Poodle Coat Color Genetics Predictor
Cross two parents across the genes that actually decide poodle color — the red factor, brown factor, and progressive-greying gene — and get true Mendelian probabilities for every puppy color.
Predict Your Poodle’s Puppy Colors
Pick each parent’s visible color. If you’ve DNA tested, open Advanced to add hidden carriers — that’s where surprises like two black poodles throwing apricot puppies come from.
Parent Colors
Advanced — add known DNA results
Advanced — add known DNA results
Predicted Results
Select both parent colors, then tap Calculate to see your litter’s likely coat colors.
Know Exactly What Your Poodle Carries
This tool predicts from what you know. A coat-color DNA panel reveals the hidden red, brown, and greying genes your poodle carries — the only way to predict a litter with certainty.
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Four Steps to Your Litter’s Palette
A real genetics engine, made simple.
Pick the Sire
Choose the father’s visible coat color from the swatch palette.
Pick the Dam
Do the same for the mother. Any two colors can be crossed.
Add Carriers
If DNA tested, open Advanced to add hidden red, brown, or greying genes.
View Results
Get true Mendelian probabilities for every possible puppy color.
The Science Behind Your Poodle’s Shade
Color is a window into your poodle’s genetic blueprint.
Two Core Pigments
Every poodle color comes from two pigments: eumelanin (black and brown) and phaeomelanin (red, apricot, cream). Each shade is a variation or dilution of these two.
Dominant vs Recessive
Black is dominant — one B allele gives a black coat. Red and apricot are recessive (ee), so both parents must pass the red gene. That’s why two black poodles can produce apricot puppies if both carry it.
2022 Red-Color Research
A 2022 genome-wide study (Batcher et al., G3: Genes|Genomes|Genetics) identified an SNN retrocopy insertion (SNNL1) on chromosome 18 linked to deeper red intensity in poodles — explaining why some reds are richer than others at the same visible genotype.
The Greying Gene
Many poodles are born one color and mature into another. The greying gene fades black to blue and silver, and brown to café-au-lait. Silver poodles are born black and clear from the roots, fully silvering by 18–24 months.
Recognized Colors
The AKC recognizes a range of solid poodle colors including black, white, apricot, red, silver, blue, gray, brown, café au lait, cream, and silver beige. The deep red shade was developed over the 20th century by selectively breeding the most intense apricot lines.
Pattern Complexity
Parti, phantom, sable, and brindle follow separate inheritance from solid color. Parti needs two copies of the sp allele (S locus); phantom (tan points) is controlled by the at allele at the A locus and interacts with the K locus.
Understanding the Genetic Loci
Each locus independently controls one aspect of the final coat. This predictor models the first three (plus parti); the rest are shown for reference.
| Locus | Controls | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| E | Red factor | E = dark pigment expressed; ee = red / apricot / cream only |
| B | Brown factor | B = black pigment; bb = brown (chocolate) |
| G | Progressive greying | G = fades to silver / blue / café-au-lait; gg = holds color |
| S | White spotting | S = solid; sp = parti — needs two copies to show |
| A | Pattern | ay = sable; at = tan points (phantom) |
| K | Dominant black | KB masks the A locus; ky allows phantom/sable to show |
🔬 Peer-Reviewed Source
Batcher et al. (2022), An SNN retrocopy insertion upstream of GPR22 is associated with dark red coat color in Poodles, published in G3: Genes|Genomes|Genetics. The study found equal melanocyte counts across colors but higher melanin content in darker poodles — pigment density, not cell count, drives depth. View on PubMed →
How Dominant × Recessive Works
Each gene is like a switch. Dominant alleles (capitals) override recessives (lowercase) — but a recessive trait needs two copies to appear.
Key Insight: Hidden Carriers
A solid black poodle can secretly carry red, brown, or parti genes with no visible sign. DNA color testing (Embark, Wisdom Panel, or UC Davis VGL) is the only reliable way to know — and the Advanced toggles above let you feed those results straight into this calculator.
Recognized Poodle Coat Colors
From classic blacks to rare phantoms — every recognized poodle shade at a glance.
Frequently Asked Questions
The most common questions about poodle coat color genetics — answered clearly.
© 2026 PoodleGuru.com · Predictions are educational estimates based on Mendelian genetics — not a substitute for veterinary or DNA testing. · Privacy Policy
Genetics model: E / B / greying loci + parti (S). Reviewed against published canine coat-color research.
