Black Goldendoodle Guide: Rarity, Size, Fading & Coats
A black Goldendoodle has a solid black coat with a black nose and black paw pads, and it is less common than cream, apricot or red. The black comes from the Poodle side of the family, and some black puppies lighten to gray or silver as they grow. This guide covers how rare black Goldendoodles are, how big they get, how their coats change, black and white patterns, and how to register your dog with Designer Kennel Club (DKC).
What Is a Black Goldendoodle?
A black Goldendoodle is a Goldendoodle with a solid black coat. Goldendoodles are purebred designer dogs, an intentional cross of a Golden Retriever and a Poodle, and the black coat is inherited from the Poodle parent. Black Goldendoodles almost always have black noses, paw pads and eye rims too.
Black is one of many Goldendoodle colors. For the full range, see our Goldendoodle colors and patterns guide.
Are Black Goldendoodles Rare?
Black is less common than cream, apricot and red, and many breed guides call it a rare Goldendoodle color. Rare here means harder to find, not unheard of. Here is why:
The gold coat of the Golden Retriever is recessive, so a black coat has to come through the Poodle parent.
A Poodle with a red, apricot, cream or white coat has no black coat to pass on, so litters from those parents will not be black.
Black puppies only come from litters planned with a black Poodle parent, so there are fewer of them than light-colored puppies.
Why Are Some Goldendoodles Black?
Dogs have two basic coat pigments: black and red-yellow. The Golden Retriever’s gold coat comes from the red-yellow pigment, which is recessive. A Poodle with a black coat can pass black to its puppies, while Poodles with red, apricot, cream or white coats cannot.
Black can show up in any generation, including F1 and F1B Goldendoodles, because it depends on the Poodle parent’s coat genes and not on the generation label. A DNA test on both parents is the most reliable way to know what a pairing can produce.
Do Black Goldendoodles Fade or Turn Silver?
Some do. According to the United Poodle Association, blue and silver Poodles are born black and then “clear” to their true color as they mature. The gene behind this is called progressive graying. It is described as incomplete dominant: a black Poodle with no copies stays black, one copy gives blue-gray, and two copies give silver.
A black Goldendoodle can inherit that gene from the Poodle parent. If it does, the coat may lighten to charcoal, gray or silver over time. Dogs without it usually stay dark. Timing varies: silver Poodle puppies can show a silvering face by about 6 weeks, while a blue may not start clearing until around 2 years old.
If you want a coat that stays black, ask the breeder how the Poodle parent’s coat has changed with age, and ask to see photos of the parents as adults.
Black Goldendoodle Sizes: Mini, Medium and Standard
Size and color are separate, so black Goldendoodles come in the same sizes as other Goldendoodles. There is no official size chart, but these are typical adult weights:
Mini: about 20-30 pounds
Medium: about 30-45 pounds
Standard: about 50-90 pounds
A mini black Goldendoodle, also called a miniature black Goldendoodle, comes from a smaller Poodle parent. Because sizing is not standardized, ask the breeder for the adult weights of both parents.
What to Expect From a Black Goldendoodle Puppy
A black puppy may look dark and fluffy at first, but the adult coat can look different. Texture, length and sometimes shade change as the puppy matures. Before you choose a puppy, ask the breeder:
What color is the Poodle parent, and has its coat changed with age?
Have both parents had health testing, and can I see the results?
What is the expected adult size?
Is the puppy registered, and will I receive the paperwork?
Price varies widely by breeder, size, generation and location. Coat color alone should not decide it, so ask what the price includes.
Black Goldendoodle Coat Types and Haircuts
Goldendoodle coats range from straight to wavy to curly, and black Goldendoodles can have any of them. A straight-haired black Goldendoodle looks sleeker, a wavy coat looks shaggy, and a curly coat looks more like a Poodle’s. Every coat needs regular brushing to prevent mats, plus professional grooming from time to time.
Popular haircuts include the teddy bear cut, which keeps the body and face at an even, fluffy length, and shorter puppy cuts that are easier to maintain.
Black and White Goldendoodles
A black and white Goldendoodle has a mostly white coat with black patches. This pattern is called parti, and black and white is one of the more common parti combinations.
Other black patterns include:
Black phantom: a black body with cream or silver markings, usually on the face, legs and chest
Black sable: black-tipped hairs that can look silver or gray
Black parti-phantom: a black base with cream or silver markings and white patches
Black merle: a marbled pattern on a black base
All of these can be registered with DKC.
Black F1, F1B and Other Generations
An F1 Goldendoodle is a Golden Retriever bred to a Poodle. An F1B is an F1 bred back to a Poodle, so it has about 75 percent Poodle ancestry. Black can appear in any generation. If you see a black F1b Goldendoodle for sale, ask what color each parent is.
Can You Register a Black Goldendoodle?
Yes. Designer Kennel Club registers Goldendoodles as purebred designer dogs in every coat color and pattern, including solid black, black and white, black phantom, black sable and black merle. Color never limits eligibility.
Which option fits depends on your dog:
Foundation Dog Registration, $65: for a black Goldendoodle with no papers, including adult dogs, rescues and puppies bought without paperwork. No previous papers needed.
Puppy Registration, $45: for a puppy from a DKC-registered litter. You need the breeder’s DKC registration number.
Litter Registration, $100: for breeders. The sire and dam must be DKC registered first.
Breeding black Goldendoodles? Register the sire and dam first, then your litter. Each puppy buyer can then register their puppy with your DKC registration number.
Papers arrive as a PDF by email within 2-3 business days. DKC registration records your dog’s information. It does not guarantee parentage or genetics, and no registry guarantees DNA, so use a DNA test if you want to confirm what is in your dog.
When you fill out the form, describe the coat with the base color first and then the pattern, for example “solid black”, “black phantom” or “black and white parti”, and upload clear photos in natural light.
Ready to register? Start on our Goldendoodle registration page, or see how to get papers for a dog without papers.
Black Goldendoodle FAQs
Are black Goldendoodles rare?
Black is less common than cream, apricot and red, and many guides call it rare. A black coat has to come from a black Poodle parent, so black puppies only come from litters planned that way.
Why are some Goldendoodles black?
The black coat is inherited from the Poodle parent. The Golden Retriever’s gold coat is recessive, and Poodles with red, apricot, cream or white coats have no black coat to pass on.
Do black Goldendoodles turn gray or silver?
Some do. If the Poodle parent passes on a progressive graying gene, the black coat can lighten to gray or silver as the dog matures. Without it, the coat usually stays dark.
How big do black Goldendoodles get?
Size depends on the parents, not the color. Typical adult weights are about 20-30 pounds for mini, 30-45 pounds for medium and 50-90 pounds for standard. Ask the breeder for the parents’ weights.
What is a black and white Goldendoodle?
A black and white Goldendoodle has a mostly white coat with black patches. This pattern is called parti.
What is a black phantom Goldendoodle?
A black phantom Goldendoodle has a black body with cream or silver markings, usually on the face, legs and chest.
How much does a black Goldendoodle cost?
Prices vary widely by breeder, size, generation and location. Color alone should not decide the price, so ask what is included, such as health testing and registration papers.
Can I register a black Goldendoodle with Designer Kennel Club?
Yes. DKC registers Goldendoodles in every coat color and pattern. Foundation Dog Registration is $65, Puppy Registration is $45 and Litter Registration is $100. Papers arrive as a PDF by email within 2-3 business days. No registry guarantees DNA.
