Black Tri Australian Shepherd: Info, Facts, Pictures & More!

Black Tri Australian Shepherds (AKA Red Tri Aussies) have a beautiful coat featuring black, tan and white. Their pretty coat paired with their loyal, intelligent and affectionate temperament makes them highly sought after, fetching high prices.

If you are interested in Black Tri Australian Shepherds keep reading this article to find out the all the answers to your questions about this dog breed!

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Cover Image Credit: @furygrams

Table of Contents

What Is A Black Tri Australian Shepherd?

Black Tri Australian Shepherds feature three colors in their coat: black, white and tan. Their coat is predominately black, with white being the next most prominent color and finally tan. They usually feature a large white patches on their chest, belly, neck and muzzle and small tan patches on the sides of their muzzle, above their eyes and in places where their black coat transitions to white.

Are Black Tri Australian Shepherds Rare?

Black Tri Australian Shepherds are not as common as Blue Merle or Red Merle Australian Shepherds but they are not as rare as Red Tri Australian Shepherds. Australian Shepherds that feature black in their coat are generally more common than ones that have red in their coat as black is a dominant gene.

black tri aussie — Black Tri Aussie via @petuniazia

Difference Between Tri And Merle Australian Shepherds

Merle Australian Shepherds feature a mottled or speckled coat while Tri Australian Shepherds feature distinct sections of the three colors throughout their coat. Merle Aussies carry the ‘merle’ gene which dilutes their originally red (liver) base coat into the mottled patches while Tri Aussies do not carry this gene. The only real similarity besides featuring similar colors in their coats, is that both Merle and Tri Australian Shepherds feature a large white patch over their chest and neck region. Merle Aussies are much more common than Tri Aussies.

Black Tri Australian Shepherd Characteristics

Black Tri Australian Shepherd Characteristics
Height	Depends on size (Toy, Mini or Standard Aussie)
Weight	Depends on size (Toy, Mini or Standard Aussie)
Temperament	Protective, intelligent, affectionate
Activity Levels	High
Exercise Requirements	1 to 2 hours per day
Lifespan	10 to 13 years
Coat	Medium length black tri-color double coat
Shedding	Moderate
Apartment Adaptability	Low to Medium
Good with Children	Good With Older Children

Black Coat Variations

Dilute Black Tri Australian Shepherd

Dilute Black Tri Australian Shepherds are quite rare as dilute is a rare variation in pigmentation. A mutation of the recessive MLPH gene is responsible for dilute coloring so for an Aussie to express it, both Australian Shepherds must carry the gene.

Dilute Black Tri Aussies have a grey or light charcoal coat with tan and white. Instead of the majority of the coat being black, it is mainly a grey color. They feature a large white patch on their chest and front legs as well as a smaller white patches over their muzzle and between their eyes. Their back legs may also feature white, especially on their paws. Dilute Black Tri Aussies feature small tan patches on the sides of their muzzle, above their eyes and in places where their originally black coat transitions to white.

Black & White Australian Shepherd

Black and White Australian Shepherds feature a mainly black coat with a large white patch on their chest, muzzle and sometimes on their legs or paws. They may also feature black spotting on their muzzle, especially around their nose. They have jet black noses and light brown eyes. Black and white is a relatively common coat pattern however Black Tri-color coats are more common.

If you want to show your Australian Shepherd and they have a black and white coat you need to make sure the placement of the white markings is acceptable according to the American Kennel Club (AKC) or your local kennel club. The AKC considers white patches on the neck, chest, legs, underside of the muzzle and/or a small spot on the head to be acceptable. White markings on the back of the hindquarters, between the withers and tail and/or on the sides between the elbows are considered to be unacceptable.

Black & Tan Australian Shepherd

Black and Tan Australian Shepherds feature a bi-colored coat that is predominately back with tan points. The tan points are usually located above their eyes, on the sides of their muzzle, on the front of their neck, on their chest, lowers legs or feet. Black and Tan Australian Shepherd is another name for a Brown and Black Australian Shepherd.

black tricolor australian shepherd — Black Tri Australian Shepherd via @archie_maeve_aussies

Black Tri Australian Shepherd Price

How Much Is A Black Tri Australian Shepherd?

