Poodles are incredibly versatile dogs. It shows in their looks and their ability to adapt. They come in various equally gorgeous hues, and you can groom and style them in many clips. You’ll notice a vast selection of colors these pups come in, whether you’re interested in a Toy, Miniature, or Standard Poodle.
Poodles are available in various styles, sizes, and hues. It makes the terminology a bit confusing. Black puppies might develop blue, patterned, or multicolored coats. Poodles are sometimes called parti Poodles, yet they aren’t always partying Poodles.
Instead of focusing on hair, we explore this article’s most popular coat colors and patterns. We’ve also detailed the Poodle’s coat color genetics in the Poodle color chart to help you understand these intriguing pets.
Let’s get started!
Different Poodle Colors
Poodles are commonly associated with solid-colored coats. It comprises black, white, blue, brown, apricot, cream, red, silver, gray, cafe au lait, and a few others. Purebred Poodles can come in a variety of colors. Here are Toy Poodle colors you need to be familiar with, without further ado:
- Black Poodle
The most typical Poodle color is black. Poodles with solid black coats are pitch-black in color. There are no traces of other colors.
It extends beyond just the color of their coat. Their lips, eye rims, and noses will all be black. Additionally, their eyes will range in color from dark brown to black.
- Apricot Poodle
The coat of apricot poodles has a drab, medium-saturated orange color. Many people confuse this with the red Poodle color.
Even though some dark apricot Poodles may initially appear red, they still carry the same dilution gene. Additionally, some apricot Poodles may be so pale that they initially pass for creme.
- Brown Poodle
Brown poodles usually have a dark coat color with medium to dark brownish-yellow eyes. Actual brown poodles, including their nose and eyes, lack any black spots on them.
They should be entirely brown from head to toe. Even while a brown coat color occasionally seems reddish or even ginger in the sunshine, it will always appear brown in another lighting.
- Cream Poodle
Cream Poodles are so pale that people often mistake them for white ones. However, if you look at them closely, these dogs have a cream color.
The only significant difference between these puppies and silver beige and cafe au lait Poodles is that they have black noses and dark eyes. It is the most obvious sign that your Poodle is cream rather than one of these two colors.
- Gray Poodle
Blue Poodles are paler than gray ones. Instead of the graphite tint, they frequently have a very grey shade that makes them appear almost shabby.
Some gray poodles are born black, but they turn gray over time. While others are gray by birth, they become paler as time passes.
- Blue Poodle
All blue Poodles are black at birth, but their color gradually fades. The majority will develop their natural shade within the first few years, while some may have a continuous change in the shade up until the age of four.
Many dog owners mistake blue Poodles for black Poodles because they typically keep their black outer coat. However, blue Poodles have lighter roots, and the majority have blue noses, lips, and eye rims.
- Silver Poodle
Another diluted version of black is the silver coat color. Since they started as black but gradually became lighter, they resemble gray ones. Silver Poodle puppies should have silver faces and feet at six weeks. Silver Poodles come in a variety of colors, from pewter to platinum. They usually have black noses, dark eyes, and even black spots.
- Red Poodle
It is a pretty unique but very sought-after color. Apricot and red Poodles resemble each other quite a bit. Others typically have coats that are dark mahogany. They will have dark eyes and a black nose, contrasting with brown Poodles.
- White Poodle
White Poodles might have a warm or cold tinge, but they will always appear pure white. Many puppies have beige or apricot-colored ears at birth. Black tips may appear on their coats, but not black scars or anything else that might give a dirty look. Additionally, they have dark eyes and black noses.
- Cafe Au Lait
To distinguish him from the cream Poodle, a cafe au lait-colored Poodle should have a slight tan tint to his coat. They also have amber eyes and a liver point. Although poodles in this shade may resemble those in red, they are more closely related to silver in color.
- Parti Poodles
The body of a parti-colored Poodle is white with errant patches of a different color. Parti Poodles have a lot of white on their bodies that can blend with any standard colors, including red, black, and brown. These dogs are in high demand. Finding the Parti Poodle of your dreams will need some searching.
What Are the Rarest and Most Common Colors of Poodles?
Known for having solid, clean coats, black Poodles and white Poodles are the most well-liked Poodles worldwide. It indicates that, compared to other sorts, they aren’t costly. Poodles in parti colors with distinctive or unusual patterns are frequently more expensive.
Poodle Breeding Color Chart
Poodles come in many shades, but everything starts with black and red. Eumelanin and pheomelanin, two skin pigments, are what give every dog its distinctive coat color.
- Because different genes can alter the eumelanin or black pigment, specific Poodles can develop blue, brown, or gray coloring. These colors appear as diluted blacks.
- Pheomelanin, the second pigment, has a natural red color. It also alters color by gene dilution, just like the first pigment. This phenomenon causes various colors to appear, including mahogany red, orange, yellow, tan, gold, and cream.
Color genetics is still an imperfect science. So, predicting the colors your dog will inherit from any two specific parents is quite challenging.
However, we have identified some of the potential scenarios and expected results in this poodle color genetics chart. Keep in mind that various factors, including hidden genes, influence the color of the puppies. In this case, we must exclude hidden genes and focus only on the expressed color:
Do Poodles Change Color When They Grow?
The majority of Poodles develop color changes. Most of the time, they reach their final color by the second year of life, but there are exceptions where it continues to stabilize by the third.
Poodle puppies rarely maintain the same color throughout their lives. This process is known as “holding.” However, it is referred to as “clearing” when the color of their coats changes. It indicates that the Poodle’s original color has faded over time.
Usually, there is uneven clearing; the coat won’t just grow lighter overall. Instead, it can significantly impact some body parts, such as the ears, the nose, or a thicker guard.
Poodles can change their color in the following ways:
- Poodles that are black by birth will turn blue, silver, or gray.
- Dark brown Poodles sometimes change color to Cafe au lait.
- Apricots have a deeper color when they are born.
The Bottom Line
Poodles come in a wide array of colors. The parti Poodles may appeal to people inclined toward the exotic than the standard poodle colors.
The good news is that any Poodle, regardless of color, will probably have similar characteristics and a similar state of health. This Poodle color chart will help you find the one best for you.
Whichever shade of Poodle you choose, you can be sure that you’ll have a devoted friend who stands out wherever you go.