From the name, it seems Goldendoodle colors are restricted to just one variety; golden. Nothing can be farther from the truth than this. The fact is Goldendoodles come in a wide variety of colors and patterns. Being a hybrid breed (a mixture of Poodle and Golden Retriever), they have inherited colors from both their parents and show them off with panache.
How Goldendoodles Get Their Colors?
Experienced Goldendoodles dog breeders play around and mix certain colors to get litters of a particular or unique color. But you cannot be 100 percent sure what will the color of the litter you are going to breed. It is all chance. Sometimes a new color gets created and sometimes all your predictions go wrong. The color of the base coat in nearly all Goldendoodles is chocolate brown or black. This may not be apparent but you can find out by having a look at their nose. The pigment on the nose will reveal the true color. The color of the fur and the patterns that we see come through the interplay of genes. If for instance a chocolate brown Goldendoodle has no other active color gene acting then it will be just chocolate brown.
Popular Goldendoodle Colors and Patterns:
Goldendoodles are available in a wide variety of colors like black, cream, white, chocolate brown, apricot, and red. In addition to colors, they are also available in a lot of patterns. Some of them are:
Parti Goldendoodle:
A parti colored Goldendoodle has 50% white and 50% tract of any other color.
Merle Goldendoodle:
It is a rare color. It is, in essence, a mixture of different colors. It is rare because the merle gene can be the reason for deformities like deafness and blindness.
Solid Goldendoodle:
When the color is less than 50% white and the rest of the coat in any other color then it is called a solid Goldendoodle. Also known as mismark, chrome, or abstract.
Phantom Goldendoodle:
They have a particular color or marking against a plain and solid backdrop above each eye, chest, inside the legs, beneath the tail, and the sides of the muzzle.
Brindle Goldendoodle:
They have stripes all over their bodies. The color and extent of stripes differ from dog to dog.
We now look at some of the more popular colors of Goldendoodles.
Chocolate Brown Goldendoodle:
It is very popular among all the Goldendoodle colors. It has many shades and variations like dark walnut to rich mahogany. The brown usually comes from Poodle and there are always subtle hints of black and silver in its fur.
Apricot Goldendoodle:
Apricot color Goldendoodle is probably the most popular for its color. It’s a light tan color that looks super cute on Goldendoodles.
Black Goldendoodle:
To get a black Goldendoodle a black gene must be carried forward from both the Poodle and the Golden Retriever.
Cream Goldendoodle:
It is very close to white color in appearance. It is used quite frequently to create a multi-colored coat in Goldendoodles.
Red Goldendoodle:
Red is another very much in demand of Goldendoodle colors. It is quite bright in appearance and is conceived by having a dark-colored Poodle mixed with a normal colored Golden Retriever.
Other popular colors and patterns of Goldendoodle include black and white, sable, grey, and tan.
What are the Most Popular Goldendoodle Colors?
It can be purely subjective but based on what people usually ask for from breeders, apricot seems to be the most favorite color. It is obtained by mixing a white Poodle with a red-colored Golden Retriever. Other than apricot cream and red are also much in demand. Black is a popular color too and it is also the most common.
Rare Goldendoodle Colors:
Due to the risk of blindness and illness merle is rare to get among all the Goldendoodle colors. This is because it must be carried by both the parents in order to transfer it to their offspring.
Do Goldendoodles Change Colors?
Goldendoodles do change color over time. This is especially true for medium and light color coats. They tend to go darker in tone and shade. Only black color remains the same. It just that white hair starts to appear as the dog gets old.
Goldendoodles have many colors and patterns. It is difficult to tell what color your Goldendoodle puppy will eventually be once he gets out of the puppy coat. You can know if you run the puppy’s DNA test and have a look at the dog’s genetics including genotype and phenotype. Or you can wait and see what nature has in store for you and your little friend. To know more you can also go through our blog that illustrates various generations of Goldendoodle.
