Cavoodle Coat Colours: Everything you need to know about how a cavoodle gets its coat colouring

These days it's not uncommon to mistake a Cavoodle for another breed, this is probably because some Cavoodles are so unique in colouring you wonder whether it's really a Cavoodle at all!

Born from the original union of a Poodle and a King Charles Cavalier, Cavoodles inherit their coat colours from both parents, resulting in truly mesmerising varieties.

With the rising popularity of the breed and advancements in genetic testing, new coat colour trends are emerging among Cavoodles. 

Breeders now have the ability to predict the potential coat colours of a Cavoodle litter by analysing the colour genes carried by the parents by doing genetic DNA testing. This exciting development allows breeders to offer a wider range of coat colour options for prospective Cavoodle owners.

So to understand what colours a Cavoodle can be you need to understand that the coat colour combinations will derive from the colour genetics of a Poodle and King Charles Cavalier.

 

The Poodle

According to the American Kennel Club a Poodle can be of the following solid colours: 

• Black: A solid black coat without any other colour markings.

• White: A solid white coat without any other colour markings.

• Brown: Also known as chocolate, this colour is a solid rich brown shade.

• Cream/Apricot: Ranging from a light cream to a deeper apricot colour, this shade can have variations in intensity.

• Gray: A solid gray coat, sometimes referred to as blue, which can range from a dark shade to a lighter silver colour.

• Silver: A lighter shade of gray with a distinct silver hue.

• Red: A solid deep red shade, similar to a mahogany colour.

• Cafe au Lait: A light brown colour with a hint of gray or silver, resembling the colour of coffee with milk.

In addition to these solid colours, Poodles can also have various patterns and markings, including parti, phantom, and abstract. These patterns often combine multiple colours, adding further variety to the Poodle's appearance and making them unique for breeding.

 

What is a parti poodle? Can cavoodles be parti coated?

A parti poodle is a Poodle with a coat colour pattern that consists of large patches or spots of two or more colours. This pattern can be seen on various parts of the dog's body, including the head, body, and limbs. Parti poodles have a base colour, which can be any solid colour recognised in Poodles, and then have contrasting patches or spots of a different colour.

Yes, cavoodles can have parti coats, it just means they have a prominent solid base colour with different coloured patches. My daisy is an example of a Parti cavoodle. 

 

What is a phantom poodle? Can cavoodles be phantom coated?

The phantom pattern consists of solid base colour markings with distinct tan or cream points on specific areas like the eyebrows, cheeks, inside the ears, chest, legs, and beneath the tail.

The base colour of a phantom poodle can be any recognised solid colour, such as black, brown, red, apricot, or silver.

Yes, cavoodles can come in phantom colouring but they are much more rare and unique, not every cavoodle puppy in the litter will be a phantom even if the poodle parent is.

 

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, can also come in various coat colours and patterns too including these four main ones: 

• Blenheim: This is the most well-known and classic colour for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. Blenheim Cavaliers have a rich chestnut coat with white markings on the face, chest, and legs.

• Tricolour: Tricolor Cavaliers have a black and white coat with tan markings above the eyes, on the cheeks, inside the ears, and on the legs.

• Black and Tan: Cavaliers with a black and tan coat have a black base with tan markings above the eyes, on the cheeks, inside the ears, on the chest, and on the legs.

• Ruby: Ruby Cavaliers have a rich, solid red coat without any white or tan markings.

 

Cavoodle Coat Colours

Now that we have explained the genetic colours of poodles and cavaliers, it will explain how we are able to get a magnitude of different coloured cavoodles including:

 

1. Solid Colours

• Black: A Cavoodle can have a solid black coat.

 

• White: Solid white cavoodles with no markings are also possible, but on the more rare side.

 

• Brown: A solid brown coat, often referred to as "chocolate," is another option.

 

• Cream & Apricot: Cavoodles can have a solid cream-colored coat. (“Apricot” is a term also used as a colour to describe cavoodle coats but it's a mix between a cream and ruby coat, not as white as cream but not a deep ruby red). For example in the photos below you can see the slight difference.

 

 

• Ruby: This is probably the most common cavoodle coloured coat and its more of a rich red than brown. 

 

2. Bicolor Combinations:

• Black and White: Cavoodles can have a combination of black and white, with a predominantly black or white base coat and markings of the opposite colour.

 

• Ruby and White: Similar to black and white, Cavoodles can have ruby and white combinations.

 

• Black and Tan: This combination includes a black base coat with tan markings on specific areas like the face, legs, and chest.

 

3. Tricolor Combinations:

 

• Black, White, and Tan: Cavoodles can have a tricolor combination with a black base coat, white markings, and tan points.

 

• Merle: is another unique coat for cavoodles where they have a bluish-gray base coat with irregular patches or marbling of black or darker gray throughout the coat. This creates a unique and striking appearance. The merle pattern can vary in intensity and distribution, resulting in different coat variations.

 

• Sable: Sable cavoodles have a coat that combines different shades of red, often with black tipping, resulting in a mottled or shaded appearance. This is a very rare colouring.

 

As you can see cavoodles can come in a vast range of coloured coats. It's important to remember that while coat colour is a desirable trait, other factors such as health, temperament, and suitability to your lifestyle should also be considered when choosing a Cavoodle puppy. 

 

FAQs

 

Why do you see a lot of ruby and Apricot coloured cavoodles around?

 

We believe this comes from the popularity of their appealing and sought-after aesthetics. As a result, breeders may specifically select and breed dogs with these coat colours to meet the demand in the market. This increases the likelihood of seeing more of these ruby coloured cavoodles around. 

 

Also because the poodle has a fading gene that many people do not realise, some ruby cavoodles may fade over time and their coat colour will then turn Apricot once they have been groomed and their adult coat comes in. So this is why you will see these coloured cavoodles around more often.