Goldendoodle Colors and Patterns: Black, Merle, Parti & More
Goldendoodles come in cream, apricot, red, chocolate, black, silver and gray, plus patterns like parti, phantom, sable and merle. Every one of these colors and patterns can be registered with Designer Kennel Club (DKC). Below you will find what each coat looks like, which colors are less common (including black), and what to know before you choose or register your dog.
Goldendoodle Colors at a Glance
Cream: light yellow to beige
Apricot: light peach to a deeper orange
Red: light orange-red to deep mahogany
Chocolate: light caramel to deep brown
Black: solid black, less common than cream, apricot and red
Silver and gray: cool gray tones that usually take several generations of selective breeding
Patterns: parti, phantom, parti-phantom, sable and merle
What Decides a Goldendoodle’s Color?
A Goldendoodle is a purebred designer dog: an intentional cross of a Golden Retriever and a Poodle. Poodles come in a wide range of colors and Golden Retrievers add their own gold coat, so one litter can hold puppies in more than one shade. Even experienced breeders find color hard to predict with certainty. A DNA test on both parents is the most reliable way to know what a pairing can produce.
Color can also change. A puppy coat may lighten, dull or fade as the dog matures, which breeders call clearing. Some areas keep their puppy color, which is called holding. If you want a certain shade, it helps to choose a puppy that is slightly darker than the color you are hoping for.
Are Black Goldendoodles Rare?
Black is less common than cream, apricot and red, and many guides call it a rare Goldendoodle color. Here is why:
The gold coat of the Golden Retriever is recessive, so a black coat has to come through the Poodle side of the family.
Parents that carry only gold, cream, apricot or red coats usually will not produce a black coat. A black puppy needs a Poodle parent that carries black.
Black coats can change as the dog grows. Some black puppies lighten or soften toward gray with age.
A black Goldendoodle is registered with DKC exactly like any other color. Coat color never limits eligibility. See our full black Goldendoodle guide.
Mini, Medium and Standard Goldendoodle Colors
Size and color are separate. Mini, medium and standard Goldendoodles can all come in the same colors and patterns, so a mini black Goldendoodle, a standard apricot Goldendoodle and a medium parti Goldendoodle are all possible.
Solid Goldendoodle Colors
Cream Goldendoodles
Cream ranges from a soft off-white to light yellow or beige. It is one of the most common Goldendoodle colors.
Apricot Goldendoodles
Apricot runs from a light peach to a deeper orange and is among the most popular Goldendoodle colors.
Red Goldendoodles
Red ranges from a light orange-red to a deep mahogany. It is a bold, rich shade that stands out in any coat style.
Chocolate Goldendoodles
Chocolate is a dark brown coat, from light caramel tones to deep brown. Chocolate is a recessive color, so both parents have to carry it.
Black Goldendoodles
Black Goldendoodles have a solid black coat from nose to tail. They are less common than cream, apricot and red, so finding the right puppy can take longer.
Silver and Gray Goldendoodles
Silver and gray coats show cool gray tones. They are among the less common colors and usually come from several generations of selective breeding.
Goldendoodle Coat Patterns
Parti Goldendoodles
A parti Goldendoodle has a mostly white coat with patches of another color. Common combinations are black and white, chocolate and white, apricot and white, and red and white. Black and white is one of the more common parti combinations, while red and white is less common. Reliable parti coats generally take several generations of planned breeding.
Phantom Goldendoodles
A phantom Goldendoodle has a solid body color with markings in a second color, usually on the face, legs and chest. A black phantom is black with cream or silver markings. A chocolate phantom is chocolate with apricot or caramel markings, and a red phantom is red with cream or apricot markings.
Parti-Phantom Goldendoodles
Parti-phantom combines three elements: a base color, phantom markings and white patches. A common example is a black base with cream or silver markings and white patches.
Sable Goldendoodles
Sable coats have black-tipped hairs, so the shade appears to shift as the dog moves. A black sable can look silver or gray, and a red sable can look dark red or mahogany.
Merle Goldendoodles
Merle is a patchy, marbled pattern with darker patches on a lighter base. Blue merle is silver-gray with black or blue patches. Red, chocolate and apricot merle also exist.
Merle comes from a semi-dominant gene, so one copy is enough to produce the pattern. Golden Retrievers do not carry the merle gene, so merle in a Goldendoodle has to come from elsewhere in the pedigree.
The American Kennel Club advises against breeding two merles together. A double merle puppy has two copies of the gene and a higher risk of hearing and vision problems. If you are considering a merle Goldendoodle, ask the breeder about both parents and about DNA testing, since some merles are hard to spot.
Can You Register a Goldendoodle of Any Color or Pattern?
Yes. Designer Kennel Club registers Goldendoodles as purebred designer dogs in every coat color and pattern: solid, parti, phantom, parti-phantom, sable and merle. Color is never a reason a Goldendoodle cannot be registered.
Which option fits depends on your dog:
Foundation Dog Registration, $65: for a 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.
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 “black phantom” or “apricot 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.
Goldendoodle Color FAQs
What colors do Goldendoodles come in?
Goldendoodles come in cream, apricot, red, chocolate, black, silver and gray. Patterns include parti, phantom, parti-phantom, sable and merle. Designer Kennel Club registers every Goldendoodle color and pattern.
Are black Goldendoodles rare?
Black is less common than cream, apricot and red, and many guides call it rare. The gold coat of the Golden Retriever is recessive, so a black coat has to come from the Poodle side. Black Goldendoodles can be registered with DKC like any other color.
Will my Goldendoodle puppy’s color change?
It can. A puppy coat may lighten or fade as the dog matures, which breeders call clearing, while some areas keep their puppy color. A DNA test on both parents is the most reliable way to predict color.
What is a parti Goldendoodle?
A parti Goldendoodle has a mostly white coat with patches of another color, such as black and white, chocolate and white, apricot and white or red and white.
What is a phantom Goldendoodle?
A phantom Goldendoodle has a solid body color with markings in a second color, usually on the face, legs and chest. A common example is black with cream or silver markings.
Are merle Goldendoodles healthy?
A merle coat is not automatically unhealthy, but breeding two merles together can produce double merle puppies with a higher risk of hearing and vision problems. The American Kennel Club advises against it. Ask the breeder about both parents and DNA testing.
Can I register a Goldendoodle of any color with Designer Kennel Club?
Yes. DKC registers Goldendoodles in every coat color and pattern. Foundation Dog Registration is $65 for dogs with no papers, 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.
