The Brindle Pitbull - Are They Actually Special? [Guide with Pics]

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The Pitbull breed is one of the most popular dog breeds in the United States and it is sought after by many families.

There are many variations of Pitbulls with similar characteristics. However, if you’re looking to get a unique dog, then you should consider getting a brindle Pitbull.

So, what is a brindle pitbull? A brindle Pitbull is basically a coat color variation for Pitbull breed of bulldog or terrier origins such as American Pitbull Terrier or an American Staffordshire Terrier. These dogs are known for having light tiger-like stripes on their base coat color which can be red fawn, blue fawn, tawny brown, or dark brown.

Keep reading to learn all you need to know about brindle Pitbulls including what they look like, how to care for them, how to train them, how much they cost, and where you can get them.

What Is a Brindle Pitbull?

Most dog owners assume that the brindle Pitbulls is a separate pitbull breed but it is actually a coat color variation for Pitbulls breeds of bulldog or terrier origins such as American Pitbull Terrier or an American Staffordshire Terrier.

Brindle Pitbulls are not recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC) as a single separate breed which might discourage some owners from adopting them. However, individual pitbull breeds that have the brindle coat coloring are recognized.

The History and Origin of the Brindle Pitbull

The brindle pitbull coloration dates back to the 1800s. The breed first appeared in England as a cross between the Old English Bulldog and a Terrier. It mainly served to watch over cattle and livestock, hunt, and be faithful family companions. I discuss this part of their history further in my article on whether American Bullies are pitbulls here.

Over the years, the breed made its way to America and was cross-bred with various other breeds. It was also trained to take part in violent activities such as bear-baiting, bull-baiting, and dogfighting.

This history of violence is what earned Pitbulls their bad reputation which discouraged various pet owners from keeping Pitbulls and made them skeptical about the true nature of these dogs

Are Brindle Pitbulls rare?

Brindle Pitbulls are thought of as unique and it’s their coat coloring that makes them so special, but Brindle Pit Bulls are not rare, actually.

The recessive gene that causes the brindle pitbull’s coat coloring is less occurring which is why there is a common misconception that brindle Pitbulls are rare, but in reality, they are not rare at all.

What Do Brindle Pitbulls Look Like?

Brindle Pitbulls are not a separate breed of dog and they basically look like any other Pitbull dog. The main feature that separates them from other Pitbulls is their coat coloring.

Now, let’s take a closer look at some of the main aspects of the Brindle Pitbull’s physical appearance:

Height and Weight

Brindle Pitbulls become fully grown when they’re at about are about 1-2 years of age.

The size the brindle pitbull will reach when it’s fully grown will depend mainly on whether the dog is an American Pitbull Terrier or an American Staffordshire Terrier. It can also depend on the dog’s gender; as male dogs are generally bigger than female dogs.

The brindle American Pitbulls Terrier’s height stands between 17 and 21 inches tall and their weight ranges between 30 and 60 pounds.

On the other hand, the brindle American Staffordshire Terrier is slightly shorter as its height stands at between 16 to 19 inches while its weight is heavier, ranging between 50 to 80 pounds.

Physical Features

The brindle Pitbull has the physical features of its American Pit Bull Terrier or American Staffordshire Terrier ancestors.

They are known to have a stocky muscular build, a round head that is broad between the ears, big almond-shaped eyes, and a short muzzle.

When it comes to the coloring of their coats and noses, it mainly depends on their bloodlines.

Coat Type and Colors

The brindle pitbull’s coat is on the shorter side with sparse fur that is known for being straight and stiff.

The unique coloring is an inherited physical trait determined by a recessive gene known as the KBR allele which is found in the K locus. So, in order for the dog to have the brindle coat coloring, it must inherit that KBR allele gene from both parents.

Brindle base coats can come in various colors including red fawn, blue fawn, tawny brown, or dark brown. It is also characterized by having light streaks lining the dog’s body which are very similar to the stripes of a tiger.

Blue Nose Brindle Pitbull Vs Red Nose Brindle Pitbull

There are two known variations of the brindle Pitbull when it comes to physical appearance which is the blue nose brindle Pitbull and the red nose brindle Pitbull.

Let’s take a look at the main differences between them:

Blue-nose brindle Pitbulls tend to have blue and gray base coat color with light brown stripes as well as white coloration on their face, chest, and feet. They also typically have bluish-gray eyes and noses.

