Black, apricot, and cream Labradoodle colors might be popular among owners of this mixed breed, but there are many more shades and patterns that equally enhance the beauty of the crossbreeds and their coats.
Labradors and Poodles are cute, but their cross puppies are even more appealing, no matter which shade they’re colored in.
These hybrid doggies contain the best traits of both purebred canines, which is why they were crossed in the first place.
If you want to learn more about all the Labradoodle colors, all you need to do is keep scrolling and read the complete guide of the beautiful shades of this crossbreed!
Mixed breeds usually inherit the traits of both parent breeds, including the different colors of their coat, temperament, and physical features.
Labradoodles’ hairstyle is similar to Poodles’, which isn’t surprising considering that the Poodle parent also inherits the curls from the Labradoodle’s coat.
All of these hues will be described in the paragraphs below, including the rarest Labradoodle shades that you might not have come across before.
1. Apricot
This type of Labradoodle coat color is also known as the golden Labradoodle because it resembles the trademark color of Golden Retrievers.
However, the apricot hue is acknowledged as one of the official colors of Poodles – one of the parent breeds of Labradoodles, and the color gene carrier.
Apricot Labradoodles are one of the most popular types of this mixed breed mainly because they remind us of fluffy teddy bears.
Even though the majority of their coat is colored in the apricot shade, the pigment around the nose, eyes, and paws is usually colored in black or in dark brown.
Don’t be surprised if your crossbreed becomes lighter as it gets older… to the point that it might even be confused for a Cream Doodle.
2. Red
Experts in Doodles will immediately know that the red Labradoodles inherited this shade from red Poodles – their parent breed.
However, the red color gene is recessive, which is why it’s more challenging to produce Labradoodles of this color.
This shade is quite similar to the apricot color, but Red Labradoodles have a significantly deeper hue.
This type of shade could also be described as a mahogany hue because they share almost the same richness in color.
The American Kennel Club does not recognize the color red as an official Poodle or Labrador Retriever coat shade.
On the other hand, Labradoodle breeders frequently refer to this canine as “red” due to the fact that this coat shade is a result of crossing a regular tanned or cream Lab with a deeper-colored Poodle (red, if possible).
3. Parti
Have you ever heard of a Parti Poodle? I’d wish to say that this is a type of Poodle that loves to party, but this time, it’s about the coat shade that consists of multiple colors.
One of the most common misconceptions about Parti Labradoodles is that they’re a mix of a Lab and the Parti Poodle. However, the Lab doesn’t carry this color gene.
In order to get a Parti pattern, both parent breeds have to be carriers, which is why this pattern is commonly present only in F1 and F1b Labradoodles and those of higher generations.
The Parti Poodle Lab cross has two distinct coat shades – one being white, which serves as the base color, while the other shade might be in any Poodle hue, except for brown or golden/apricot.
When looking at a Parti Labradoodle, you can also see tints of silver or blue every once in a while. These pups also have a black nose in most cases, just like the Labradoodle types mentioned above.
4. Cream
Cream Labradoodles (also known as caramel cream) are one of the most prevalent types of Labradoodles, which are often related to white or golden pups, even though their coat is darker than white, but paler than the apricot ones.
The color of their fur is supposed to be uniform throughout their entire coat, although some pups might have a little deeper tint concentrated on the areas around the eyes, nose, and mouth.
This type of color is often used as a base shade for other Labradoodle colors, such as merle, parti (in some cases, although white appears much more often), and Phantom Labradoodles.
An interesting fact about this type of Doodle is that even though it’s one of the most common colors among Lab and Poodle mixes, it’s still quite unique as their characteristics vary greatly depending on the colors and traits of their parent breeds.
Therefore, some cream pups might end up with a black or a brown nose, eyes of varying colors, and even paws in brighter or deeper shades.
5. Black
This color of Labradoodle is quite popular, but it might not be as common as the cream shade mentioned above.
The main reason for that is the fact that the black pigment also comes from a recessive gene, which requires both parent breeds to carry the same color pigment.
However, there is no guarantee that a Black Labradoodle will result from two black parent breeds as they might be born in a hazel hue or in a chocolate shade.
The highest chances of receiving a black Labradoodle are if black Labradors mix with black Poodles. Everything else will probably end up in a darker shade, but far from the black hue.
It’s important to mention that these canines don’t have the same feature of having brighter or darker parts around certain parts of their face as Labradoodles in other shades have.
A lot of people confuse these pups with black Goldendoodles; however, the black color is very uncommon in the latter Doodle type, which is why you’ll rarely have a chance to see them.
6. Blue
One of the main misconceptions about blue Labradoodles and blue Poodles is that they are actually colored in blue.
This shade can be best described as a dark, shadowy-gray hue, which is quite uncommon. Canines can only have this type of color if they receive the Poodle gene that causes fading of the coat shade.
On the other hand, this color can also be a result of a combination of parent breeds that are both carriers of the diluted pigment.
Two purebred canines, the blue Poodle and the standard Lab, create a pup with a unique hue that can’t be described either as gray or black.
Is Blue A Standard Color Of Labradoodles?
Blue Labradoodles are almost always born with a black coat, so it’s difficult to determine the right shade of the coat during early puppyhood.
The term ‘blue shade’ is believed to be used only to define the variation of the black hue in the color spectrum.
This shade is most commonly described as the Labradoodle’s silvery black or blue-gray hue.
