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The Brindle Whippet – A Guide to Appearance and Characteristics

by Paul 34 Comments

Have you ever seen a Whippet with a stripy coat? If you have it’s highly possible you’ve seen a brindle Whippet!

Whippet coat colours and markings are extremely varied. There are pure white whippets through to fawn, brown and black… there are even blue Whippets!

Not only this but Whippets can also have flecks, marks and multiple colours in their coats. Some even have markings like tigers… and these brindle Whippets are the subject of this post.

In this post I’m going to explain what a brindle Whippet is and what it looks like. I’ll also show you examples… and I have lots of photos to choose from since I have a one myself!

Table of Contents
  • What is Brindle?
  • Are Brindle Whippets Rare?
  • What Do Brindle Whippets Look Like?
    • Brindle Whippet Photos
  • Summary
  • Related Posts

What is Brindle?

A Brindle Whippet

The word brindle is an interesting one. It probably comes from a Middle English word, which itself probably originated from Old Norse / Old English.

In Middle English, the word “brended” meant burnt or branded. When applying this idea to animal coats, it’s easy to understand why the comparison arose between what we think of as brindle patterning and the dark marks left by scorching or burnishing.

A brindle Whippet then has distinctive dark markings on its coat, perhaps reminiscent of scorching, on a base colour that could be any of the standard colours we associate with the breed.

It’s worth mentioning that the brindle patterning is found on all kinds of animals: horses, cats and of course dogs.

I’m not an expert in genetics (not even a novice actually) but I understand “brindling” occurs as a result of a rare genetic mutation of a revessive black gene. For a Whippet to be brindle it has to inherit the recessive brindle genes from both its parents, who may or may not be brindle themselves.

However, even if a Whippet puppy inherits the brindle gene from its parents, the genes that influence the size or darkness of the brindle stripes are not currently identified. So even if a Whippet is brindle, you’ll never know what the stripes will look like until it’s been born.

If you want to know more about the genetics behind the brindle pattern, this excellent post explains it way better than I ever could!

What Does a Brindle Whippet Look Like?

People often associate brindle patterning as being like tiger stripes. Although I understand this comparison, since the patterning is tiger-like, the stripes on a tiger are often far more pronounced than the stripes on a brindle Whippet.

As detailed already, the brindle “stripes” are dark: black, blue (really a diluted black: see my article on blue Whippets) or dark brown. 

The brindle patterns can also appear on any Whippet coat colour, which creates a multitude of coat possibilities:

  • Blue brindle
  • Brown brindle
  • Cream brindle
  • Dun brindle
  • Fawn brindle 
  • Orange brindle
  • Red brindle
  • Silver brindle
  • Tan brindle

Not only this, but brindles can have parti-coloured coats (two or more colours) and white trims too!

Brindle Whippet Photos

In my view, brindle Whippets are stunning… of course I would say this as a proud owner!

Below are a few photos of my Whippet Misty, that demonstrate the much-loved brindle stripes.

Misty the Whippet
Misty the Whippet
Posing With Stripes!
Posing With Stripes
Reposing With Stripes!
Reposing With Stripes!

Are Brindle Whippets Rare?

Brindle Whippets are relatively rare, though not as rare as bully Whippets or blue Whippets… blue brindle Whippets then are even more uncommon. In the case of blue brindle though, the blue refers to the stripe rather than the base coat colour.

Even more unusual is a “reverse brindle” Whippet. Reverse brindle occurs when the striped pattern appears to be inverted. In these cases the coat has such thick, dark stripes that they appear to be the actual base coat colour.

Both cases are brindles… but a reverse brindle is likely more rare than a Whippet considered a traditional brindle.

Summary

A brindle Whippet has a base coat in a variety of colours, with dark stripes that look similar to a tiger’s markings.

The brindle stripes can only occur if both sets of parents pass on the recessive brindle gene to their puppy.

While a brindle Whippet may look very different to single coloured varieties, the Whippet temperament and athleticism remain the same.

Do you have a brindle Whippet or know more about the genetics of behind this patterning? I’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment at the bottom of this page.

Related Posts

Misty Fawn Brindle Whippet

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Donna says

    I stumbled onto your site while looking for info on a whippet mix, and I found many helpful and informative articles on this breed. I wish there was a way for an upload of Newman since he is a brindle color. His black stripes are very dark against a fawn like coloring. Many comment that he has the markings of a tiger. Thank you for you time to share your straight forward knowledge on this breed. I will bookmark this site to buy the fishtail collar and a coat made just for his physique! And they do get very cold in the winter. Within 3 weeks of rescuing him this past February, I had to wrap one of my scarves around his neck & ears. (Also, such an endearing name for your website!)

