[Tray Mer]

What do you see as the pros and cons of each coat color? I imagine white coats are harder to keep looking clean and show tear stains more; I have read that red coats can be slightly harder to maintain because they are a bit finer; I imagine black coats make it harder to see the expression of your dogs face from further away...
Ultimately, I realize temperament is the most important thing, but I'd love to hear your thoughts and opinions about coat colour! 😀
Thank you!

 

[Asta's Mom]

It is more my bifocal lenses that make it harder to see my black Asta. He always seems to settle down and watch me at that in-between distance. But by his head posture I can tell he is watching me. Probably reading my facial expressions -lol.
Will say that black does really well in our fields and woods. Doesn't show dirt as much as I would imagine other colors do. Maybe a parti is the best of both worlds..

 

[FloofyPoodle]

Don’t have experience with anything but black/blue, but I do have a hard time searching for ticks on Fluffy. It’s also harder to take pictures when the dog is so dark! On the plus side, tear stains are nonexistent, and I don’t have to keep him so clean because of that.

 

[For Want of Poodle]

Black... hotter in the summer, harder to photograph her expression, harder to find ticks. But... more intimidating (good thing, to me, she needs all the help she can get at that), IMO the most elegant looking, doesnt look dirty or get tear stains, easy to see in the snow. Some say the blacks and whites have a better coat quality than the other colours.

Honestly - I would chose by puppy personality and breeder, not colour.

 

[Raindrops]

I have no trouble viewing Misha's expressions from far away. He's extremely obvious and shows everything in body language even if I can't see his face. I love the black hair because it hides any sort of staining. I do wear a headlamp when I'm doing any grooming so that I can see the hair clearly. People often complain that it's hard to photograph a black dog but I've never had any issue. Modern phones do a great job of managing black dogs. He doesn't show well on a Zoom video cam though. He's just a black blob with a mouth.

I'd consider any color other than white. Just because I couldn't keep a white dog clean. Personality is the most important factor.

 

[Raven's Mom]

I can see Wren’s facial expressions in person easily but he is more difficult to photograph than Raven...of course I am also a terrible photographer, it is my dream to have portraits made of them by a professional some day. Wren has the more correct coat type, thicker and courser that Raven’s. Oddly, though, she has the fuller topknot and denser facial hair. I can shave her face with a 40 but I have to use a 15 on Wren for he he is scalped. Raven’s face being lighter gray does showtear staining if you look closely, but I don’t think most people notice.

 

[Phoebe’sMom]

I have a black but I have meet almost every color of poodle being a vet tech and I agree with everyone who posted before me. Phoebe loves to chew bones which sometimes show up on her black fur and it can get bleached red by the sun if you aren't careful. Not sure if this is true but the vet I work under says the reds/apricots are sassier then other colors, might have just been the few she has meet. Although my groomer says that whites are cleaner because you can see the dirt sooner than on darker colors which hide it. Love this thread and hope to see other colors join in as well.

 

[cowpony]

Galen, being black, is pretty much invisible at night. I cant tell where he is or what he's doing when I let him out to potty after sunset. One time I took him out during what I thought was a lull in a storm. A lightning bolt hit something nearby with a great thunder crack. Galen shrieked and tore away from me in panic. I couldn't see where he went at all and was terrified he would find a gap in the fence. Luckily he ran to the porch door. After that I put an LED on his collar.

 

[PeggyTheParti]

Peggy's white parts remind me of a little lamb, which I love. But they can get quite grimy looking after a good walk or play session. I can also see her pink skin through the white hair, especially after she's been groomed, which makes those spots look a little sparse.

Her black spots, on the other hand, have blue skin underneath, which makes those parts of her coat look even more thick and healthy.

In general, I find black poodles to be real showstoppers. A shaved face catches the light nicely, making it easy to see their eyes and facial expression, which I find extremely helpful when training.

 

[Tray Mer]

H

I have a black but I have meet almost every color of poodle being a vet tech and I agree with everyone who posted before me. Phoebe loves to chew bones which sometimes show up on her black fur and it can get bleached red by the sun if you aren't careful. Not sure if this is true but the vet I work under says the reds/apricots are sassier then other colors, might have just been the few she has meet. Although my groomer says that whites are cleaner because you can see the dirt sooner than on darker colors which hide it. Love this thread and hope to see other colors join in as well.

