When you hear “Goldendoodle,” you might expect to see a golden dog. Actually, Goldendoodle colors are more complicated than that. The “Golden” in “Goldendoodles” refers to the Golden Retriever. A Goldendoodle is a designer breed of dog, created with Poodles and Golden Retrievers. The term isn’t about the dog’s color at all.
So what are the Goldendoodle colors? Here’s a sampling of the most common Goldendoodle colors.
Color Variations in Goldendoodles
Goldendoodles have beautiful, diverse coats. Right now, there are 13 unique color variations attributed to Goldendoodles! Most of this diversity is due to the Poodle parent. Poodles come in 10 standard and 18 non-standard shades; while Golden Retrievers come in four recognized colors. That’s a lot of color variations to choose from, but at Platinum Goldendoodles we work diligently to make sure every puppy is happy & healthy – no matter what color they are!
The Cream Goldendoodle
A cream-colored coat is the result of mixing a Cream Poodle and an English Cream Golden Retriever. This is a highly sought-after coat color, as the Golden Retriever color gene can be more dominant. They can have light or dark eyes. Some may have a pinkish tone to their coat, or a darker undertone. One thing is guaranteed, they are doggone cute!
The Apricot Goldendoodle
Apricot is a wildly popular color variation in Goldendoodles, due to their endearing teddy bear appearance. Apricot Goldendoodles tend to have dark features, like black eyes, toenails, and eyelids. Their coats can lighten over their lifetimes, but the pink hue of their fur is unmistakably adorable.
A lesser-known fact is that the Apricot Poodle was the last to be recognized as an official Poodle color, earning its title in 1898! It is thought to have resulted from a rare combination of blue, brown, and silver. Coloration is truly a mystery!
The Red Goldendoodle
Much like the Apricot Goldendoodle shades, a red coat is highly desirable. It has a beautiful mahogany quality that is thought to be the brightest of all Goldendoodle color variations. Red is not an AKC recognized color in Golden Retrievers or Poodles, but it is quite normal in Goldendoodles. When you mix a darker toned Poodle with a Golden Retriever, red is a common variant.
The Black Goldendoodle
Black Goldendoodles are quite stylish! This color variation is actually the result of a recessive gene that is carried by the Poodle or Golden Retriever parent. In fact, both parents need the gene to produce black Goldendoodles. More than likely, Black Goldendoodles will be completely black, including their paws, eyes, and noses. This results in a rare beauty – the Black Goldendoodle.
The Brown Goldendoodle
The Brown or Chocolate Goldendoodle’s coat can vary from a deep mahogany to a rich, chocolaty brown and it is quite popular in Goldendoodles. Goldendoodle’s inherit this rich color variation from their Poodle parent. The Brown Goldendoodle category also includes the ‘Café-au-lait’ Poodle color, which results in a lighter brown coat.
The “Everything-In-Between” Goldendoodle
Now that the myth of Goldendoodles being only “Golden” has been dispelled, it’s time to move on to the other color variations that can be observed in this breed. Goldendoodles can be sable, black & white, or a gorgeous silver! Patterned Goldendoodles have even more variations like parti, tuxedo, merle, and brindle! All of this is due to a unique mix of genetics and heritage.
With careful and responsible breed, predictions can be made based on parentage. But sometimes – you just never know what variation you’re going to get until those Goldendoodle puppies make their debut!