Golden doodle Colors
NY Dandy Doodle Goldendoodle Colors, Patterns, and Markings
Part of what makes Goldendoodles so fun and appealing to a variety of people is the variety of colors they can be!
Some colors are automatically associated with Goldendoodles and recognized almost instantly (think teddy bear), whereas others are not nearly as common and may cause question as to the type of doodle.
For example, hearing the word “Goldendoodle”, may bring up colors like cream, apricot or tan, and maybe even red, all fairly close-linked with the “Golden” part of the word. But, while the colors chocolate (brown), black, or even merle, may be associated easily with other doodle types like Labradoodles (black, chocolate) or Aussiedoodles (merle, tri-color, etc.) they are rarely what comes to mind when discussing Goldendoodles.
Here at NY Dandy Doodles, we raise puppies with many coat colors and patterns, including some of the more rare Goldendoodle types. While parentage definitely plays a role in color, we cannot determine ahead of time exactly what, if, or how many certain colors will be in any specific litter. We give our guess based on what colors we’ve seen in the past combined with what we know of the parent’s and grandparent’s genetics to help predict and give you an idea, to the best of our ability, of what may be expected in each litter.
For example, if the dam is red and the sire is red, then we can expect red puppies, but we may also expect tan, apricot and puppies with white markings based on the parent’s markings and prior generations.
Or, if the dam is red and the sire is merle, we may have puppies ranging from tan to black, including parti (50 per cent or more white) and merle. There may be muliple merle puppies taking after dad, or there may be none. We won’t know until they are born, and even then sometimes it can be hard to tell until they are several weeks old or more what exactly their color/coat pattern is. Also, as he or she matures, a puppy’s coloring can change over time either based on genetics or simply because they were groomed and the pattern became more or less visible/darker/lighter.
Each and every litter is a gift, and seeing who each puppy takes after is all part of the fun! The best color for you is whatever your prefer, whether it be a timeless classic or something especially unique.
(Below: first picture of puppies are from a tan dam + red sire, second picture are from a black dam + merle sire.)
*All puppies featured are ones raised from our own litters here at NY Dandy Doodles, or are our parent dogs. This page was created as a sampling of what can be expected in our litters. This is not an in-depth documentary of where or how each combination came to be, but merely a photo guide meant to help give you an idea of what we are discussing when we mention certain colors, patterns, or markings.*
Traditional/Classic Goldendoodle Colors
CREAM:
Cream has a hint of gold as opposed to stark white, and can vary in concentration throughout the coat.
Mr. Charmonte/Koby (Izzy + Pebbles 2023) is a gorgeous cream with very dark features (eyes, nose, lips). His ears for example seem much darker, almost an apricot, compared to the majority of his body.
TAN:
Tan Goldendoodles are darker and more tan than Cream.
See Miss Willow Jean (Dahlia + Archie 2022) from a young puppy to an adult below.
APRICOT:
Apricot Goldendoodles are darker and warmer toned than Tan. The intensity of the color may vary some from puppy to puppy.
Mr. Edward (Izzy + Pebbles 2023) also has very dark features, and his color is concentrated on his ears and around his muzzle. Some Apricot Goldendoodles can fade as they age.
RED:
Red is richer and deeper than Apricot, sometimes with a hint of mahogany. Some Reds can fade as they age.
Garnet (Salsa + Pebbles 2023) is a gorgeous Red Goldendoodle with white. See her below from several days old to seven weeks old.
BLACK:
Black Goldendoodles are not as common as the colors mentioned so far. Some are so glossy and dark that they seem nearly blue.
Mr. Onyx (Salsa + Pebbles 2023) is a beautiful Black Goldendoodle!
Goldendoodle Coat Patterns/Markings
SOLID:
Solid Goldendoodles are one single color throughout their coat.
Here are some examples of Solid Goldendoodles in several of the colors previously mentioned.
ABSTRACT:
Abstract Goldendoodles are one primary color (any color) plus a bit of white as the secondary color. (Some Abstracts have so little white that they appear Solid when the coat is long and full.) These small touches of white may appear anywhere on the body in no particular pattern as a little tuft, splotches, or zig-zag marks. Abstracts come in all different colors, and are relatively common here at NY Dandy Doodles. We have had Abstracts in every one of our litters.
