanian Mioritic Shepherd Dog | Fault (“Presence of brindle markings”) | Fault (“Presence of brindle markings”) | Not recognised | No ruling | No ruling |
| Smooth Fox Terrier | Fault (“Brindle ... markings highly undesirable”) | Fault (“brindle ... markings are objectionable”) | Fault (“Brindle”) | Fault (“Brindle ... markings highly undesirable”) | Fault (“Brindle ... markings highly undesirable”) |
| Standard Schnauzer | No ruling | Fault (“spotting or striping”) | No ruling | Not recognised | No ruling |
| Tibetan Mastiff | Disqualifying (“All other colours than above mentioned e.g. ... brindle”) | Disqualifying (“All other coat colors (e.g., ... brindle ...)”) | No ruling | Fault (“brindle ... undesirable”) | Disqualifying (“All colours other than above-mentioned e.g. ... brindle”) |
| Toy Fox Terrier | No ruling | No ruling | Fault (“tan markings that are too red, chocolate-shaded or brindled”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| Wire Fox Terrier | Fault (“brindle ... markings undesirable”) | Fault (“brindle ... objectionable”) | Fault (“brindle”) | Fault (“brindle ... marking highly undesirable”) | Fault (“brindle ... marking undesirable”) |
Breeds where Reverse brindle is disqualified or not accepted
| Breed | FCI | AKC | UKC | KC | KUSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American English Coonhound | No ruling | Disqualifying (“any brindle color”) | Disqualifying (“Any brindle in coat”) | No ruling | Disqualifying (“any brindle color”) |
| Beagle | No ruling | Disqualifying (“Merle and Brindle Color Patterns”) | Disqualifying (“Brindle”) | Not recognised | Not recognised |
| Canaan | Not recognised (“brindle ... unacceptable”) | Disqualifying (“brindle”) | Not recognised (“brindle ... unacceptable color patterns”) | Not recognised (“Brindle”) | Not recognised (“brindle ... unacceptable”) |
| Carpathian Sheepdog | Disqualifying (“Coat color that is brown, brindle, yellow or flecked in these colors”) | Disqualifying (“Coat color that is brown, brindle, yellow or flecked in these colors”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Chinese Shar-Pei | Disqualifying (“brindle”) | Disqualifying (“Brindle”) | Disqualifying (“brindle”) | Not recognised (“Brindle”) | Disqualifying (“brindle”) |
| Cirneco dell’Etna | Disqualifying (“Coat colour that is solid ... brindle”) | Disqualifying (“brindle coat”) | Disqualifying (“Any black, brown or brindle in the coat”) | Not recognised | No ruling |
| Dalmatian | Disqualifying (“brindle coloured spots”) | No ruling | No ruling | Not recognised | Not recognised |
| Dogue de Bordeaux | Disqualifying (“any other colour of the coat than fawn ... in particular brindle”) | No ruling | No ruling | Not recognised | Disqualifying (“any other colour of the coat than fawn ... in particular brindle”) |
| German Shepherd | No ruling | No ruling | Disqualifying (“brindle”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| Italian Greyhound | Disqualifying | Disqualifying (“brindle markings”) | Disqualifying (“Brindle markings”) | Not recognised (“brindle”) | Not recognised (“brindle”) |
| Labrador Retriever | Disqualifying | Disqualifying (“brindle markings”) | Disqualifying | Not recognised | Not recognised |
| Parson Russell Terrier | No ruling | Disqualifying (“Brindle markings”) | Disqualifying | Not recognised | No ruling |
| Portuguese Podengo Pequeno | Disqualifying (“Brindle”) | Disqualifying (“Brindle”) | Disqualifying (“Brindle”) | Not recognised | No ruling |
| Puli | Disqualifying | Not recognised (“Brindle”) | Disqualifying | Not recognised | Disqualifying |
| Pumi | Disqualifying | Disqualifying (“Brindle Markings”) | Disqualifying | Not recognised | Disqualifying |
| Rat Terrier | No ruling | Disqualifying (“Brindle or merle color patterns”) | Disqualifying (“Brindle”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| Russell Terrier | No ruling | Disqualifying (“brindle coloring”) | Disqualifying | Not recognised | No ruling |
| Russian Toy | Disqualifying (“presence of brindle markings”) | Disqualifying (“Presence of brindle markings”) | Disqualifying (“Presence of brindle markings”) | Not recognised | Disqualifying (“presence of brindle markings”) |
| Segugio Italiano | Disqualifying (“brindle”) | Disqualifying (“brindle”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Segugio ItalianoShorthaired | Disqualifying (“brindle”) | Disqualifying (“brindle”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Segugio ItalianoWirehaired | Disqualifying (“brindle coat”) | Disqualifying (“brindle”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Shetland Sheepdog | Not recognised | Disqualifying (“Brindle”) | Disqualifying (“brindle”) | Not recognised | Not recognised |
| Siberian Husky | Disqualifying (“brindle patterns are not allowable and are to be disqualified”) | Disqualifying (“brindle patterns are not allowable and are to be disqualified”) | No ruling | No ruling | Disqualifying (“brindle patterns are not allowable and are to be disqualified”) |
| Yugoslavian Shepherd Dog | Disqualifying (“brindle pattern”) | No ruling | Disqualifying (“brindle”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| Barbet | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Not recognised (“Brindle”) | No ruling |
| Pug | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Not recognised |
| Bull TerrierWhite | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Hortaya borzaya | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |