What Are Brindle & Grizzle Markings?

Brindle and grizzle markings are two types of coloring that can be found on several breeds of dog. If you plan on entering your dog in shows or competitions, it is important to understand the difference between various dog markings because some markings are considered unacceptable for certain breeds.

  1. Brindle Markings

    • Brindle marking is a striped pattern that resembles tiger stripes, but has much softer color contrast. For example, the stripes are not a stark orange and black combination, but usually consist of black, brown or tan stripes that blend into each other with the darker colored stripes on top of lighter colors. Dogs can be entirely brindle in color, or have brindle patches on a solid white coat.

    Reverse Brindle

    • Some dogs may have reverse brindle markings. With these markings, the majority of the dog is dark brown or black in color with lighter striped portions.

    Grizzle Markings

    • Grizzle markings are a mix of black hairs and tan or brown hairs, or a mix of black and white hairs, giving the dog a shaggy grey appearance. With grizzle markings, there is no striping or spotting and the pattern is random. Usually, the colors blend together completely and give the appearance of one solid color. The grizzle markings also can be distinguishable from the other colors, as in the case of huskies and wolves. These dogs have distinctive patterns, but they blend into one another.

    Shaded Sable

    • Shaded sable is another term for grizzle markings, but is used only with certain breeds. For example, the Saluki has a greyish black grizzle pattern, and the Afghan hound has a similar color. However, when describing the Afghan hound, the term shaded sable is used.