Types of Goldendoodle Colors – With Pictures! (2024)

Simply put, there are lots of Goldendoodle colors that you can purchase from a breeder. With the surging popularity of the English Goldendoodle breed due to their hypoallergenic, nonshedding hair and their easy temperaments, they are being bred in all different sizes and colors. As one of the most friendly, affectionate, and playful dog breeds, you’ll see Goldendoodle colors range from white to apricot to dark black. Breeders are getting fancier with their colors and you’ll even see some rare multi-color Goldendoodles like parti Goldendoodles or phantom Goldendoodles. With the advancement in DNA tests, Goldendoodle breeders have the capability to virtually create any color coat.

Despite being called a “Golden” doodle, these designer dogs come in so many different colors other than Golden. So how do you choose which Goldendoodle color is right for you?

We Love Doodles has compiled a list – with pictures – of the full range of Goldendoodle colors to help you decide which coat color is right for you and which color you think is the cutest! So let’s learn about all the different types of Goldendoodle colors and admire a whole lot of cute pictures!

If you’re looking to purchase a Goldendoodle puppy, we highly recommend that you check out Premier Pups or PuppySpot. Both are reputable breeders that can deliver all around the United States.

Why are there so many Goldendoodle Colors?

There are three standard Golden Retriever Colors that the American Kennel Club (AKC) officially recognizes: Dark Golden, Golden, and Light Golden. On the other hand, the AKC recognizes seven different types of Poodle colors: Apricot, Blue, Silver, Grey, Brown, Cream, and Cafe-au-lait. Mixing the Golden Retriever and Poodle colors leads to several possible different types of Goldendoodle coat colors.

Despite not being recognized by the AKC, there are also several “parti” two-colored Poodles and Golden Retrievers that can be passed on to Goldendoodle generations. In addition, there are unique colored dogs such as black Golden Retrievers and white-colored Poodles. The variation of Goldendoodle coat colors is virtually infinite.

We created a video for you on all the different types of Goldendoodle colors. Watch it below!

Brown Goldendoodle

Brown Goldendoodles have one of the more popular coat colors for a Goldendoodle. We describe the term brown as a deep and rich mahogany to dark walnut color. The AKC recognizes the “Brown” Poodle as an official dog breed so you will see a lot of brown Goldendoodles around your dog park. Since “Cafe-au-lait” is also an official Poodle color that looks like brown, you see many brown-ish Goldendoodle colors.

The brown coloring in Goldendoodles typically comes from the dominant genes of the Poodle. However, the color brown often carries a recessive gene color of black or silver. It is not uncommon to breed two brown Goldendoodles together and get different colored Goldendoodles because the brown coloring is masked by two recessive genes. For instance, you could get sable, phantom, or parti Goldendoodle depending on the K, A, and S locus. You will not always get the same color of Goldendoodle when you breed two colors together!

Apricot Goldendoodle

The apricot Goldendoodle is one of the most sought-after colors of Goldendoodle because they look like a sweet little teddy bear. Since the AKC recognizes the “Apricot” Poodle as an official dog breed, it is a relatively common color that is bred between Goldendoodles.

Almost always, you will see apricot Goldendoodles contain black physical attributes throughout their body including their nose, eyes, toenails, and eye rims. In addition, the apricot Goldendoodle coats do tend to lighten over time and can oftentimes be confused with a tan Goldendoodle or cream Goldendoodle.

Fun fact: the apricot Poodle color was the last official Poodle color to be accepted by the AKC in 1898. It is highly suspected that the apricot Poodle color came about as a rare combination of blue, brown, and silver genes.

Red Goldendoodle

Like the apricot Goldendoodle, the red Goldendoodle is one of the most sought-after coat colors for a Goldendoodle. Again, this is because red Goldendoodles resemble that of a teddy bear. The red-colored Goldendoodle is a red mahogany color that is the “brightest” of all the Goldendoodle coat colors.

Red isn’t an official Poodle or Golden Retriever recognized by the AKC, but it is regularly conceived for Goldendoodles by mixing a darker-colored poodle with a normal-colored Golden Retriever. Red Goldendoodles are what most people think when they hear the term “Goldendoodle.”

