Do Bernedoodles Change Color? Here’s What to Expect

Bernedoodles are becoming increasingly popular, largely thanks to their friendly personality, affectionate essence, and lovely low-shedding coats.

Given that they are a cross between a Bernese Mountain Dog and a Poodle, their coat has a few color variations. Because they come in a variety of colors, the majority of the color variation found in their fur can be credited to their Poodle genes. 

One of the decisions you’ll have to make if you want to add a Bernedoodle to your family is what color to get.

Do Bernedoodles Change Color? Bernedoodles will change colors as they grow older, and most Bernedoodles coats’ colors fade gradually thanks to their Poodle Parent’s DNA, and their genes will determine which colors will fade and how much they will fade.

Keep on reading to explore more about why Bernedoodles change color and what to expect as they grow older.

Do Bernedoodles Change Colors?

It is indeed hard to predict which color coat your Bernedoodle puppy will have when you first see them, and it’s highly improbable they’ll keep the same color coat because it’s in their genetics.

It is usual for your puppy’s fur to have a bunch of brown and tan shades, and it’s quite usual for these to change slightly as they grow up, and this change is usually in the form of the darker spots fading. Many Bernedoodles will have spots that begin black but end up turning cream. 

Finally, the genetic factors play a vital part in determining whether the puppy’s color will fade.

Whatever color they are, the possibility of changing color as they grow is always there. By fading, we imply that their color can transition from dark color to light, for example, from black to grey.

It is more difficult to predict what the bicolor and tricolor will fade into, but at roughly six weeks, specialist eyes can generally tell what their shades will ultimately be. 

The final color and the time it takes to reach it will vary depending on the color and the pup’s gene.

When does the color of a Bernedoodle start to change?

The coloring on your Bernedoodle determines when they will begin to shift color. Tricolor Bernedoodles having phantom poodle parents, for instance, may begin to fade around six months to a year.

A Tricolor Bernedoodles with a sable poodle father, on the contrary, will start fading between the ages of 8 and 14 months. To summarise, the color-changing begins approximately half a year and normally occurs when they are about a year old.

Surprisingly, if a Bernedoodle has a non-fading poodle parent, they will retain their color too.

How can you determine if your Bernedoodle is going to fade?

There are no existing examinations that can accurately tell whether your dog has the fading gene at this time with current medical tech.

To decrease fading in the Bernedoodle bloodline, you must identify their genealogy, have parents who do not possess the fading gene and descend from lengthy generations of non-fading poodle ancestors. However, even if you somehow were able to do this, you still cannot ensure that the color of your puppy won’t change over the years.

The simplest method to find out is to directly ask the breeder. They are the ones that know the parents, their colors, and their genetics. Knowing the history of previous puppy litters of the same parents, most breeders can accurately guesstimate what colors your Bernedoodle puppy will end up. 

Fading occurs in certain situations, although it is so minor that they appear the same overall. This is due to the fact that their coat pattern does not alter.

Fortunately, their color is the smallest of your concerns because it is almost definitely guaranteed to change with time, but it has no effect on the dog’s health or personality, while other features like size and demeanor are much more important to the dog’s health and can play an important role in their quality of life. 

Colors and Patterns of Bernedoodles

Bernedoodles are available in many colors, but it’s not just the variety of colors that gives this dog such an appealing and distinct attribute. They are also available in a variety of designs. 

The options are infinite when it comes to picking a Bernedoodle.

Genetic factors have a significant role in the color of a dog when it is born and when it becomes a mature dog. It’s pretty unusual for a puppy to have one color as a puppy and appear completely different when it matures.

Aside from the extremely basic solid colors that are the most common in Bernedoodles, their color variations can be established through generational reproduction. 

F1 Bernedoodles, the offspring of a Bernese Mountain Dog and a Poodle, typically appear in colors comparable to the Bernese Mountain Dog, such as:

• Black and White Bernedoodle Color: The colors black and white Bernedoodles frequently have little white markings on their nose and chest. Occasionally white fur patches appear around their paws, giving the impression that they are wearing boots.

• Merle Bernedoodle Color: Merle coats are frequently inherited when one parent has the same color or carries a recessive gene. Merle colors vary, but Bernedoodles with red, brown, black, and white spots are common. Merle Bernedoodles will also come in blue, grey, and white.

• Black Bernedoodle Color: Bernedoodles with all-black coats are rare and hard to locate. A recessive gene present in one or both parents causes a solid black coat. This coat is extremely unusual and is typically present in only one puppy out of a whole breed. The fluffy all-black coat gives a Bernedoodle the appearance of an adorable tiny bear.

• Tricolor Bernedoodle: The tri-color Bernedoodle is perhaps the most desired color of this breed. People enjoy seeing a multicolored dog. The white pigment is usually found on the Bernedoodle’s chest, legs, or head. The rest of the body is a mix of darker hues such as black, brown, or apricot. 

