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Colors /Patterns​

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Coat colors in Multi-Colored Poodles include the following: Apricot, black, blue, cream, gray, silver, white, red, silver beige and all shades of brown, including café-au-lait. Also acceptable is a fine streaked or striped effect or pattern of black or tan hairs in combination with these colors.

 

Dogs whose coats include the brown shades may have dark amber eyes; liver noses, eye rims and lips; and dark nails. Dogs with apricot coat color may have this combination of eye, pigment and nail color as well but it is not desirable. All others must have very dark eyes; black noses, eye rims and lips; and black or self-colored nails.

 

These colors (and combinations of colors) must appear in one of the following patterns:

 

•  Parti-colored: At least fifty percent white, with spots or patches of any other    acceptable solid color. The head can be of a solid color but white muzzle, blaze, or white muzzle/blaze combination (preferably symmetrical) is equally acceptable. Full or partial saddles are acceptable, as long as they do not exceed the color proportion, but are not preferred. Ticking in the white of the coat is acceptable but not preferred.

 

•  Phantom: Solid base color with sharply defined markings of a second color appearing above each eye, on the sides of the muzzle, on the throat and forechest, or in a chin and forechest bowtie pattern as well as on all four legs and feet, and below the tail. A phantom without clearly defined face markings or one that presents with its whole face colored in the second color is acceptable, as long as it maintains all the other specified body markings. Any combination of acceptable colors is allowed.

 

• Abstract: Less than fifty percent white, usually have white spots on chest, chin, paws or tip of tail with the remaining percent any other acceptable solid color. 

 

• Sable: A coat represented by black-tipped hairs on a background of any solid color, with no particular pattern/location designated for such hairs.

 

• Multi-patterned: A dog that clearly exhibits more than one of the acceptable color patterns, such as; a Parti with full or incomplete phantom markings (facial markings with or without presentation of the diamond under the tail), or a Phantom with additional abstract markings, etc.

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• Brindle:

       A solid color base with a striped pattern at the skin. A longer coat may       

       appear blended, but the shaven areas, such as face, feet and base of tail should

       have distinct stripes. Striping may fade with age due to progressive graying.

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     Disqualification:

     Any color or color pattern other than described above.

     Merle coloring. Albinism

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Dogs that are advertised as merle poodles are not full blooded poodles. The poodle breed has no gene for the merle color. Dogs that are merle colored must have been mixed with another breed, even if it was many generations back. Be careful when anyone claims to have merle poodles. Unfortunately, unsuspecting buyers may purchase a merle puppy thinking it is a purebred poodle. They often pay a premium price because it is advertised as a rare color.

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                             Information from the United Kennel Club

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