Cream Goldendoodle

People oftentimes get cream Goldendoodles mixed up with white Goldendoodles or a Labradoodle due to the light-colored coat. We like to call them cream Goldendoodles because cream is an official color accepted by the AKC for Poodles. When you look at parti Goldendoodles, merle Goldendoodles, or even phantom Goldendoodles, you will notice that the cream color is very commonly used to breed a multi-color coat.

Cream Goldendoodles are often unique because their physical attributes can vary widely. You will see some cream Goldendoodles with light brown noses, lighter shades of eyes, and lighter toenails. You will also notice that many cream Goldendoodles have pinkish skin underneath their coat. This color has the largest variation of physical attributes and it’s unlikely you’ll spot two of the same cream Goldendoodles with the exact same features.

Black Goldendoodle

Black Goldendoodles are one of the more unique varieties of Goldendoodles. Yes, black Goldendoodles do exist, and they are just as intelligent and playful as the other colors of Goldendoodle. A black Goldendoodle is a genetic diversity factor of a recessive gene that can be found in either the Golden Retriever or Poodle. In order to create a black Goldendoodle, both the Golden Retriever and the Poodle will need to carry this recessive black gene. Thus, this color is quite rare compared to apricot Goldendoodles or cream Goldendoodles.

Generally speaking, black Goldendoodles are almost always all black. This includes their noses, paw pads, eyes, and other physical attributes. In other Goldendoodle colors, you will see a lot more variation in their physical traits, but black Goldendoodles tend to almost always be pure black.

Parti Goldendoodle

A parti Goldendoodle is one that contains two different coat colors with one of those colors being at least 50% white. The secondary color of a parti Goldendoodle can be any color, but common colors for a parti Goldendoodle are apricot and tan.

Recessive genes are the ones that create the parti Goldendoodle color and override the solid color coat. Thus, it’s extremely rare to find parti Goldendoodles that are not multi-generation Goldendoodles with more Poodle genetics. In order to get a parti-color Goldendoodle, you need to breed rare recessive genes with other rare recessive genes. One dominant gene messes up the color of a parti Goldendoodle and can mask the recessive genes. This makes predicting the color of your parti Goldendoodle difficult without an extensive DNA test. Due to its rarity, this is typically why no two parti Goldendoodles look alike.

Black and White Goldendoodle

The black and white Goldendoodle is my personal favorite for the cutest parti Goldendoodle. The black and white Goldendoodle has very specific features that include a white chest, a white nose, and a streak of white on the top of its head. Another name that the black and white Goldendoodle is often called is the Tuxedo Goldendoodle due to the coloring. However, a Tuxedo Goldendoodle has certain marks that are different than the black and white Goldendoodle on their coat including a white bib, a white belly, white hind legs, and the black color that extends down the entire back.

In order to get a black and white Goldendoodle, you would essentially need to breed a Golden Retriever with a parti Poodle and hope that the genes pass through. This makes the black and white Goldendoodle extremely rare.

Sable Goldendoodle

Sable Goldendoodles are one of the most unique types of Goldendoodle coats. Believe it or not, sable Goldendoodles are born a solid black or dark brown as a puppy. With age, the puppy coat begins to grow out and the solid color begins to fade. Eventually, the sable Goldendoodles will mature into a lighter cream Goldendoodle or tan Goldendoodle with black tips. It’s quite amazing tips of the black and white Goldendoodle don’t fade.

Merle Goldendoodle

Merle-colored Goldendoodles are most commonly combined when a Poodle is bred with an Australian Shephard or Border Collie. Though rare, merle Goldendoodles can occur from breeding Goldendoodles with other Goldendoodles. Most merle Goldendoodles aren’t actually Goldendoodles but instead are technically Aussiedoodles.

The merle Goldendoodle color is the opposite of a parti Goldendoodle. Merle combinations are dominant genes that override a solid color Goldendoodle. In order to get a merle-colored Goldendoodle, you need to have at least one parent to be merle-colored and mask the recessive genes. Because of the dominant genes, two Merle-colored Goldendoodles should never be bred together. If they are bred together, merle Goldendoodles can often be blind, deaf, or have other deformities.

