Bernedoodles make great companions since they are of calm temperaments, intensely loyal, and an overall good time. They are basically a bundle of joy that comes in an array of colors. The wonders of Bernedoodles even continue with their coat and color changes as well.
Do Bernedoodles change color?
For F1, F1b, and F2 Bernedoodles, their first fur colors of the base black, chocolate, cream, or red can be temporary and they can fade or change. This happens due to their poodle genealogy so the closest they are to the poodle parent, the more chances of them changing color as they grow up.
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It is rather difficult to guarantee that your Bernedoodle pup will be that one color coat you initially see them. As it is in their genes, it is rather unlikely they will maintain the same color coat. The variety of coat patterns include Phantom (black and rust), Brindle (“tiger stripe”, black, brown, and tan), and Merle (marbled pattern of blue or red varieties).
It is not uncommon to see your puppy have a lot of brown and tan tones in their fur but to see a different coat emerge after the first haircut. Some also start as black but turn cream later on. Ultimately, the genetics of the pup determine whether they will fade or not.
Do Bernedoodles fade and lose their color?
It is believed that any doodle can fade. Since Bernedoodle has Poodle in them, it will have the tendency to fade. The genetics determine if they will fade, so the closer they are to the poodle parent gene, the higher the chances of them fading and losing their color.
It doesn’t matter what their color is, the chances of changing color with age will always be there. By fading we mean their color can change from darker to lighter, such as from black to grey.
It is a bit trickier to say what the brindle and tricolor will fade into, but usually, at around 6 weeks expert eyes can tell what their final colors will be. The final color and how long it can take to achieve it will be variable due to the color itself and the heritage of the pup.
Do Bernedoodles puppies change color?
Bernedoodles have a high chance of changing color, even as pups. Around 9 months of age, they will change their coat and so their color as well.
If they are of the Sable variant, their color can change or lighten with age.
When do Bernedoodles change color?
When your Bernedoodle will start to change color depends on the pattern they have. For example, tricolor Bernedoodles with a phantom poodle parent can start to fade later at half to a full year.
On the other hand, a Tricolor Bernedoodles with a sable poodle parent will fade at 8 to 14 months. So to generalize, the color-changing starts after half a year and usually happens when they are around a year old or so.
Interestingly, if a Berne has a poodle parent that does not fade, they will hold their color as well.
How do you tell if your Bernedoodle will fade?
At this stage of modern medicine and technology, there are no tests available that will let you know if your dog carries the fading gene with 100% accuracy.
If you want to reduce fading in the Bernedoodle genealogy, you have to know their lineage and have parents that have not faded as well as come from long lines of non-fading poodle parents. However, even with all of this, you can’t guarantee that your puppy will not change colors with age.
The easiest way to know is that you can ask your breeder. Since they know the parents, they can tell based on knowing their color genetics. For some cases, the fading happens but it is so minimal that they will look similar overall. This is because their coat pattern does not change.
Hopefully, their color is the least of your priorities since they are subject to change and other qualities such a size and temperament are more of importance.
Do Bernedoodles turn gray?
It does not matter what color your Bernedoodle, they can change colors with age. For Bernedoodles to turn grey, they start out as a black pup.
It isn’t unusual for black doodles to turn gray since silver poodles are first born black and then change 1 to 2 years later.
What colors do Bernedoodles come in?
For base colors, Bernedoodles come in wonderful shades of black, chocolate brown, red, cream, and tans. However, they have delightful variants of different patterns such as tri-color, bi-colors, and many others.
Solid colors:
Bernedoodles can come in black and brown shades, though you usually don’t see them in one solid color, there are more often than not at least two different shades in their coats.
Bi colors:
By bi-colors we mean Bernedoodles that have two shades in their wonderful fur. Phantom, Sable, Brindle, Merle are different variants of bi-color Bernedoodles in all their shades. Bi-colored Bernedoodles can be in blacks, browns, creams, and shades near them.
Tri-color:
Traditionally Bernese Mountain dogs come in the tricolor pattern, which the Bernedoodle inherit. The Tricolor patterns include phantom, sable, and even merle. Usually, a tri-color Bernedoodle is a fluffy canine with black, rust, and white coloring. Basically, they will look very similar to their tri-colored Bernese Mountain Dog ancestors.
They also have a full white mask or a limited white in them.
Here, merle means the pattern in the coat of the dog. Blue merle is a white and gray pattern on a black coat. Basically, this color combination is that of a solid base color with lighter blue, grey, or reddish patches.
Sable, on the other hand, is a coat that has black-tipped hairs on the background of any solid color. They have no particular pattern to discern from.
Brindle is also known as the tiger-striped pattern. This can be blue-based or red-based. This coloring also becomes more prominent with age. Brindle patterns can be solids, brindles with whites, or brindles with phantom coloring.
By phantom, we mean the tricolor Bernedoodle will have black, rust, and white coloring. A phantom tricolor will have a black base coat, tan legs, and minimalistic white on the chest, but they can also be a full white fluffy chest.
If you want to include your dear Bernedoodle into the show dogs category, make sure you comply with the AKC guidelines seeing how there are some variants that the club does not accept as “true”.
Do Bernedoodles have red eyes?
Bernedoodles have dark eyes, but red is not one of their natural, healthy colors.
Red eyes are a sign of conjunctivitis, allergies, or irritants so if you see your beloved canine has it, visit the vet immediately.
Generally, it’s allergies and the trusted vet will assign a Benadryl for your doggy to consume every 6 hours or so.
Can Bernedoodles have blue eyes?
Bernedoodles do not usually have blue eyes. American Kennel Club (AKC) determines blue eyes to be disqualification of “true breeds”.
Though as puppies they can have a bluish or hazel cast, they change later on as they grow up. The Merle variation of the breed is reported to have blue eyes. But in general, Bernedoodles have dark eyes in the brown and black shade range.
Do puppies with blue eyes stay blue?
While puppies with blue eyes are stunning, rarely any of them remain blue over time. Usually, the blue eyes stay around for 3 to 4 months and then they change to something darker, commonly brown.
This change can start to happen around 10 weeks of age.
Do Bernedoodle’s coats change?
Since Bernedoodles are crossbreeds, it’s a coinflip when trying to determine what coat your puppy will have. The Poodle has an infamous curly, non-shedding coat while the Bernese contrastingly has a longhaired straight coat that sheds a lot.
No matter what coats they have, they need regular grooming. Their coats can change over time in between the three main types of straight (hair), wavy (fleece), and curly (wool). Also, Bernedoodles do not have a double coat.
Bernedoodles are a fascinating breed that are the favorites of many dog owners for how versatile they can be. In a way, they never cease to amaze you with their ability to change from puppies to grown adult dogs, with both their temperament and color coats.
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