Last week we discussed some of the more common solid coat colors you will see in our breeding program here at Archview Labradoodles. Today, we are going to dive into the world of spots and dots and everything in between! Learn about partis, phantoms and more in this educational blog.
Patterns Galore
To start, there are a handful of acceptable patterns recognized by the Australian Labradoodle Association of American including: solid, solid with white markings, abstract, parti, phantom, sable and brindle. Merle coats, such as what you would see in an Australian Shepherd, can happen however it is not acceptable in the breed standard and is seen as a fault. The ALAA does not allow breeding or full registration of merle puppies.
Party With a Parti
Parti colored Australian Labradoodles will be at least 50% white in color. They will have spots or patches of any other solid color. A perfect parti will have two clearly defined colors, but “ticking” in the white portion of the coat is acceptable (think freckles!). The nose pigment will match that of the solid color throughout the coat.
Fine-Looking Phantoms
Phantom puppies are always popular among our adopters, but aren’t quite as common in our program. The phantom coat gained its name from the mask like appearance the markings make on the coat.
A phantom puppy will have a solid base coat with clearly defined markings above each eye, on the sides of the muzzle, on the throat and chest, on all four feet and below the tail. You can see a wide variety of color combinations in a phantom coat!
The Ladies Love Tri-Colors
One of our fan-favorites in our stud line-up is the always handsome miniature boy, Tucker. Not only does Tucker pass on a wonderful temperament and easy to manage size, but he also sports a striking tri-color coat.
Similar to Bernese Mountain Dogs, a tri-color coat will consist of two solid colors and white. Tri-colored dogs will have clearly defined markings, similar to a phantom, but with the white and secondary color breaking up the pattern.
Our Tucker has a chocolate tri-color coat, but the most common combination is a black tri-color coat (similar to a Bernese Mountain Dog).
As we said in our last blog, do not be surprised if your puppy’s coat color seems to morph over time. That is the beauty of an Australian Labradoodle! Each one is unique in his or her own way.
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