7. Café
This shade is quite rare, and it is more often related to Australian Labradoodles – the combination of the Cocker Spaniel, the Lab, and the Poodle.
Aussie Labradoodles share many similar traits with the Lab and Poodle cross, including coat colors.
Both Aussies and standard Labradoodles will appear in the café color, which is commonly described as a shade combination of a bright chocolate color (milk choco shade) and a tanned-silver hue.
The dominant nose pigment is brown, which appears only if one parent possesses the same nose color.
Is Café A Standard Labradoodle Shade?
This coat color doesn’t seem to appear as an official shade of this dog breed often, primarily because they’re defined as a subtype of chocolate Labradoodles.
However, this isn’t the only shade that is under the chocolate color category. Lavender and parchment are also often mentioned as variations of the chocolate/brown spectrum.
Many will agree that café indeed looks just like the diluted brown color, but the fact that the tips of the hair are usually found in a silvery-beige tone differentiates them from the pure choco color.
8. Chalk
Chalk-white Labradoodles are often confused with cream Labradoodles, although once you get a good look at them, it’s possible to see the difference between these two shades.
They are neither white nor cream pups; if these pups stood next to white Poodles, they would look like cream pups. However, once you compare the two, you’ll notice that chalk-whites are definitely lighter than the cream Labradoodles.
The pup of the chalk-white shade should possess the same type of color all over its body, even though it’s possible for a slightly darker tint to surround certain parts of the face (eyes, nose, mouth).
Do Chalk-White Labradoodle Puppies Have Health Issues?
It is not excluded for chalk-white puppies to develop certain health issues related to the eyes, which is a part of the heritage of white (albino) canines that are prone to deafness and blindness in some cases.
Chalk-whites might not develop such serious health conditions, but one of the things that many Labradoodle owners will notice is tear-staining, which can often cause darker patches around the eyes.
White Poodles are usually more prone to tear-staining, but it can be noticed in Poodles and their mixes of other bright shades.
9. Chocolate
If you’ve ever seen a Labradoodle, there are high chances it was a chocolate one since it’s one of the most common color shades, along with cream and black.
One of the main reasons why chocolate Labradoodles (also called brown) are so common is the fact that this is a standard color of Labrador Retrievers.
Poodles also carry the brown gene, although this shade is richer and darker than the Lab one. Brown Poodles are usually described as pups with deep, golden-brown eyes and a rich, brown coat that have liver shade on the tips of the hair.
Brown Labradoodles are the combination of these two parent breeds, so it’s no surprise that these mixed canines come in several shades of brown.
This is because the brighter-colored dominant traits have a tendency to obscure the appearance of the darker-colored recessive genes, which is why this phenomenon occurs.
The most accurate way to characterize a Chocolate Labradoodle is to say that its hue is somewhere between pecan and mahogany.
10. Sable
Pups in this color might not be as common as black Labradoodles, but they’re not the rarest shade of this wonderful crossbreed either.
This isn’t a pattern that Labradoodles are born with, making them even more interesting to many Labradoodle enthusiasts.
A Sable Labradoodle isn’t a solid shade, but rather, a combination of two different hues on each strand of hair. The main shade is always found at the base of the coat hair while the second hue appears only on the tips of it.
The base color can be either black or brown; however, these shades will soon begin to fade, leaving a much lighter coat hue when puppies become adults.
Still, some canines might retain a deeper shade on the tips of their hair, which is known as the sable pattern.
Sable Labradoodles do not differ from other types of Lab and Poodle crosses as the color doesn’t affect any part of their temperament, size, or any other feature except the coat shade.
11. Silver
This is one of the rare Labradoodle colors that is often confused with the blue shade to the point that they’re usually identified as the same hue, although there are slight differences between them.
Silver Labradoodles are quite rare; this shade appears more often as a part of multicolored Labradoodles rather than a single color.
These puppies’ appealing and lovely appearance can be attributed to their unique coat shade. They have silver lines that are found all over their body, which makes the coat hair shiny.
The appearance, coat shade, and type of the Doodle puppy are usually a result of inherited characteristics from the Labradoodle’s ancestors.
Are Labradoodles Silver At Birth?
Just like blue Labradoodles, silver puppies are born with black coat hair, which makes it difficult to define the exact color of the puppy until they grow older.
In order to get a silver Labradoodle, it’s recommended to look for a reputable breeder who is an expert in Doodle crosses. This is the best way to increase the likelihood of obtaining the desired dog shade.
12. Merle
Although it’s categorized as a single color, merle is actually a shade pattern, and it should be described as such.
The Merle pattern is defined as a color gene that is responsible for the formation of multicolored spots in a solid base color of a coat.
Essentially, it can be said that a merle Labradoodle is nothing more than a Labradoodle in any solid shade, with different hue blotches.
Merle is considered to be a complex gene that still intrigues a great number of canine experts.
Merle Poodles can be crossed with merle Labradors in order to get this unique pattern, although both of these parent types are just as rare as their cross.
Are There Double Merle Labradoodles?
This phenomenon can occur in cases where two canines that possess the merle gene are crossed. There are some instances of double merle Labradoodles, although they’re pretty rare.
Unfortunately, puppies with double merle–defined markings are prone to several health issues that include hearing impairment and poor eyesight.
This is the primary reason why ethical Labradoodle breeders avoid crossing two merle pups. Therefore, every potential owner should require at least one single-colored parent, and more information on the bloodline of the pup.