Grey Goldendoodle

Grey Goldendoodles are very similar to silver Poodles in that they are oftentimes born a dark black color and their hair clears by the age of 2 years and turns grey. After the 2-year mark, grey Goldendoodles typically look like rustic silver and are no longer black colored. You will typically know after 6 weeks whether your Goldendoodle hair will clear up to be a grey Goldendoodle.

Another way to get a grey-colored Goldendoodle is to create an Aussiedoodle which is a mixed designer dog breed between an Australian Shephard and Golden Retriever. Though not technically considered a Goldendoodle, they are a grey-colored Doodle.

Phantom Goldendoodle

Phantom Goldendoodles are considered a rare color for a Goldendoodle. Unlike the parti Goldendoodle, phantom Goldendoodles must have two colors in very specific locations of the dog. The location of the coloring is similar to that of a Yorkie or a Manchester. A phantom Goldendoodle must have a primary color that covers a majority of the body. The second color will appear in the eyes, on the muzzle of the nose, and lower parts of the legs.

Phantom Goldendoodles are commonly colored black and tan, but the results may often times vary. We’ve seen several mixes of silver, red, and black for phantom Goldendoodles. It’s rare that two phantom Goldendoodles will look the same.

It’s very easy to tell if your dog will be a phantom Goldendoodle because they are always born with the markings. In other words, you cannot develop the colorings of a phantom Goldendoodle over time. In terms of temperament and other traits, they are the same as any other Goldendoodle, but their coat is extremely rare.

Tan Goldendoodle

Tan Goldendoodles are often a combination of the apricot Goldendoodle and cream Goldendoodle. You will see shades of white as well as lighter apricot in their fur. These attributes typically come from the standard Golden Retriever.

Rare Goldendoodle Colors

Goldendoodles can come in basically an infinite amount of colors. The rarest Goldendoodle colors will be from multiple generations of Goldendoodles bred together where their recessive coat color traits are present instead of masked by dominant genes. These colors will include grey, blue, and silver. In addition, it is rare to develop multi-colored Goldendoodles such as the parti Goldendoodle and phantom Goldendoodle. Keep in mind that rare Goldendoodle colors also tend to cost as much as two to three times the normal price of a Goldendoodle.

Coat Color Changes

Often times Goldendoodles will have a puppy coat that is one solid color. As a dog owner, you must understand that there are many variables that can affect the color of the adult coat that is out of your control. When a puppy keeps their same color coat into adulthood this is known as “holding.” Often times though, a puppy coat will fade or lighten or dull to another color with is known as “clearing.”

As your Goldendoodle starts to develop its adult coat, you will also notice that certain parts of its coat will hold more color. Specifically, Goldendoodles tend to hold their puppy colors around their ears and muzzles.

In general, we recommend that you choose a Goldendoodle color that is slightly darker than your anticipated dog coat color. This is because it is likely that your Goldendoodle’s coat will clear as it starts to develop its adult coat.

What Color Will my Goldendoodle Puppy be?

Due to an infinite amount of different Goldendoodle colors, it’s almost impossible to tell you what color your Goldendoodle puppies will be without a DNA test. For instance, just because a Poodle is black doesn’t mean that the dog is likely to produce all-black puppies. In order to correctly tell, you will have to look at the dog’s genetics including the genotype and phenotype.

Running a DNA test will show the different types of alleles that are present and whether they are dominant or recessive genes. Alleles come in pairs, so for instance, B is a dominant black allele and b is a recessive black allele. It’s relatively common for a black dog to mate with another black dog and the offspring is brown. This comes from a combination of the dominant and recessive alleles.

Conclusion

The AKC doesn’t officially recognize Goldendoodle colors. However, it does recognize 3 colors of Golden Retriever and 7 colors of Poodle. This leads to an almost infinite amount of possibilities as breeders continue to have multi-generation Goldendoodles where recessive coat color generations can be shown. We have created a list of the most common Goldendoodles colors from the Brown Goldendoodle, Apricot Goldendoodle, Red Goldendoodle, Cream Goldendoodle, Black Goldendoodle, Parti Goldendoodle, Merle Goldendoodle, Grey Goldendoodles, and Tan Goldendoodles.

Which color Goldendoodle are you going to choose?

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