• Sable Bernedoodle Color: Bernedoodle puppies with sable coats are produced with a dark brown or solid black coat. This implies that if you chose your dog as a puppy believing they would keep this solid color their whole life, you might be fooled later on. As your Bernedoodle gets older, the sable coat appears, and the solid color fades. The Bernedoodle’s initial coat coloration is normally visible around the ears, but the remainder of the body begins to fade into light colors.

• Phantom Bernedoodle Color: Bernedoodles with two colors in certain regions of the body are known as phantom-colored Bernedoodles. The color distribution is sometimes comparable to that of other dog breeds, like the Manchester or Yorkie. The main color comprises the majority of the dog’s body, while a secondary color may be found towards the bottom portion of the legs, around the eyes, and on the snout of the nose.

• Chocolate Bernedoodle Color: Chocolate Bernedoodles have a deep chestnut color that is consistent throughout the body. The color is conceivable because one or both parents have a dominant black or silver gene. The chocolate-colored fur of the dog keeps the same shade during his lifetime. Most chocolate Bernedoodles have little spots of other colored hair on their bodies, but they are noticeable throughout puppyhood.

How Bernadoodle each color changes?

Bernedoodles will change their color as they become older, no matter what color they are. 

The coats of Bernedoodle puppies go through a fading or retaining period. The retaining period indicates that your puppy’s coat will remain the same color during their life, whereas the fading phase lightens or fades the coat. During the fading phase, the coat also might become rather dull.

These stages begin when your Bernedoodle begins to acquire a mature coat. This is also when you will find that color will retain better in some areas of the coat than others. Color retention is especially frequent around the nose and ears of coats.

Here are examples of how each color of the coat might change

Changes in Sable Color

Sable Bernedoodles are born dark, almost black. You can detect if they are sable by the time they are a few days old. The ears, eyes, nose, and behind the tail are the first indicators of a sable Bernedoodle. 

When sable bernedoodles are six weeks old, the color behind their eyes tells you what color they will fade out to. 

Around and underneath the eyes of Sable Bernedoodles are frequently lighter brown, cream, or red. Your sable Bernedoodle will very likely fade out to this shade.

You can learn more about the changes in Sable Bernedoodles in this guide to Sable Bernedoodles, where I cover literally everything you will need to know about them. 

Changes in TriColor Bernedoodle

Tricolor Bernedoodles could be bred with deep reddish marks or develop with maturity. If your Bernedoodle has the fading gene, the lighter the reddish marks are as a puppy, and the lighter the reddish color will be as they mature. 

It’s been fascinating to see how the tricolor Bernedoodle colors have changed over the last eight years. The hair type can also influence whether or not they fade at a young age. 

Regardless of whether the poodle parent possesses the fading gene, Bernedoodles with straighter coats tend to keep their color better than Bernedoodles with curly coats.

Changes in Brindle Bernedoodle

Brindle Bernedoodles appear to retain their color regardless of whether the poodle parent possesses the fading gene.  

The majority of brindles are born with brindle coloring. The colors merge in as the dog grows older and his hair becomes longer. 

The brindle coloration will remain after the puppy has been shaved. Brindle coloration can turn grey or silver in other breeds.

Changes in Phantom Bernedoodle

A Bernedoodle with a tricolor phantom fur has predominantly black and red with some white. Phantom Tricolor is one of the most often sought-after coat colors. 

The black, red, and white patterns on the phantom tricolor will be present at birth. As the dog ages, the hair might blend in, giving the appearance of a phantom Bernedoodle. 

Phantom Tricolors are not the same as phantoms. 

Phantom tricolor Bernedoodles include some white, although phantoms are normally only two colors, black and red. 

Some phantom tricolors will become silver where they were previously black and white. Most phantom tricolor Bernedoodles appear to have excellent color retention.

When my Bernedoodle puppy matures, what color will it be?

As previously said, your puppy can have a variety of coat colors as they get older. It’s tough to ensure whether your puppy’s coat will remain the same color during their lives.

The only method to offer a guarantee of coat color would be to do a DNA test, and most dog owners wouldn’t want to go through all that hassle simply to find out what color their puppy’s coat really is. 

If the coat color is really essential to you, a DNA test can be conducted through a breeder or at a veterinarian’s clinic prior to acquiring your dog. This test examines the puppy’s individual genes.

Related Questions 

Do Bernedoodles have red eyes? 

Bernedoodles have dark eyes, but red is not a normal, healthy color for them.

Red eyes are an indication of infections, allergies, or irritants, so take your dog to the doctor right away if you see them.

Do Bernedoodles Hair Change? 

Because Bernedoodles are a blend of two breeds, determining which coat your puppy will possess is a toss-up. Their coats can fluctuate between the three primary varieties of straight, wavy, and curly coat. Bernedoodles do not possess a double coat. They require frequent maintenance regardless of coat type.

Can Bernedoodles have blue eyes? 

While pups with blue eyes are beautiful, very few of them retain their blue color throughout maturity. Blue eyes often last 3 to 4 months before changing to something darker, most typically brown. This shift can begin as early as 10 weeks of age.

Helpful Resources 

Why Dog’s Fur Changes Color

Do Puppies Change color as they grow?

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