The Blue Brindle Great Dane coat color is fascinating and beautiful. It is not an official American Kennel Club Great Dane color however, many Great Dane owners love it for its uniqueness.
So, how different is this Great Dane coat color and how does it come about?
Read on to learn what makes a Blue Brindle Great Dane puppy, from appearance, temperament, associated health problems, and price.
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What Is A Blue Brindle Great Dane?
A Blue Brindle Great Dane has a combination of the blue and brindle coat color pattern. The blue color is a gray, slate, or sliver with a hue of blue in a brindle pattern, appearing as stripes of blue and soft fawn coloring on the coat. Other distinctive features include a blue nose and amber-colored eyes.
The Genetics Of The Blue Brindle Great Dane Puppy
The coat colors of all dogs are based on two primary pigments, the black pigment, also known as eumelanin, and red pigment also known as pheomelanin.
Different genes inherited by a puppy manipulate these two hair colors to produce the different coat colors and patterns.
Puppies get half of their DNA from their parents. Therefore gene interaction of the inherited genes determines a puppy’s coat color.
The Blue Brindle Great Dane puppy inherits one copy of the black gene (B gene) from one of its parents, two copies of the dilute gene (d gene) one from each parent, and one copy of the brindle gene (Kbr)
With this combination, the dilute gene reduces the pigment color of the coat by diluting black pigment (eumelanin) to blue and the red color of the brindle to a soft fawn.
Are Blue Brindle Great Danes rare?
It may be difficult to produce a Blue Brindle Great Dane puppy, but no they are not rare. Producing a Blue Brindle Great Dane puppy requires that neither parent passes down the dominant black allele (BB) to ensure that it does not mask the recessive brindle gene (Kbr).
Blue Brindle Great Dane puppies with only one copy of the brindle gene can only develop the brindle coat if they do not inherit a gene that overrides it from their other parent.
The dilute gene is also recessive and for a puppy to have a dilute color it must inherit two copies of the dilute gene (dd).
Based on these genetic makeup requirements, it seems like an uphill task in producing a Blue Brindle Great Dane puppy, however, it is possible with today’s veterinary science, through selective breeding.
Breeders can increase the chances of production of these puppies when buyers request therefore the Blue Brindle Great Dane is not very rare.
Also learn more on other Blue Great Dane color variations apart form the Blue brindle:
Blue Brindle Great Dane Puppy Temperament
A Blue Brindle Great Dane puppy has the same personality as any other Great Dane dog. Their coat color does not influence their temperament.
The breed is affectionate, gentle, friendly, and people-oriented. They are also easy to train and respond well to positive reinforcement.
They are also good family dogs because of their personality.
In addition to this, a puppy’s personality is also shaped by good breeding, training, socialization, and good nurturing.
Good breeding produces puppies with great personalities and also socialization and training help a puppy to integrate well with people and other animals as well as have desired behaviors.
Blue Brindle Great Dane Puppy's Health
Research has shown that a dog’s color has an influence on its health and longevity. This means some coat colors are prone to more health problems than others.
White, merle, piebald and roan coat colors have more health problems.
Dogs with dilute-colored coats are also susceptible to certain health conditions related to their coat color.
Blue Brindle Great Dane puppies are susceptible to color dilution alopecia (CDA) which is a health condition that is specific to blue and fawn coat colored dogs, that is, dogs with dilute color.
CDA is an inherited health condition that causes hair thinning or loss, itchy skin, and flaky skin.
As a Great Dane and a large breed puppy, they are also prone to common health problems observed in the breed.
These common Great Dane health issues include hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, dilated cardiomyopathy, arthritis, Wobblers Syndrome, bloat, and cancer
A Blue Brindle Great Dane puppy and an adult dog will not necessarily develop all or any of the ailments.
They can live healthy lives despite being susceptible to these conditions. Breeders reduce the risk of occurrence of the conditions. Good care is also essential for raising a healthy dog.
When purchasing a Blue Brindle Great Dane puppy make sure that you obtain their health history from the breeder.
Also, ensure that their parents do not have CDA to reduce the risk of occurrence of the condition in your puppy.
Recommended reading: How to keep a Great Dane healthy
By knowing the possible health problems, you can know what to expect when you are considering buying a certain Great Dane coat color and the care they need to live a healthy life.
See also:
Finally, the Blue Brindle Great Dane has an average lifespan of 7 to 10 years. Generally, Great Danes have a shorter lifespan.
Blue Brindle Great Dane Puppy Price
The Blue Brindle Great Dane Puppy price is typically in the range of $1000 to $3000 from a reputable breeder. The price tends to be high because of the high demand and also individual breeders’ costs.
The puppies are also more expensive because their color comes from recessive genes which means it can be a little difficult but possible to produce the puppies.
Generally, the harder it is to breed a coat color the more expensive it is.
When considering purchasing a Blue Brindle Great Dane puppy, always buy them from a reputable Great Dane breeder and also ensure you receive their health records and genetic testing of the parents.
Great Dane breeders can also be found on the American Kennel Club’s marketplace which is a resource for approved and certified breeders.
Summary: Blue Brindle Great Dane Puppy
The Blue Brindle Great Dane puppy is loved by Great Dane owners because of its unique color. The coat color is a lovely combination of blue and brindle coat colors.
In addition to their fascinating coat color, the puppy has a pleasant personality, is easy to train, and is a great companion. This Great Dane puppy is no different from other Great Dane colors.
By being aware of their health and care requirements, you can be able to raise a healthy puppy.
Always remember when considering buying a Blue Brindle Great Dane puppy, ensure you buy your puppy from a responsible breeder to have a healthy pup.