Red-nose brindle Pitbulls, on the other hand, tend to have a soft red base coat color with orange stripes as well as white coloration on their face, chest, and feet. They also have red eyes and reddish-copper noses.

What Kind of Temperament Do Brindle Pitbulls Have?

Lots of dog owners are skeptical about getting a brindle pitbull because of the pitbull’s history of being used in violent activities such as bear-baiting, bull-baiting, and dogfighting.

Although these dogs appear to be intimidating, they have nurturing and sensitive personalities. With proper socialization and training early on in their lives, they will grow up to be loyal and loving companions for any family.

They are very energetic, fun, and playful. They love receiving attention being around people which is why they’re prone to developing separation anxiety when left alone for extended periods of time.

Because of their personality, Pitbulls are good to have around children and some even regard them as nanny dogs. However, if you plan on leaving your kids with a pitbull, make sure to supervise all their interactions because accidents can still happen.

They are also good to have around other dogs and they can usually handle one-on-one interactions, however, they tend to get territorial and react negatively when presented with a large pack of dogs that they’re unfamiliar with.

Are Brindle Pitbulls Aggressive?

Brindle Pitbulls are not aggressive by nature and as long as they were properly trained and socialized, they will not attack others without a reason. These dogs are very protective of their owners and territory, so they will only become aggressive if they were provoked or if they sense any kind of threat.

Are Brindle Pitbulls Smart?

Brindle Pitbulls are considered to be very smart and perceptive. This makes them a lot easier to train as they will be able to quickly learn and respond to any commands or tricks you try to teach them. They also enjoy all kinds of games that provide mental stimulation.

How to Care for Your Brindle Pitbull?

Caring for your brindle pitbull involves various aspects including their diet, exercise routine, and grooming.

All good dog owner needs to be aware of these aspects so that their dogs can grow up healthy, so let’s break them down in more detail:

Diet Requirements

Brindle Pitbulls are known to have strong stomachs, which means they can easily adapt to different kinds of diets. This includes dry, wet, or even raw diets.

On average, they require daily food consumption of about 1,200 calories to ensure they will grow at a healthy rate and reach a normal size. The number of calories can be adjusted depending on the dog’s size and activity levels.

If you’re feeding them dry kibble, then they will require between 2 and 3 cups daily, which can also be adjusted depending on the dog’s size and activity levels

It’s generally recommended to feed your brindle pitbull twice a day while matching the timing of their meals with yours in order to give the dog a sense of routine.

It’s also important to provide the dog with balanced meals and to be careful when introducing new kinds of food such as corn, soy, wheat, or dairy to your dog’s diet as some dogs can be allergic. You can add minimal amounts to the dog’s meal and monitor its reaction.

Exercise Requirements

Just like any other kind of pitbull, brindle Pitbulls are highly energetic and enjoy being active, so it’s very important that they get enough exercise regularly so they can burn off all their excess energy and remain in healthy shape.

If brindle pitbull don’t get enough exercise, they will become hyperactive, bored, or depressed which can lead them to develop destructive behaviors that might escalate to aggression.

On average, younger brindle Pitbulls need around 30 minutes of physical exercise in a day while adult brindle Pitbulls need around 60 minutes of physical exercise in a day.

It’s generally recommended that puppies get less exercise than adult dogs because their bodies are not fully developed yet and over-exercising might stunt their growth.

Some of the best exercises you can do with your brindle pitbull are going on daily walks or runs, climbing stairs, or playing games like fetch or tug of war.

Grooming Requirements

Grooming brindle Pitbulls is generally easy compared to other dog breeds because, like all Pitbulls, they have a low-maintenance fur coat and not a double-layered coat like most other dog breeds.

So, let’s break down different aspects of their grooming process:

Coat

Pitbull’s coats release natural oils and they have short hair, so they do not really need to be bathed a lot. It’s recommended to bathe your dog once a month or once every 6 months.

Make sure to check the ingredients of the shampoos you’re using because some dogs are prone to allergies and skin conditions.

It’s also recommended to brush your dog at least once a week to remove any loose hair and help distribute the natural oils through its coat.

Ears

You need to clean your pitbull’s ears frequently to prevent any infections. To do that you need to use cleaning solutions that contain natural ingredients to remove dirt and break down earwax.

Apply the solution to a cotton ball and gently wipe the inside of your dog’s ear. Make sure to use a different cotton ball for each ear to prevent spreading infections.

Also, make sure to cover your dog’s ears when bathing it because water can irritate the delicate membranes inside the dog’s ears.

