Skip to content

Meet The Brindle Great Dane

Brindle Great Dane

Many people think of the coat color on brindle dogs as being tiger stripes to put it simply. Brindle is one of the 7 coat colors of the Great Dane that is accepted by the AKC as show dogs. There are many variations of brindle coats in the Great Danes as well.

AKC Standards for a Brindle Great Dane Coat

If you are seeking a new family member of a brindle Great Dane for a show dog, then you will need to be able to identify the markings on a puppy to know if it will be accepted as show quality.

The AKC standards include that the base color of the coat will be a yellow-gold color and it will be brindled with black cross stripes that run from the back and down the sides.

This color of dog should also have a black mask with a black chevron pattern, including black on the rims of its eyes, eyebrows and it can also be black on the ears and the tip of the tail.

The most preferred color will include a more intense base color and more even brindling stripes. Too much or too little black brindle stripes are not desirable and any white markings on the toes or chest, a black chest, or colors that are not distinct are not desirable for show quality dogs.

Having some undesirable markings is permitted, although in a show your pooch may lose points on appearance, according to the judges.

This isn’t to say that any brindle Great Dane may not make a perfect new family member for you.

What Are the Variations of the Brindle Great Dane?

There is a long list of variations of the brindle Great Dane that does not show quality, but they make perfect family companions if you are just looking for a unique coat pattern and love giant breed dogs.

Other variations include the brindle mantle, the blue brindle, the blue brindle mantle, the brindle merle, the brindle merle mantle, the blue brindle merle, the blue brindle merle mantle, the brindle harlequin, the brindle harlequin mantle, and the blue brindle harlequin mantle. All of these coat colors do have the desirable brindling in them as well as other features.

How Much Do Brindle Great Dane Puppies Cost?

A registered brindle Great Dane puppy is a common color as one of the seven recognized colors and it falls in the range of $1,700 to $3,000 depending on the parent’s lineage.

If the parents are from champion lines of show dogs, your brindle pooch will be at the higher end of the scale. For a healthy companion pet, your pup will be on the lower end of the price range.

As the brindle coat isn’t rare, the price for a Great Dane in this color is the same as most other colors, except the Harlequin, which is the most expensive because of its distinct color pattern and because it is the rarest coat.

Brindle Great Dane Health Issues

As with all purebred dogs, Great Danes do have specific health issues that they may possibly inherit from their parents.

These include bloat, Wobbler’s syndrome, cancer, and hip dysplasia. These are actually very common health issues that can affect any dog.

If you purchase your brindle baby from a breeder, you should ask to see the parent’s paperwork showing they were medically screened for these medical issues before they were bred.

If both parents are negative for all the health problems, then your puppy should be in general very healthy.

Adult Size, Weight, Height, and Lifespan of a Brindle Great Dane

Your giant breed puppy will grow very quickly, but he won’t reach his final height and weight until he is mature at about 2 years old.

Giant breeds take longer to mature into adults–so you will have your four-legged family member as a pup that is inquisitive and silly for 2 years.

At maturity, a male Great Dane will reach 32 to 36 inches in height at the shoulder and weigh between 140 to 170 pounds.

The females are a bit smaller and lighter and will be between 29 to 33 inches tall and weigh between 110 and 140 pounds when she is mature.

The larger the dog gets, the shorter his life will be. Great Danes live an average of 8 to 10 years with good veterinary care, including vaccines and checkups as needed.

Appearance of a Brindle Great Dane

Other than the color of a Great Dane, this breed has a striking appearance and holds its body and head in a very regal position.

His giant size is complemented by a cool temperament and very friendly nature. His body is tall and thin with well-muscled legs, chest, and body as a whole.

He is very athletic looking and his ears will drop forward if they are not cropped and left to be natural.

The Great Dane has a thick neck that is also long and strong to match his body. The massive head is flat on top and narrows going down to the snout. The tail is of a medium length that narrows as it goes down to the hocks in the rear legs.

Temperament and Personality of Brindle Great Danes

The Great Dane is one of the most affectionate and sweet dogs you will ever find, making him perfect for a family companion.

He is great with children and other pets as well–giving him the name of a gentle giant. Great Danes are also very good with strangers and show no aggression towards them unless it is warranted through the owner’s actions and feelings.

Food and Diet for Brindle Great Dane Puppies

When you take your new furbaby home, you will need to feed him approved puppy food. You should ask the breeder what type of food he is already eating and get the same food for him.

If you want to change its food, it needs to be done gradually over the course of 4 weeks to avoid stomach upset and issues in your pooch.

In the first week, feed your pup one-quarter of his new food mixed with three-quarters of the old food. On the second week, mix equal portions of the new and old food at half the quantity of each per day.

In the third week, mix three-quarters of the new food with one-quarter of the old food and on week 4 your puppy should be eating the new food completely.

When your gentle giant becomes an adult at about 2 years of age, you should change his puppy food to his adult large breed food in the same way to avoid stomach issues or bloat.

It’s best to feed your brindle Great Dane as an adult 2 meals per day to avoid overeating and bloat.

Exercise Requirements for a Brindle Great Dane

The Great Dane is such a large dog, you would think he would need a lot of space and a lot of exercises.

However, this breed of dog is very laid back and only needs a moderate amount of exercise per day to stay healthy and happy.

You can even keep a Great Dane as an inside dog in an apartment and he will still flourish and grow as he should.

If you happen to live in a house with a securely fenced back yard and a doggy door, your pooch can play outside any time he wants to burn off excess energy.

Otherwise, you can take him on 2 to 3 brisk walks per day for maybe 20 to 30 minutes and he will have enough exercise each day.

Training for a Brindle Great Dane

Great Danes are very easy dogs to train, as long as you are starting with a puppy and using positive reinforcement. Great Danes just want to please you above all else and they are super intelligent as well.

You should start training and socialization as soon as you bring your new puppy home though. Since you will soon have a huge and playful puppy in a large package, you want to make certain that he understands appropriate behavior.

The best place to start with obedience training is to teach him to sit. This will lead to adding the other commands and using the first commands learned as building blocks in his education.

After sit, teach him down, off, come and give it. These starting commands will help you to keep your giant baby in control.

It’s important to start training your puppy where there are no distractions, as pups don’t have very long attention spans.

You may work with him for about five minutes at a time, a few times a day, and slowly work up to longer sessions.

Another very important item to teach from a very young is to walk on a leash. As your furry friend will grow very fast, it’s important to note that he will be very large and extremely strong as well as he grows.

You need to make certain that he walks nicely on a leash and heels without tugging forward on the leash.

Of course, puppies will try to chase squirrels or birds, but teach him not to engage with them, otherwise, when he weighs over 100 pounds he would easily be able to drag you on the leash when he’s in hot pursuit.

A brindle Great Dane makes a lovely addition to any family. He is loyal, protective, and also balanced with immense love and respect for his family members.

Whether you are looking for a show dog or a family companion, the brindle Great Dane will make a great choice for you.