Interesting! I'd love to hear from those with reds/apricots!

 

[Tray Mer]

Galen, being black, is pretty much invisible at night. I cant tell where he is or what he's doing when I let him out to potty after sunset. One time I took him out during what I thought was a lull in a storm. A lightning bolt hit something nearby with a great thunder crack. Galen shrieked and tore away from me in panic. I couldn't see where he went at all and was terrified he would find a gap in the fence. Luckily he ran to the porch door. After that I put an LED on his collar.

Good tip about the light, if we end up with a black poodle!

 

[Raindrops]

Good tip about the light, if we end up with a black poodle!

Misha has a permanent cat bell on his collar. Helps when it's dark out and tracking where he is when not in my line of sight.

 

[Dianaleez]

If we'd had the option, I'd have chosen a black. Black poodles can be the most elegant dogs! And now that I've seen parti's here, I think they're beauties. And don't get me started on silver-gray's elegance....

Normie's a cinnamon color - officially 'red' but a warm red-brown in reality. It's my guess that he's going to fade to cream - the wiry hairs that have come in on his back are lighter than the rest of his fur. (Normie didn't come from someone who breeds reds; his litter was mixed, so we always knew that he would probably fade.)

I love him the color he is. But the downside of 'red' is that in most cases there will be some change. There are true red breeders if you're willing to wait.

 

[Carolinek]

Gracie is my first black dog and my first 100% poodle. I love the black, and agree it is so elegant.
I agree with all that has been posted. I will add that she has a beautiful thick coat, that is very water repellent. I actually heard blacks have the best

coats. She is doggy friends with her cousin who lives nearby, and is a white poodle. His coat is pretty but nowhere near as thick as hers, your fingers just disappear in her coat. And so soft.

I haven’t noticed she gets the rust stains, and she does like to lay in the sun. However, I use Chris Christensen’s Back on Black shampoo at least every two weeks, so that may help.

Here’s a couple pics- they are done by a professional, I do have trouble getting good pics of her.

 

[Tray Mer]

Gracie is my first black dog and my first 100% poodle. I love the black, and agree it is so elegant.
I agree with all that has been posted. I will add that she has a beautiful thick coat, that is very water repellent. I actually heard blacks have the best View attachment 467992 View attachment 467993 coats. She is doggy friends with her cousin who lives nearby, and his coat is pretty but nowhere near as thick as hers, your fingers just disappear in her coat. And so soft.

I haven’t noticed she gets the rust stains, and she does like to lay in the sun. However, I use Chris Christensen’s Back on Black shampoo at least every two weeks, so that may help.

Here’s a couple pics- they are done by a professional, I do have trouble getting good pics of her.

She's gorgeous!!

 

[Carolinek]

Thank you, I am quite smitten with her! Good luck in your search 😀

 

[Carolinek]

And you asked about red, my poodle mix Max is an apricot sable. He has a poodle coat and doesn’t show the dirt that easy, not like a white dog and is easier to see to groom. His coat is thinner than Gracie’s and not as soft, but he is a mix too. Here’s a pic of his coat, he is ten years old. It’s an interesting color, one you find now and then in poodles.

 

[twyla]

Well I thought I'd have more trouble with a white poodle

But mywhite toy boy Leonard is lovely he is my 7th poodle so I have had two silvers Fannie and Pia, a silver beige Baby, a cafe au lait Beatrice, a blue and red phantom Flower and a black and cream phantom Cappucino.
They are dogs and they get dirty, never horribly so, though sweet Pia lives to roll in stinky stuff given a chance.
Leonard is in my opinion drop dead gorgeous, he has such an intense gaze.
Well bred poodles just are equisite to behold.

 

[Carolinek]

Let’s face it they’re all beautiful! I could have one in every color if I won the lottery. Personality and health first and foremost. Someone here has a quote about building the house before you paint it, that’s a good way to think of it.
I am quite in love with black houses lately though, lol.