Fiona (Serena + Dandy 2023) is a Red Absract Goldendoodle. She is primarily Red, with touches of white on her chest, chin, and a few toes. See her here from just a few days old to eleven weeks old. Her white tufts will seem to “grow and shrink” as her coat varies in length with grooming.
No two Abstracts look alike, as you can see among these pictures!
TUXEDO:
Tuxedos are also one primary color plus white as the secondary color. Tuxedos are similar to an Abstract, except that the white falls in very specific locations. Tuxedo markings appear on the face (forehead/muzzle/chin/etc.) chest, all four paws, and tip of the tail. They look as if they are wearing a tuxedo, hence the name.
Mr. Mac (Kora + Pebbles 2023) is a dark Apricot Tuxedo. See him from several days old to six months old, below.
Here are some more examples of Tuxedo Goldendoodles as puppies and adults.
PARTI:
Parti Goldendoodles are 50 per cent or more white (stark white, not Cream), plus a secondary color that may fall on any part of the body in no particular order. Unlike Abstracts, white is always the primary color. Parti Goldendoodles are super fun because, like the Abstracts and Tuxedos, no two are identical, even if they are siblings!
Gala/Tilly is a Black Parti Goldendoodle (Kora + Pebbles 2023). She is especially unique with the black speckling beneath the white on her nose, feet, and legs. See her below from only a few days old to seven weeks old.
Below are several Apricot Parti and Black Parti Goldendoodle puppies of varying ages.
Especially Unique Goldendoodle Colors and Patterns
PHANTOM:
Phantom marked Goldendoodles can be a variety of colors. They are mostly one primary color, with the secondary color appearing in strategic locations throughout the coat. A Phantom Goldendoodle will have distinctive eyebrows in the secondary color, as well as markings on the muzzle, chest, paws, underside of legs (including knees), and beneath the tail. This color may also appear on the underside of the ears/ear flaps.
This is Jazz/Mookie (Tia + Lyric 2023), a stunning Black and Red Phantom Goldendoodle. Black is primary, Red is secondary.
This is Truffles/Milo (Tia + Lyric 2022), a Chocolate and Red Phantom Goldendoodle, from a puppy to an adult. (We have only had Chocolate Goldendoodles in combination with other colors, which is why Chocolate was not covered as a color above. Like its name, Chocolate comes in shades of brown.) Notice the small bits of white that also make him an Abstract. The Red is visible on the underside of his earflaps in his second puppy picture.
This is Ida (Kora + Pebbles 2023). She is a more subtle Black and Red Phantom. She also has some white. Here she is from several days old through approx. 6 months old.
MERLE:
The Merle coloration in Goldendoodles is relatively rare, especially as compared to other doodle breeds where the non-poodle parent already has these colors. The Merle coat is a mottling of two or more colors, and often looks splotchy, swirled, or marbled. The coat may have large blocks of solid color interspersed with speckled patterns. Some Merles are super contrasting while others are more subtle. Merle Goldendoodles are all their own versions of unique!
With careful genetic testing and breeding practices, our Merle Goldendoodles are no more at risk for health conditions than any of our other Goldendoodle puppies.
Mr. Cortland (Kora + Pebbles 2023) is a light-colored Blue Merle Goldendoodle. His coat is a combination of gray, black, and white, causing a silvery bluish look, known as Blue Merle. He also has a white patch on his chest, chin, and a few toes. Some Merles keep their blue eyes for life, and others grow out of them. Cortland’s are now dark and no longer his young puppy blue.
Miss Sophie (Tia + Lyric 2023) is a Chocolate Phantom Merle Goldendoodle. (More on Merle Phantoms below.) Chocolate Merle is much less common than Blue Merle, and is relatively self-explanatory. You can see the chocolate swirled in various concentrations throughout her coat. The Red Phantom markings combined with the chocolate almost seem orange. Notice how her markings appear more or less visible depending on the length of her coat between grooming.
Miss Gypsum (Salsa + Pebbles 2023) is a Reversed or Black Merle, with a solid Black background and the Merle coloring mostly concentrated on her face and legs. (She also has a subtle touch of Phantom, more below.)
