Poodle Coloring
I believe that a good breeder takes every opportunity to educate potential puppy buyers about the breed to create an experience that is predictable.
Let's talk about color in Poodles!
Color is fun for many dog owners. It's definitely the eye candy that draws many people to the dog they ultimately pick. There are a lot of color options with poodles. Probably more options than many other purebred dogs. However, it's important to recognize that while color is fun, what will make you most happy with your dog over its life is actually it's temperament, drive, and trainability. If these three factors are matched to your lifestyle, you will have the dog experience that you dream of. Color is just icing on the cake.
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Speaking of cake, is it possible to have your cake (temperament, drive, and trainability) and eat it too (color)? That's a great question. You might! In your search for the right breeder and the right pup, be willing to look beyond color. That said, tuck your dream color in your back pocket and maybe you will find the dog of your dreams. It may be possible!
History of Color in Poodles
Today Poodles come in a rainbow of colors and color combinations. Early paintings and drawings of poodles in the 1400s-1800s showed poodles in a black and white parti color. In the early 1900s preferences for a solid poodle became popular. It is believed that parti-colored poodles were often culled or not registered. This practice influenced the population and shifted the gene pool to favor solid colored poodles.
Preferences can and will continue to shift. Today, you will find poodles in solid and multicolors. What should you know about color in poodles? ​
AKC Breed Standard Colors
​If watching the Westminster Dog Show on Thanksgiving Day gives you any hopes or dreams to show a poodle in the AKC show ring, you will want to fix your eyes on the solid poodles and find a breeder specializing in a show dog. These shows evaluate dogs on their conformation....or how they conform to the breed standard. You can find the list of colors for Poodles on AKC's website. You'll see that the solid colors are considered "Breed Standard." Other combinations are listed and can be registered with AKC, but they don't qualify for the conformation show ring. That said, UKC (United Kennel Club) offers a class for multi-colored Poodles.
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If showing your dog in a conformation class isn't on your radar, your color options are wide open. Family pets and dog sporting events like Rally, Obedience, Agility, and Fast Cat don't have any color requirements. ​​​​​
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Parti
Parti refers to a white coat with patches of a solid color. The color can be any color (black, brown, etc). Parti Poodles can also carry phantom and/or merle coloring. Some parti Poodles develop "ticking," or small flecks of color in their white coat. It doesn't show up until the dog is older.
Abstract
Abstract markings are usually small white patches on the chest and possibly the feet. They can also be called "mismarks." Abstract markings can be found with solid, phantom, or merle colored Poodles. Genetically speaking, it means the dog carries 1 copy of the parti color gene.
Phantom
Phantom Poodles have a base color with defined markings of a second color appearing above each eye, the sides of the muzzle, the fore chest, under the tail, and the base of the feet/legs. Phantom coloring can be found on solid Poodles or in conjunction with parti, or merle coloring.
Merle
The last color to discuss is merle. The merle gene dilutes random sections of the coat to a lighter color. For example a black dog that carries 1 copy of the merle gene will have patches of black and gray. A black-based merle is commonly referred to as a "blue" merle. A dog with a brown coat that carries 1 copy of the merle gene will have sections of the coat that are a light brown. Only 1 copy of the merle gene is necessary for a dog to exhibit merle coloring.
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There are some common misconceptions about the merle gene. If you've ever heard that merle dogs are less healthy in any way, that information likely stems from a knowledge that care should be taken to never breed two merles. The resulting offspring could carry 2 copies of the merle gene. Dogs with 2 merle genes (referred to as "Double Merles") are often white and have an increased risk of being blind and deaf. Merle dogs with only 1 copy of the merle gene have no more risk of health problems than a non-merle dog. If genetics are fascinating to you, take a deeper dive on the topic by reading Merle—M Series.
