Brindle typically appears as black stripes on a red base. The stripes are eumelanin (black/brown pigment) and the base is phaeomelanin (red/yellow pigment), so the appearance of those pigments can be changed by any of the genes which usually affect them.
What does brindle Colour mean?
Brindle is the name given to a coat color pattern characterized by a brown base color, overlain with dark brown to black stripes. These markings often form a vaguely tiger-like pattern, but it can appear blotchy in other specimens.
What makes a dog brindle color?
The best way to describe the pattern is like “tiger stripes.” Usually, a brindle dog will have a base coloring with darker stripes. It is not truly known what causes this difference in coats, but it has been narrowed down to a genetic mutation.
Is brindle a rare color?
The brindle gene is rarer than other colors in the Cairn Terrier breed, but these little wire coated furballs look adorable and have personality to boot. Because the brindle coloring is a little more rare on this breed than the other color combos, they may carry a slightly higher price tag.
How do I know if my dog is brindle?
A brindle dog will have liver (brown) stripes if it is bb on the B locus, blue stripes if it is dd on the D locus, and isabella stripes if it is both dd and bb. Dilution affects phaeomelanin (red) too to some extent, so the base colour will be relatively light (certainly not a deep red colour, but more likely cream).
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