Black Tri Australian Shepherds usually sell for prices between $2000USD and $3500USD. They are not as expensive as other coat colors like Red Tri as they are not as rare as them. A great way to stay up to date on Australian Shepherd prices is to keep up to date on dog breeder advertising websites like PuppySpot.

Black Tri Australian Shepherd Breeders

If you are looking for an Australian Shepherd breeder, consider PuppySpot where you can use our discount code PUPPY300 for $300 dollars off any dog! Check out the adorable Aussie puppies that are currently available here!

PuppySpot is a dog adoption website that connects breeders with prospective pet owners. They have a zero tolerance policy for puppy mills which is why they screen every breeder annually! They have placed over 200,000 puppies in homes and offer various trusted, USDA-certified transportation options to deliver your puppy to your home safely! You won’t regret having a look at their Australian Shepherd puppies here as they are so cute!

Black Tri Australian Shepherd Temperament

Black Tri Australian Shepherds are a ball of energy, often described as hyperactive, requiring lots of exercise and mental stimulation. They are quite smart and enthusiastic to please their owners which makes them very easy to train. They also have a very protective temperament and are extremely loyal and devoted to their family. Black Tri Australian Shepherds are very affectionate and good-natured, and hardly ever show aggressive behavior. Unfortunately, they have a tendency to bark a lot. There really isn’t any difference in temperament between a Black Tri Aussie and Aussies with other coat colors.

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Black Tri Australian Shepherd Shedding

Do Black Tri Australian Shepherds Shed?

Black Tri Australian Shepherds shed a moderate amount throughout the year and heavily twice a year during seasonal shedding when they lose their undercoat. Their coats consist of the outer layer of ‘guard hairs’ which are what give Australian Shepherds their color while their undercoat is white and very dense. The heavy shedding lasts for 2 to 3 weeks during spring and autumn when they lose their undercoat.

You should brush a Black Tri Australian Shepherds every week to reduce their shedding. The best brush for Black Tri Australian Shepherds is a slicker brush as well as an undercoat rake. An undercoat rake is especially useful during seasonal shedding times as it helps them dislodge loose hairs in their undercoat.

Are Black Tri Australian Shepherds Hypoallergenic?

Black Tri Australian Shepherds are not hypoallergenic as they produce a moderate amount of dander which irritates allergy sufferers. They are moderate to heavy shedders depending on the time of year which is why they drop lots of dander throughout the year.

A similar dog breed that is hypoallergenic is the Aussiedoodle as the Poodle has been introduced into the lineage. Aussiedoodles are a cross breed between an Australian Shepherd and a Poodle.

Black Tri Australian Shepherd Sizes

There are three main sizes of Black Tri Australian Shepherd including toy, miniature and standard. You can read our full guide on all the Australian Shepherd sizes here.

Toy Black Tri Australian Shepherd

Toy Black Tri Australian Shepherds are the smallest Aussie size. They are created by taking the runt of two different Mini Australian Shepherds litters and breeding them together to create an even smaller puppy. This process is repeated until they consistently get the “toy” size. Toy Black Tri Australian Shepherd gets to a height of 10 to 14 inches (25.4cm to 35.6cm) tall at the shoulder and weighs between 12 and 17 pounds (5.4kg to 7.7kg). They reach their full adult size around 10 months of age. Toy Australian Shepherds are the same size as Teacup Australian Shepherds.

Miniature Black Tri Australian Shepherd

Miniature Black Tri Australian Shepherd are the middle Australian Shepherd size – somewhere in between the Teacup/Toy Australian Shepherd and the Standard Australian Shepherd. Mini Australian Shepherds get to a height of 13 to 18 inches (33cm to 45.7cm) tall at the shoulder and weighs between 30 and 40 pounds (13.6kg to 18.1kg). They reach their full adult size between 11 and 13 months of age.

Standard Black Tri Australian Shepherd

Standard Black Tri Australian Shepherds are the largest Australian Shepherd size. They get to a height of 18 to 23 inches (45.7cm to 58.4cm) tall at the shoulder and weighs between 40 and 65 pounds (18.1kg to 29.5kg). Standard Black Tri Australian Shepherds stop growing between 12 and 18 months of age with most reaching their full adult size around 16 months.