Fluffyspoos

When I was hired at my current job, we're trained on the importance of good dog food, and they show before and after pictures of dogs that have been on a high quality diet, their colors are darker and deeper and their coats are glossier.

If a poodles color is looking a little bland, do you think a higher grade food could help? I'm fully aware of how much they fade from puppy to adulthood, lots of dogs change colors, but what if there's no fading gene?

ArreauStandardPoodle

Jackson is Betty-Jo and Jenny's brother so he is fifteeen months old. Lucy won't be green (well maybe with envy over what some OTHER Princess has) and I believe she is going to darken a lot!

ArreauStandardPoodle

If there is no fading gene then there is likely going to be a graying gene. There always seems to be something, and the only thing that is going to help is very selective breeding. I don't think a dark red to a dark red is necessarily going to produce non fading dark red offspring. I think breeding red to red with each of them having a history of producing pups that darken is going to help. Food may help somewhat. I notice if Holly is given lots of raw carrots (which she prefers to any meat) her colour looks better.

*heather*

I was totally thinking that food might help! That's a big reason I started feeding Rogan Orijen, and he also gets lots of raw baby carrots almost every day, just cause he loves them (and they fall on the floor alot from all the kids snacks!) and I figured, hey, all that carotene might actually be good for his coat!! never thought it would actually work!
For Rogan, I would be shocked if he didn't lighten, I am fully expecting him to look like Dugan by the time he's 2... and that's just fine with me, I knew that from the beginning, and it didn't come as a shock to me... Like Plum said, green, blue, apricot,... I will love him no matter what colour he ends up being.

My beef is with breeders who talk about deep red puppies all the time, but never show pictures of their adults (over 2 years of age). And consumers buy into this hype, thinking their dog is going to stay that colour for the long term. Bottom line is , I just haven't seen many mature Reds that are still dark red and wanted to know if there were any out there that have held their colour. So far, the one Roxy showed me is the oldest I've ever seen with great colour.

Trillium

I couldn't resist posting some baby pics of Betty Jo. The first 2 are just a couple days after we got her. The next 2 are a few weeks later. The last 2 are 2 months later. The ones of Betty Jo and Jenny (Betty Jo has the blue collar) Arreau posted were taken about 4 months after that and the one of Betty Jo on the chair was taken a few days ago. You can really notice a change in the colour over time

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*heather*

Wow, you're right, her colour is phenomenol!! Wish we could figure out what's causing her to darken like that!!!

ArreauStandardPoodle

Thank you Trillium for posting those. I was having all kinds of trouble. Like I said, I think it is just breeding two dogs TOGETHER who each have offspring that darkened. I hear you on the whole deal with some of the breeders only posting old photos of younger dogs. I am also tired of seeing enhanced pictures of reds. Better people are aware of exactly what their red puppy MAY look likke age two, rather than giving them a false hope of what their puppy will look like.

Brandi, the puppy from my current litter who went on to the show home in Alberta was way darker at eight weeks old than Betty-Jo was at eight weeks, so it will be so interesting for me to watch what happens with her colour!!

thestars

I have met a dark red male whom is 9 years old, his name is Sheldon whom Mithril Standards owns and studs out. He is a beautiful color, like a dark little puppy However, he has a broad rear skull. He is a nice dog but not the sharpest knife in the drawer as his owner attests to.

roxy25

IA 100%

I remember looking at a red breeders website and this breeder took a picture of her bitch with her new puppies under a red light ....

I too hate how the red breeders who claim their dogs don't fade do not post latest pictures of their dogs. They keep these old ones up for years usually the dog is like 1 year-2 years in the pictures.

KPoos

He's Harry's grandfather. Just found this out yesterday. Small world isn't it? I wouldn't say Harry is the sharpest knife in the drawer either but he's a cool kid.