Do poodles change color ? The 4 causes and how to avoid it

Poodles change color

If you want to know if poodles change color, why they do it and at what age poodles change their color, read on to the end.

Table of Contents
  1. Coat color change in poodle dogs
  2. 4 causes of hair color change in poodles
  3. 1. Changes in color due to the passage of time
  4. 2. Poor hair care or inadequate use of products.
  5. 3. Exposure to sunlight
  6. 4. Genetic factors of coat color change in poodles.
  7. How to maintain the color of a poodle?
  8. The myth that a dog's diet can change its color
  9. Conclusion: Poodles change color.
  10. View all poodle colors and coat types
  11. Follow us on the networks

Coat color change in poodle dogs

Poodles are a beautiful, gentle and varied breed of dog. There is a variety of types of poodlesthere are various colors y types of hair.

Poodles change color

The most interesting thing is that sometimes poodles change color.

A common characteristic of poodles is the fact that the color of their coat as puppies tends to change to another color as they grow. If they are born with dark fur, it becomes lighter or fades.

4 causes of hair color change in poodles

Factors that cause them to change their coat color are:

  • The passage of time (growing up or getting older)
  • Due to poor hair care or inadequate use of products.
  • Genetic factors
  • Exposure to sunlight.

Color changes due to the passage of time

Some poodles that are born in a darker shade (brown, black, red) may eventually lighten to an apricot shade when they reach 2 years of age.

The coat of black poodle puppies can lighten to a silver or gray tone when they grow up and at the age of 2 years, they will have their definitive color. This color may change again and stabilize by the time they are 3 years old.

Poodles change color as they grow, dark brown poodles, for example, may change to a shade of brown with milk over time.

The lightening process in poodles can go through several stages before they finally achieve their final color. A puppy might start with a blackish coat that will lighten to a gray color and eventually a platinum color.

Some orange puppies change to a dark apricot color that eventually fades to a light peach color.

As a poodle ages it tends to lighten its coat as well.

Poodles change color
Chocolate poodle family.

In the photo we can see a clear example of how a poodle puppy whose parents are on its sides, presents a darker and more even coloration, while as adults its color is paler and uneven. Surely as the puppy grows up it will have a color similar to that of its ancestors.

Many poodle breeders mix darker colors in the crosses to obtain more vivid colors of puppies. See here the colors of the cancihes and crosses them.

2. Due to poor hair care or inadequate use of products.

Poodles change color, and another factor, which does this is the type of care provided as they grow.

Intensive cleaning with some specific products, at various stages of their development, can eventually affect the color of their coat. Some of these products include bleaching shampoos, coat dressings and some conditioners.

Topical products such as shampoos or antiparasitic products can give the hair a reddish color, which will be distributed either evenly or in the area of application.

We also recommend you to see: Top 5 best poodle brushes in 2022

3. Exposure to sunlight

Exposure to sunlight can also cause dark or black hairs to become lighter or reddish. When this occurs, the change affects different parts of the coat but the base coat usually remains black. If poodles change color over time, this is one of the main reasons.
Taking care of them from UV rays, especially in summer, is essential to maintain their color for a longer period of time.

VIEW: Poodle in summer and its care

4. Genetic factors of coat color change in poodles.

The color of the hair is determined by several factors, on the one hand it is determinant the pigment type and color which is deposited on the hair while it is still inside the hair follicle. On the other hand, the genetic factors determine how these pigments are distributed in the coat, how they diffuse and the distribution of the coat color in the different body areas of the poodle.

Although the shade of the coat may vary slightly depending on environmental influences such as the amount of sunlight, most of the coloration of the different breeds depends mainly on your geneticsTherefore, if we want dogs with intense fire tones, we select breeders that have very marked this characteristic.

It is very important to know the origin of our poodle, its parents, to be able to know which will be its definitive color and its size. That is why we always recommend to buy a poodle with pedigree which assures us to know exactly its ancestry.

How to maintain the color of a poodle?

Poodles change their coat color, but a poodle can maintain the coat color it is born with, even if the poodle lightens from a darker to a lighter color, and many times the shedding of its coat will not be uniform. It is common for the fur around the ears to maintain its puppy color throughout its life, even when other parts of the coat change to another color.

The myth that a dog's diet can change its color

It is true that diet influences the quality of the hair, but referring to its shine, hydration and nutritionIn no case will the color of the dog's coat change.

A balanced diet, rich in vitamin A and other elements such as fatty acids, will make the hair look shiny and glossy, but will not change its color.

VIEW: Poodle dog food

Conclusion: Poodles change color.

We have already discussed the reasons or causes of coat color change in poodles, as well as ways to prevent it from happening too early or prematurely.

Inevitably over the years a poodle's hair tends to fade, but we can delay this as much as possible with good hygiene and feeding habits, as well as with the use of appropriate products for the care of its coat.

If you have a chocolate brown poodle we highly recommend these products, undoubtedly the best shampoo for the coat:

If you have a poodle of a different color, there is a shampoo suitable for each coat color, here are the best ones, which as experts in the breed we recommend:

View all poodle colors and coat types

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    1 Comments

  1. Vivi says:

    my poodle toy was black and became gray, now he is 7 years old and started to change the color of the back with black elongated spots... re crazy ....
    Thank you!

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