English Mastiff Colours – 3 Stunning Coats {with Pictures}

The Mastiff family comes in a variety of different colours and patterns ranging from beautiful fawn to brindles and silky greys to stunning blues. 

The Old English Mastiff is an ancient, very large, Mastiff breed. But what about the English Mastiff colours? Are we blessed with such a wide range? 

Unfortunately the range of colours for the English Mastiff isn’t so large. However, that doesn’t mean that the colours in the breed standard are limited for there are some nice subtleties within each one. 

The breed is recognised by both the English Kennel Club and the American Kennel Club. The kennel clubs recognise just three colours as the breeding standard: 

• Fawn
• Brindle 
• Apricot

Additionally, the United Kennel Club also cites both “silver fawn” and “dark fawn brindle” in its breed standard. 

Fawn English Mastiff

The “fawn” colour is a very popular colour coat when it comes to the English Mastiff and has been growing in demand. The fawn spectrum is fairly broad and can range from a yellowish tan to a light grey/brown. 

When in early puppyhood, fawn Mastiffs can appear to be darker. This is due to “puppy fuzz” which can make it harder to determine the true colour of the puppy until a bit older. However, your preferred breeder may have experience in this aspect and be confident in your desired colour before many others notice.

Fawn Mastiffs typically have very distinctive black masks, nose, eyes and black ears. This is due to fawn Mastiffs having a shortage in melanocytes, which means their black markings only extend as far as the head and ears. 

Fawn Mastiffs are highly sought after and have become one of the more expensive breeds in recent years due to growing popularity. 

Brindle English Mastiff

English Mastiffs also come in beautiful brindle colour combinations which can range from lighter shades to very dark shades and almost black in some rarer occasions. 

Owners that are in market for a brindle English Mastiff are opening themselves up to very interesting and unique markings, however this can also come as a detriment if owners are looking for potential show dogs. 

credit – Instagram @Damascusthemastiff

This is because some organisations such as the AKC, will only recognise the dog as the breed standard if it has either a fawn or apricot base. The entire body should be covered in darker stripes (like a tiger). However, if this doesn’t bother you then some of the darker brindle English Mastiffs can produce stunning coats which make them fairly unique. 

Similar to the fawn Mastiff, Brindles should also come with a black mask, black ears and black nose.

Apricot English Mastiff

The apricot English Mastiff is an interesting mix of darker shades like copper or red, with lighter colours such as strawberry blonde. Although the coat will appear darker in colour (more apricot), many with this coat will have an undertone of fawn. If the coat is kept in a good condition, the colours can be fairly striking, not too dissimilar to the Dogue de Bordeaux, although the facial colours will be different.

As they age, the apricot English Mastiff colour can be stunning. However, distinguishing apricot English Mastiffs from Fawn is difficult at birth and can only be determined as they start to progress through puppyhood as the copper/orange tones start to emerge. 

Similar to the other two colours, the apricot English Mastiff develops a black muzzle, eyes and ears. However in very rare situations you may find an example where the mask has a hint of blue.

Are there Black English Mastiffs?

Exceptionally rare in this day and age, you may see “piebald” English Mastiffs, which are essentially black and white. Unfortunately, many official organisations do not accept this as part of the breed standard. However, they are still considered a wonderful example of the majestic English Mastiff breed. 

That said, you may occasionally see English Mastiffs that appear black in colour. However, this is fairly rare and more likely to be a very dark brindle variation, or a mix with a darker mastiff breed such as the Neapolitan Mastiff.

What is the rarest Mastiff colour?

Black is the rarest of colours when it comes to the English Mastiff, however this is not part of the breed standard.

It is said that there are no black English Mastiffs and that anything close is either a very dark brindle or a mix with another breed.