Labradoodle Colors – A Complete Guide

The coat colors of Labradoodles have been a topic of discussion in recent years. Since 1988 when this dog breed was first started in Australia, there have been several changes in appearance.

So, if you are looking for the best Labradoodle coat color, you rest assured that there is a coat color out that will appeal to you.

The essence of this article is to help you understand how to distinguish from the different Labradoodle coat colors that we have today.

Why are there so Many Labradoodle Coat Colors?

One thing you must understand about Labradoodles is that there are varieties of colors out there. Likewise, you are confident of paying for one of the doodles that have the type of color you want.

It will interest you to know that there are so many different Labradoodle colors. The reason for such coat color diversification is because a Labradoodle isn’t a purebred doodle. As, such, it will draw more coat colors from its parents – a Standard Poodle and a Labrador Retriever.

Altogether, there are 13 different Labradoodle coat colors. These colors are derived from 10 coat colors of a Standard Poodle and 3 coat colors of a Labrador Retriever.

Now, the American Kennel Club (AKC) places a premium on three Labrador Retriever colors, which are:

• Chocolate
• Black and
• Yellow

On the other hand, the American Kennel Club (AKC) places a premium on 10 different colors of a Standard Poodle. These include:

• Café-au-lait
• Apricot
• Brown
• Cream and
• Silver

Which Labradoodle Color is the Best?

Choosing a Labradoodle coat colors is a matter of choice. Different doodle lovers choose a Labradoodle for different reasons.

However, your reasons wouldn’t be far-fetched from the fact that you have a lot of coat colors to select from.

Here are some of the popular Labradoodle colors so you will be in a better position to decide on the one to go for:

1.    Black Labradoodle

There is no denying that black is one of the coat colors that make Labradoodles outstanding. While some dog lovers hold the view that a Labradoodle has a different temperament than the others in the pack; there hasn’t been much evidence to collaborate that.

With that said, a black Labradoodle is not a coat color you see every day as far as Labradoodles are concerned, and that is because of the relativity of the coat.

Besides, it takes some time and effort to produce a black Labradoodle because it entails mixing a black-coated Labrador with a black-coated Poodle.

Unified Colors

If there is anything that makes a black Labradoodle unique, it has to be the unification of the colors.

Unlike other Labradoodle colors that may vary, that of a black Labradoodle doesn’t because the physical attributes (like the eyes and noses) maintain the same color.

The Twist

We mustn’t fail to mention that the probability of producing a black Labradoodle is quite low because the color is more recessive.

Because of the recessive traits, you may end up breeding a brown or a chocolate Labradoodle even when you must have combined a black Poodle and a black-coated Labrador.

2.    Red Labradoodle

Red coats aren’t out of place too because they are one of the popular Labradoodle colors. The coat of the doodle is usually slightly darker because the color can vary from different shades.

Red Labradoodle Breeding Characteristics

If you find it hard to breed a black Labradoodle, be prepared to find it a lot harder to breed a red Labradoodle. This is because of the additional recessive traits that come with it.

The ideal way to produce a red Labradoodle is to mix a cream or tan Labrador Retriever with a darker-shaded Poodle.

3.    Cream Labradoodle

You are in for a shocker if you want to pay for a white Labradoodle because you may be paying for the cream variant.

The reason is simple – a cream Labradoodle has a variety of intensities that could contribute to creating a near-white tinge.

Attributes of Cream Labradoodle

If you want to pay for cream Labradoodle, here are some of the attributes or features to look for:

• The doodle (Cream Labradoodle) has an exact shade as vanilla ice cream does.
• Cream Labradoodle has a variety of intensified colors ranging from almost fully white with a slight cream tinge to a full creamy yellow.

4.    Golden Labradoodles

There tends to be a bit of confusion when considering Golden Labradoodles. The confusion is not unconnected to the fact that a Golden Labradoodle is often mistaken for a Goldendoodle because of the visual similarity of the doodles.

Just have in mind that they are different doodle breeds, and a Golden Labradoodle has specific features that make it unique, including:

• The doodle has a semblance with a teddy bear.
• The coat of a Golden Labradoodle becomes lighter with age.
• The nose of the doodle is usually brown or black.
• A Golden Labradoodle is popular for having black features around the eye rims, eyes, and toenails.

5.    Two-Color Labradoodles

The American Kennel Club (AKC) doesn’t recognize some Labradoodle colors because those do not follow the traditional Labradoodle color standards,

Parti (two-color) Labradoodles are also one of the sets of colors that are used in identifying Labradoodles.

Some of the processes involved in breeding Parti (two-color) Labradoodles include:

Breeding Two Passive Genes Together

The first process involved in producing a Parti (two-color or multi-colored) Labradoodle is to breed two Labradoodles that have passive (recessive) genes.

That way, you rest assured that a Parti-colored Labradoodle will be produced provided that a dominant gene doesn’t show up to mask the efforts of the recessive genes.

White Color Concentration

As much as Parti (two-colored) Labradoodles have two different coat colors, the general acceptance is that one of the coat colors has to be white.

The Role of Genes in Labradoodle Coat Colors

Despite the variety of colors in Labradoodles, the fact is that the coat colors are determined by the roles played by the genes.

Either the recessive gene or dominant gene can influence how a Labradoodle looks like.

The general rule is that if the two genes present in the parent dogs are mixed, the outcome is that the dominant gene will likely be the most expressed coat color.

Conclusion

Labradoodle coat colors are varied by the roles played by the (dominant and recessive) genes.

You may also want to conduct a DNA test to find out the likely coat color your Labradoodle will spot as it transitions from a puppy to a dog.

Which Labradoodle coat color do you think is the best?