Miniature Poodle Colors

Miniature poodles come in a variety of colors. The American Kennel Club (AKC) recognizes one set of colors for all varieties and sizes of poodle. There are also several other colors and color combinations that the AKC does not recognize. Don't assume you know what color a poodle is when it's born -- the coat takes a while to come to maturity. Here's a guide to 10 of the most common colors of miniature poodles, in alphabetical order.

  1. Apricot

    • Apricot poodles are a soft, reddish-orange color. They can come in a variety of shades, from near red to cream with reddish tones. Apricot poodles carry the fading gene, meaning the color becomes lighter than it was at birth. To qualify for shows, apricot poodles must have some black points or black spots.

    Black

    • The best black miniature poodles should have deep jet black coats, with no traces of gray or silver (gray hairs in aging poodles are natural and not necessarily a flaw). A show-quality black poodle must have black points and a black face, even when shaved.

    Blue

    • Blue is the darkest gray a poodle comes in. Many blue poodles are born black, then fade to blue by the time they're about 2 months old. Some puppies have brown undertones to their coats, and it takes several years sometimes for the full blue color to blossom. Blue takes the longest of all poodle colors to come to maturity. These dogs should have black points and brown eyes.

    Brown

    • Brown poodles can range from almost black to reddish-brown. The best browns are a rich, solid, chocolate brown. They should have liver points and and dark amber eyes. Sometimes the eyes can be lighter, especially with puppies, but these should change to amber as the dog ages.

    Cafe Au Lait

    • These miniature poodles really do have the color of coffee with milk -- a very light tan that is similar to cream. Cafe-au-lait poodles have liver points and dark amber eyes. It takes about two years for a cafe-au-lait miniature poodle to reach full color maturity.

    Cream

    • Cream miniature poodles are off-white, with a warm pinkish-brown tinge. Cream poodles can look like faded apricot poodles, but have their own category. It takes about two years for a cream poodle's color to mature.

    Gray

    • Gray encompasses a wide variety of shades. Don't mix up gray with silver or blue, however; these colors are closely related to gray but have separate categories.

    Red

    • While red is a somewhat new color for the standard poodle, it has existed in the miniature poodle for some time. These dogs can range from almost apricot to a deep auburn.

    Silver

    • Silver is related to gray, blue and black, and it is the lightest of the colors in this grouping. Silver miniature poodles are born black and lighten with age. For a miniature poodle to truly be considered silver, it should have a silver face and feet by the time it's 6 weeks old.

    White

    • White poodles are often snowy white, but they can also be tinted with apricot. White is one of the most common colors of miniature poodles. Most white poodles are born cream, but lighten to white when they grow up.