Standard Poodle Characteristics
On this page I hope to show you various Standard Poodle Characteristics in coat colors and coat textures found in our litters. Now the "professionals" will give you specific gene data to explain the coats below, yet I just want to make this fun :-)
So, I like to use the "candy bar" in describing their coat colors, hopefully you'll grab a piece of chocolate afterwards :-)
We raise mostly chocolates/brown standard poodles and have added our black female-Cleopatra, and our black stud-Jupiter Fenning. So we will now have black, reds, apricot/creams born as well.
Standard Poodle Characteristics:
1. We have all pup's dew claws removed and tails docked 1/3 from the tip by 3 days old - unless: A. you commit to a pup and ask us NOT to dock their tail B. a puppy's tail was kinked at a lower joint and had to be docked there. So, if you see one of our standards with a shorter tail it could be B. above or the vet/breeder didn't know how to dock correctly :-( It wasn't my doing)
2. "Ugly Duckling" Dark Chocolates (Easter? :-) Most certainly grows into that beautiful swan (ahem-standard poodle with a thicker coat :-)
After years of watching, the two pictures below are of our "Dark Chocolate Ugly ducklings". They have very thin coats compared to the others, even appearing bald in spots because of its thinness. This guy I called "GoTee" and had absolutely the greatest of personalities (just look at the shots he wanted taken). After time the Ugly ducklings grow a fuller coat as you see by clicking here to see "Bear" who is my favored "Ugly duckling". Please look through his pictures to see how his coat filled out after time.
Among this litter of ten puppies, only one boy was an ugly duckling. Their hair tends to be wiry (stiffer), yet his personality stood out to be calm, sure, and very friendly with people.
The wiry thin coat is a gene characteristic I have observed among some of the "dark chocolates".
In all our litters, there seems to be one--every other litter--during the years we have been breeding.
Always thinking positively--you wouldn't have to groom them as much :-)
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3. "Dark Chocolates" can also come in a medium coat being VERY soft, or another medium coat being stiffer/wiry.
Odu's hair (the first picture of the adult female below) is the softest I have ever felt in most poodles, probably due to the fact this dark chocolate hair isn't AS thick as the general "Chocolate" coat. With the thinner coat you feel the soft texture so much easier than a thicker coat.
"Dark Chocolate" coats stay browner a lot longer than the regular "Chocolate" coat color.
Our dam Zain is a Dark Chocolate with a stiffer/wiry coat.
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4. Mismark/Abstract
On occassion, among the puppies born are several with white chest marks called Mismark/Abstracts. This is a unique color mark Mother Nature decided to grant them.
They can be found on browns, reds, blacks, any color, and vary in size.
It does nothing to change their personality :-)
This little girl was a dark chocolate with a very soft coat.
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5. Phantoms
Phantoms have markings like that found on German Shephards or Dobermans. They can be cream, red, or white found on brown and black poodles.
They are rarer in the USA and considered a recessive gene.
They sell for more money.
Below are 3 shots of various phantoms born in one litter! It will probably never happen again :-(
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6. Regular "Chocolates"
"Chocolates" have ALL been VERY THICK full coats.
One has this extreme tendency to want to constantly get down on the floor and lay next to them and cuddle--as we do with our Kodi :-) They are very soft. We have never had a wiry full coat Dark Chocolate pup yet, more on the medium coat thickness.
"Chocolates" lighten and eventually grey up faster than a "Dark chocolate". But because you love them, and we all generally get grey hair--it just doesn't matter :-)
"Professionals" will say this is due to a silver or other gene in their lineage.
Kodi in this first shot shows his brown color in his first several years, the next picture will show how he has faded at over 4 1/2 years old.
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7. The Cream, Apricot, or Red colored coat.
These colors have ALL been VERY THICK full coats. They have never had a thin coat (who knows what Mother Nature might do :-).
Now, who is to say what their color truly is!?!?!?
That has to be up to me. Over the years and my research, in the USA their has always been "Reds" but not as Red-Red as Europe's, until several kennels in the USA and past several decades, focused their lines to create them (yes, this takes in-breeding and line-breeding to the healthiest and best characteristics wanted).
If I have pups born that lean in color to a red, I will more than likely be listing them as an apricot unless you contact me. There are both apricots and reds in both parents lines (see Lineage page). Over time and blending of colors, as in the artists color pallet, the red color washes out. In general--most reds always fade out to cream in time. Some apricots may fade as well, yet rarely. Some reds may fade immediately as pups, at which I would know. Otherwise, a customer will never know this until a good 3-5 years down the road with their red pet. So it is generally difficult for me to call their definite color out as a pup--apricot or red unless it's very obvious.
I can easily see if my pups are creams, and will call them out as such.
The picture below shows the thick soft coat of an apricot/red at 7 weeks old.
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8. Blacks...we have only recently (2007) brought blacks into our home so will have to learn about them before I can share.
When buying one of our pups, yes you have your idea of "A Perfect Pup" yet don't forget to look at who they will become with your love :-)
Breeders and other notes:
"Breeding" pups will be solid color only
"PET ONLY" pups may be solid brown color, red, apricot, cream, black and/or have the white chest mismark/abstract, or a rare phantom may be born
Hair texture; soft verses stiffer, thin verses thick
Color; regular chocolate candy bar verses dark chocolate candy bar :-)
Size; largest pup verses smallest (never a guarantee on size though)
If they are 1 pound at birth, these kids 100% of the time grow to Royals. A down-payment early on, allows your choice of this Royal pup/s.
Temperament; alpha of litter verses a follower
updated 10/01/07
Standard Poodle Characteristics can be seen among the many customer pup pictures--CLICK here!
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