Teeth

It’s very important to take care of your pitbull’s dental hygiene to prevent bad breath and various dental diseases.

Make sure to brush your pitbull’s teeth as frequently as your dog will allow. It’s also recommended to provide your dog with good chew toys to prevent plaque and tartar from accumulating on the dog’s teeth.

Nails

Nail clipping is also an important part of any dog’s grooming process. However, it is recommended to get it done by a professional like a veterinarian or groomer as the area near the dog’s paws is highly sensitive and you might accidentally injure your dog if your try doing it yourself.

Common Health Problems

Pitbulls are susceptible to various health problems, so it’s very important to ensure that your dog doesn’t carry the gene for any hereditary diseases.

Some of the common health problems that brindle Pitbulls face:

Hip Dysplasia or Elbow Dysplasia
Skin Conditions and Allergies
Hypothyroidism

Parvovirus Cataract Eye Disease
Cardiac Diseases
Gastric Ulcers

Cerebellar Abiotrophy

To prevent most of these health problems, you need to give your dog all the required vaccinations when it’s young and take it to the vet for regular health check-ups. You also need to provide your dog with a healthy diet and a regular exercise routine.

How to Train Your Brindle Pitbull?

When it comes to training a brindle pitbull, it’s important to start when the dog is at a young age. It’s also important to remain consistent and patient throughout the process.

There are various aspects involved in any dog’s training process, so let’s break them down in more detail:

Socialization

Socialization plays a big part in the dog’s training process, especially at a young age, as it ensures the dog will feel at ease around people and other dogs as well as perceive fewer things as a threat. This makes the dog less prone to developing aggressive behavior as it grows older.

To socialize your dog, you need to expose it to new environments which include different scents, sounds, animals, and people. You can do that by taking your dog on daily walks in a busy park or socialization events which are often held by pet stores and shelters.

Discipline

Disciplining your Pitbull should also start at a young age and you need to make sure you’re using the proper techniques to encourage or punish certain behaviors.

If you want to encourage good behavior, it’s recommended to use the positive reinforcement technique. This involves presenting your dog with toys, treats, or praise whenever it does something good in order to motivate it.

If you want to punish bad behavior, it’s recommended to simply stop giving your dog attention or withhold toys, treats, and praise. This will be highly effective because Pitbulls generally crave attention from their owners

You must avoid using violence as punishment such as beating or yelling at your dog as this will provoke it to become aggressive or attack in self-defense.

Command Training

When training your dog to respond to commands, you will need to establish an easy trigger word that you want your dog to respond to, then you need to get your dog to associate the action you want it to perform with that word.

You can also use a clicker or a hand gesture along with the command to enhance the association.

Start with basic and easy commands like “sit” “stay” “come” and “down” before moving on to any advanced commands.

Keep your voice firm and look your dog directly in the eye when saying the command and make sure to praise your dog or reward it with treats whenever it successfully responds to encourage it to continue displaying this kind of behavior.

Leash Training

Leash training is very important as it helps you control the dog when you’re out on a walk as well as prevent any accidents.

Make sure to choose a well-fitting collar and leash for your dog so it will respond more positively to the training.

To start the training, you need to walk your dog around the house in the new collar and leash so it can get comfortable with having them on. Once the dog is comfortable, you can start taking it on short walks outside.

Make sure to maintain a positive attitude while you’re out on walks and to reward your dog’s good behavior with praise or treats. If the dog starts pulling roughly on the leash or walks ahead of you, stop and wait for them to calm down before continuing on with your walk.

How to Get a Brindle Pitbull?

Getting a brindle Pitbull puppy is a task that requires a lot of thinking through as you need to consider the financial costs as well as find reliable places to buy or adopt your dog.

So, let’s break down both of these aspects in more detail:

How Much Do Brindle Pitbulls Cost?

On average, brindle Pitbulls can cost between $500 and $1,000. The cost depends on various factors including the dog’s bloodline as well as where you choose to get the dog.

If you choose to buy from a breeder, the cost will mainly depend on the breeder’s reputation and if you choose to adopt from a rescue shelter, the cost will include an adoption fee that ranges between $150 and $250.