Here are a few more Blue Merle Goldendoodles (We tend to have Blue Merle puppies more often than other Merles). Notice how each is different than the rest with the black showing up in varied locations throughout the coat. The saturation of black vs. gray causes some Merles to appear lighter or darker, and no two are alike.
PHANTOM MERLE:
Phantom Merle/Merle Phantom Goldendoodles have a combination of both the Phantom markings and the Merle coloring. Rather than the primary/background color of the usual Phantom being Solid, the primary color instead is Merle, with the typical Phantom markings (eyebrows, muzzle, chest area, feet and legs, and base of tail) in the secondary color. This makes for a beautiful and often striking multicolored Goldendoodle coat!
Sorrel (Tia + Lyric 2023) is a particularly stunning Phantom Blue Merle, with the Phantom markings showing up vividly as Red. He also has a bright white chest and toe-tips, and those amazing blue eyes that Merles are occasionally gifted with!
Below are more examples of Phantom Merles (also known as Merle Phantoms). Some are more obvious and others are more subtle. Every two images are of the same puppy with the first being younger and second shown as older.
MERLE PARTI:
This color combination is the typical Parti (50 per cent or more white) plus Merle coloring as the secondary color, rather than a Solid color. Merle Parti Goldendoodles look super cool!
Mr. Morgan (Salsa + Pebbles 2023) is a Blue Merle Parti Goldendoodle. The majority of his coat is stark white, with Blue Merle scattered here and there. He has mostly pink paw pads, dark eyes, and a pink-splotched nose. See him below from a newborn through seven weeks of age.
Morgan (directly above) actually joined his half brother, Mr. Sterling (also a Blue Merle Parti Goldendoodle), when he was adopted by the same family. These two are best buds, and you can see the slight differences of their coat patterns, below. The first image is of Sterling, and the rest are of both brothers from when Morgan was first brought home until more recent. Morgan’s tail feathering will grow out beautifully with the proper care as he matures and will most likely look very similar to his big brother’s. Sterling also had a pink and black nose as a puppy, and it is now dark with pale splotches.
This is Mr. Rome (Kora + Pebbles 2023). He is also a Blue Merle Parti, but he has Red eyebrows and markings on his face like that of a Phantom, but not on his feet and legs or the base of his tail like the usual Phantom Goldendoodle. He could be called a tri-color, except that he’s mostly white (Parti). He is the only puppy that we have had with these beautifully unusual markings and we’re not quite sure what the proper term is, but we do know for a fact that Rome is definitely one-of-a-kind and his own type of handsomeness!
SABLE PHANTOM:
Below, Miss Misty/Monet (Tia + Lyric 2023) seen from just a few days old up until her first grooming. She is a tri-color Phantom, also known as Sable Phantom, with white.
Sable coloring can seem similar to Merle, except that rather than the colors being swirled around each other in single-color blotches, each individual hair may have several different colors along its length. For example, one piece of hair may have up to 3+ colors from the base to the tip, creating a fascinating two-toned look. Sables are typically born very dark and the coat changes with age, lightening until the color is mostly concentrated around the muzzle and the tips of the ears.
Monet is also a Phantom, as you can see by her red eyebrows, around her nose, chest, and all four legs esp. in her newborn picture. She is one beautiful girl, and we can’t wait to see how she looks as an adult!
EYES AND NOSES:
Our Goldendoodle puppies have had many different eye/nose color combinations that can tend to change over time.
While is is fairly typical for puppies’ eyes to seem blue when they first open, they may darken more towards brown or black as their eyes develop and the puppy matures. Occasionally though, our puppies will keep either both or one of their colored eyes through adulthood, such as green, chocolate, blue, or sometimes hazel. This is known as Heterochromia, and is not harmful in any way as it is inherited through the genetics. A puppy with Heterochromia often is or carries Merle from one of the parents.
A puppy’s nose color and pattern can also change from puppyhood to adulthood. For example, a puppy born with a dark nose that has a small bit of pink may end up darkening until the nose is uniform in color with the pink disappearing completely. But, sometimes a puppy with lighter coloring and a pink nose at birth will get some freckling on the nose but the nose will stay relatively pink overall.
Below are examples of eye/nose combinations.