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The second common misconception about a merle poodle is concerning AKC registration. A merle poodle can be registered if their parents are both registered. However, merle is not a "breed standard" color. (Interestingly, phantom, parti, and abstract coloring aren't breed standard colors for AKC either.) Merle poodles cannot be shown in a conformation class (for AKC or UKC), but they can be registered if the sire and dam are both registered. If this doesn't make sense to you, understand that AKC registration of a dog does not include any sort of sifting of dogs to be sure that they meet specified breed standards for the conformation show ring. Rather, AKC registration is a database providing documentation of the lineage of a purebred dog. Only a tiny fraction of purebred dogs in the United States ever make their way to the show ring. It makes sense to me that a dog is not required to meet the requirements for a conformation show in order to be registered.
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Fading
The concept of color fading in Poodles is an interesting conversation. It's also one that I've seen several funny reels about on Instagram. Check this one out. Many years ago a gene mutation caused a Poodle's coat to fade and progressively gray over time. If you look at the list of AKC's breed standard colors you'll see black, blue, and silver. A blue Poodle is pure black as a puppy and then fades slightly in the first 1-2 years of life. It has one copy of the fading gene. A silver poodle has 2 copies of the fading gene and will begin fading from black to silver in the first months of life. Silver beige and Cafe Au Lait is a brown poodle that fades due to the presence of one or more of the fading gene.
Gene mutations occur in every single organism that has DNA. Some mutations are immediately noticeable and others may not be noticed for awhile... or ever. Some mutations are undesirable and other mutations create traits people actually like and embrace as long as the trait doesn't adversely affect the health and well-being of the dog. The inclusion of blue, silver, cafe au lait, and silver beige Poodles in the AKC breed standard are examples of embracing changes in the genotype (genetic makeup) and phenotype (visual appearance) of the Poodle over time.
It's not uncommon to see a Poodle breeder advertise that their puppies will not fade. They may advertise their "intensity" (which is a score on a genetic panel) or point out that the parent dogs don't carry the "dilution" gene that is found on an Embark genetic panel. The tricky part is that the fading gene in Poodles can't currently be tested with a DNA genetic panel. Some breeders mistake what these 2 parameters on a genetic test really mean. As much as we know about the DNA of dogs, fading (also known as progressive graying) is a trait that isn't testable yet because the gene hasn't been isolated.
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So, how can you estimate the adult color of your puppy? Will it fade? Know that the puppy stage will always be when Poodles are their most vibrant color. In the case of black or brown Poodles (which are in my genetic pool for color) look at the parent dogs with your own eyeballs when they are over 1.5 - 2 years old. Since genetic tests don't help us with this yet, the visual evaluation will give you the best guess on what level of fading may be in a puppy's genetic lines. If you are working with another breeder, ask for pictures without any photo editing or filters and in different lights (indoor and outdoor). Video calls or videos (without filters or editing) are also helpful to really see the true color of the parent dogs. I do use some filters in my photos to adjust lighting, but I try very hard to make sure they don't misrepresent the true color of my dogs and puppies. I'm always happy to video call, send unedited pictures, and pictures taken in multiple types of lighting.
You can see in this puppy that the phantom points faded from a dark copper to a lighter copper after she turned 1 year old. The phantom points are still very noticeable, but the color is not as deep. The merle coloring of her body has not changed. Interestingly I see less fading and color change in merle Poodles. Maggie is from Ivy's "Ice Cream" litter.
This is Boone. You can see that his puppy coat in the first two pictures had a darker color than his 2 year old picture with his adult coat. The zoomed in picture on the far right shows you the small white hairs mixed in with the brown. They are sometimes called "guard hairs." The integration of these lighter hairs with the brown hairs is what causes the overall intensity of color to fade as they mature.
Summary
Some breeders try to capitalize on colors. In some cases the colors are enhanced through photo filters. I want my puppy buyers to be as knowledgeable as they can be. I support a puppy buyer having a love for a specific color, but also hope you keep color in the proper perspective and look for the more important traits that will lead to a lifetime of love for you and your future dog as well.
What other questions do you have about coloring in Poodles?