Here are some additional costs that come with owning and caring for a brindle Pitbull other than the initial cost of purchase. Check the following table for the estimated average of these costs:

Category	Cost
High-quality dog food	$60-$80
Microchip	$45
Toys	$35-$40
Crate	$40-$50
Bed	$30-$40
Collar and Leash	$40-$50
Walker	$20 to $40
Carpet	$20
Blanket	$15-$20
Jackets	$35-$40
Grooming Supplies	$100 $150
Medical treatment	$500-$1,000
Vaccinations	$80-$250
Spaying	$130-$500
Neutering	$150-$415
Insurance	$40

Where Can You Get a Brindle Pitbull?

You need to be very careful when it comes to where you get your Brindle pitbull as it greatly affects the dog’s bloodline and its overall quality as well as its cost.

So, let’s take a look at all the places you can get Brindle pitbull:

Adoption and Rescue Shelters

Getting a dog from rescue and adoption shelters is an economical option as it costs much less than purchasing from a breeder. They only charge a small fee to cover care and rescue costs

It can have a good impact on your community as you will help provide a home for a desperate puppy.

However, keep in mind that most rescue Pitbulls have unknown histories and they are very likely to have been involved in dogfighting which might make them more prone to violence and more difficult to train.

So, it’s very important to be aware of the state of your dog before you decide to adopt it.

Here is a list of some of the best rescue shelters that you can get your brindle Pitbull puppy from:

Biggies Bullies – This rescue organization helps abandoned Pitbulls of all colors and patterns. It’s located in Pennsylvania since 2011 and its adoption fee of $150 includes a bag of dog food, preventive medication for fleas, a harness, and training lessons.
Born Again Pit Bull Rescue – This organization helps both purebred and mixed Pitbulls to find permanent homes. It started as a private rescue shelter in 2007 then became completely non-profit in 2011. It also has an ongoing program that promotes low-cost spaying and neutering.
Hello Bully – This organization focuses on rehabilitating Pitbull breeds that were used as fighting dogs and finding them good homes. Their adoption fee ranges from $200 to $250 and included vaccinations and medical treatment.

All dogs are good dogs, and every dog is a special one. Please consider adopting from your local rescue or shelter and save a life instead of spending money that will support unethical breeding practices. #adoptdontshop

Pet Stores

The cost of purchasing a brindle pitbull from a pet store might be cheap compared to other places, however, keep in mind that dogs in pet stores come from mass-breeding mills that don’t have the best living conditions.

During their stay, the dogs do not usually have the best food, water, and ventilation. They are also kept in cages and denied exercise and veterinary care. This might a negative effect on the dog’s physical health and behavior in the long run.

Backyard Breeder

The cost of purchasing a brindle pitbull from a backyard breeder is cheaper than purchasing one from a more reputable breeder.

That is because backyard breeders don’t breed dogs as a source of income and they mostly sell puppies from unplanned pregnancies.

So, keep in mind that despite having good intentions, they usually have no experience in dog breeding and might not always follow the best practices and laws for ethically breeding dogs.

Reputable Breeder

The cost of purchasing dogs from reputable breeders is the highest compared to other places. They mainly specialize in breeding dogs that will qualify for participation in competitions and shows.

That is because they tend to follow the best practices and laws for ethically breeding dogs. They also keep records of all the dogs they breed to ensure the quality of the bloodline remains intact.

If you are going to purchase your brindle pitbull from a reputable breeder, make sure to ask for references and records from the breeder to confirm their legitimacy.

Here is a list of some reputable breeders that you can get your brindle Pitbull puppy from

Finest Pitbulls Made – These breeders are known for producing brindle pitbulls that come from globally renowned bloodlines. All of their puppies are provided with vaccinations and training before they are delivered or given personally to their new owners.
Manmade Kennels – These breeders are based in Delaware and the Middle East. They are known to provide brindle Pitbulls as well as other colored Pitbulls anywhere in the word

Monster Bully Kennels – These breeders are known to produce large Pitbulls that are confident and sociable. They are considered to be trustworthy as they deal with many celebrities and public figures.

Conclusion: Should You Get a Brindle Pitbull?

To sum up, brindle Pitbulls are the same as any other Pitbulls except for their coloring.

These dogs offer many admirable traits that go beyond their unique appearance as they are energetic, intelligent, loyal, playful, and relatively low maintenance. So, as long as they are provided with proper training and socialization, they will make excellent companions to any family.

However, before getting a brindle Pitbull, you need to evaluate your current home situation and lifestyle to make sure you will be able to provide the dog with the best living conditions.

If you are looking for a unique dog, there are other options to consider, such as the amazing and unique Merle Bully and the tricolored American Bully.