    Reply

  2. Janette says

    Thanks for sharing you knowledge on brindle whippets! I have 22 week old female siblings both brindle. One has black brindle snd black mask and the other blue brindle and blue mask. The blue brindle is an interesting color as of now… It’s almost like she’s turning brown, but has a rose color to her. Would this be considered Dun? I wish I could add a photo!

    Reply

    • paulf says

      Hi Janette. Oh my a lovely blue Whippet… or perhaps even dun! I know that dun Whippets are extremely rare and I seem to recall a stat along the lines of only 1 in every 1,500 Whippets are born dun coloured.

      Reply

  3. Sarah Wright says

    I have a blue and white brindle, Maddi. She was a show dog and had multiple litters prior to her retirement and addition to our family. She now enjoys life with her greyhound brother and Hooman siblings. Such a beautiful girl, strong willed (as they always are), but so tolerant.

    Reply

  4. Simone says

    I have produced my last w litters, 2 full blue brindles.

    Also 3 s or blue brindle to be determined.

    Sometimes when born you can see the flecking Starr, and you think you know the base. Appear all identical and four weeks later 1 base coat has become more fawn. I have shown my pups to international genetics group to help classify their colours and they are so divided.

    Reply

  5. Larry W says

    We have a reverse brindle – black dominate with brown background. Live in Houston area but out Sofia was born in Sofia, Bulgaria. Long story how we got her. Beautiful body and face. Could have been a show dog but first owner, who had an American grand champion, let us have her. Not free, of course. Now 10+ years.

    Reply

    • paulf says

      Hi Larry. Reverse brindle, black and brown… I’d love to see some photos as I’ll bet she’s a stunner! Plus from Sofia to Houston… I’d love to hear her story too!

      Reply

  6. Marsha says

    My Sir Lancelot was a red brindle with white on his chest and a white spot on his hip. He passed in my arms 3 years ago. His brothers and sisters were Italian Greyhounds, 5 of them. Would love to own another Whippie, just can’t find one reasonably priced. Love both breeds.

    Reply

  7. Zach says

    I have a red brindle Whippet. They are definitely my favorite breed and he has been a wonderful addition to the household.

    Reply

  8. Jacqueline Land says

    I have a brindle whippet, Diva by name and Diva by nature. I rescued her as a 7 year old, she is now 12 and has been diagnosed with dementia. We love her dearly as do my other two dogs one of whom is half whippet/ quarter Border collie and quarter Rottweiler.

    Sounds bizarre and is, imagine a whippet on Rotti legs or as the vet calls him a dachshund on steroids. I found your article very interesting.

    Reply

      • Jacqueline Land says

        Yes, she’s awesome and not just loved by my family but also all our friends and neighbours and everyone at my work place.
        She’s a very happy girl who is spoilt rotten.

        Reply

  9. Susan P says

    I rescued a brindle Whippet mix… she was found roaming the neighborhood and after four weeks she has found her home. She seems to have quite a lot of the Whippet traits. She is loving, lobs thru the back yard like a gazelle and is finding her legs! She has learned some general commands but is going to doggy school soon. I have trained Brittanys, Aussies and cow dogs but the whippet ability to jump is something I need to learn how to handle! She is only about 40cm and has stollen my heart.

    Reply

  10. Monica Simmons says

    I currently have a blue/brindle female, a blue and white female and just whelped a litter of 9 with a solid blue female. There is no other breed for me!

    Reply

  11. Linda says

    There’s no better breed than a Whippet. We have a blue brindle Whippet. Funnym strange things though… so so loving but they can be naughty! Ours is called Depp… he’s 11 and we got him as a pup.

    Reply

  13. Neal Lloyd says

    I’ve had or on my fourth whippet, I believe they are the best breed I’ve ever owned. They are the complete package, every one that has passed has left a hole in my heart and I still ache from losing them. My grandchildren of 2 and 5 love Beau my latest black and white, and he loves playing with them. Never be afraid to own this breed they are fantastic.

    Reply

  16. Peppa07 says

    I love the photographs. They are such a beautiful breed of dog. Ours passed away a couple of years ago but I miss her like I could never have imagined. I will get another when circumstances allow it.

    Reply

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